Are you ready? Step up.

[Pathian]

Charred, smoking corpses litter the ground around you. "All lives", you think to yourself. "Even these". The soldier that notified you about the disturbance is here too, though you only recognize him by the bits of livery that haven't been melted and fused into his blackened skin. With some amusement, you take note of his final expression, one that you've seen countless times. Shock, terror, and a dash of surprise. He'll carry those emotions with him as he's drug across town - his legacy as he rots with all the others. Boots scraping, you rise and turn.

Tracking them down is easy enough - such violent, uncontrolled magicks always leave a trace, one way or another. Their route is rather obvious, small footprints scuffed into the thin layer of gritty, reddish sand that coats Stonecarver's Road, leading off deeper into the Commoner's Quarter. You wouldn't normally be able to track in the city this way, of course. Tens of thousands of people use these roads daily, all leaving their marks as they suffer through their brief existence here. These footprints, however, are unique. Surrounding each is a circular patch of blackened sand, rendered so by a proximity to an incredible heat. Tiny, half-molten shards of glass indicate the impact points.

You hear your quarry before you see them. The noise, all too familiar in the city, guides your quickened steps. The soldiers, drilled endlessly with your expectations, adjust their pace and flank out to either side of you. As your take your final step towards your target, they've already formed a tight ring around the little girl, weapons drawn. You allow yourself a moment to appreciate these lowborn and their eagerness to impress you. The unit spent weeks practicing that, and all it took was a single execution to reinforce the lesson. They learn well.

Naked, trembling, and helpless, she sobs at your feet. Such a tiny thing, responsible for such destruction. What was it.. eight, nine dead? You recall the girl's mother, or what was left of her, kneeling in the street. Blackened arms like torched branches, still reaching for the girl in a desperate attempt to mitigate the disaster. Already on her way to the pile, you suspect, along with the rest of them. You return your attention to the pitiful child, eyes narrowing a bit in thought. Such power, at this age. Worth keeping.

A fractional, barely-there upward nod to nobody in particular, and the child is snatched up by a nearby soldier - Ubba, you think he's called. Such odd names these half-giants have. You'll have to remind him, again, not to pick people up by their hair - it could trigger another episode with this one. As you reach into your robe and produce a black gem, her sobs of terror convert into howling screams of pain, legs kicking at the air frantically, defensively. Children are so noisy.

A sharp whistle grabs your attention as the soldiers depart with the little girl, now quiet and slung unceremoniously over a shoulder. You turn, scanning for the source. A smirking, silk-clad figure leans against the wall of a compound bordering the north side of the road, watching you. A familiar face. You used to play together as children.

"Busy day?" they ask, beckoning you inside for a drink.

You clap them warmly on the shoulder as you pass through the gate, laughing as you reply. "Business as usual."




Team Allanak is accepting applications for a Templar.

Your homework:
Templars
Crime and Justice
Consent
Allanak Heirarchy
How Templars Are Educated
Examples of Successful Applications

Our expectations:
High playtimes- We need someone who regularly plays during evenings server time. You don't need to be on all the time, but you'll to be consistent. Tell us your weekly average and typical playtimes.
Good or Improving account notes - Everyone makes mistakes. Do you learn from them?
Longevity - We want a player whose character will still be around for the long haul.
Patience - There will be highs and lows. You'll need to weather the storm.
A solid grasp of Allanak and its political landscape - Complex, not complicated.
Good Communication - You'll be expected to submit weekly character reports at first.
A complete understanding that you're portraying a realistic character in the world and not just a mob in a game - This is a high impact, high visibility role. With great power comes great responsibility.

Interested? Submit your role application to Arm of the Dragon, include the usual information. Background, personality, aspirations, a rough sdesc/mdesc, etc.

Application period will close on Monday, August 28th at 5:00PM ST.

[Pathian]

Just a reminder - this closes tomorrow!

[Pathian]

Aaaaand closed.

A shitload of great applicants on this one, holy hell.