The Prisons and Barracks

She could tell by the dark themed, almost garish ironworks that this entire society was not one to be trifled with. Between the skeletal soldiers and the minotaurs, she wondered if there was an ordinary human for miles that wasn't enslaved or a necromancer.

She looked agape and rooted in place; she was only half acting. Regardless of how much magical energy she had stored in her "cuffs", she couldn't help feel intimidated by the massive sapient creatures in front of her.

The troll, however, was a reasonable change of pace. At least not everything here was a mythical battle in its own right. She even wanted to say "This is what someone who bathes looks like" when the troll asked what this was, but she decided against it.

Once again she tried to avoid eye-contact. She kept her shoulders hunched in a docile manner while waiting for Jarkoopi to speak.

Jun of the Celadine , Jarkoopi, Kepesk Altiui


The troll cringed away from the massive monster as it leaned in, and stated the name with that booming voice. Muttering to himself, he glanced amongst those present before scurrying off back up the stairs and into the facility.

It would only be a few minutes before the wide, towering doors under the rounded arch atop the steps opened once more and someone came forth. She stood menacingly tall on 8 powerful spider legs - each plated in armor that shone with a very stark sheen. Her form was one part horrifying and one part lovely - the woman half graced with elegance and proportions appeasing to the eye of man while her Arachne half was limber but huge, creepy in view but clearly powerful.


All 8 legs worked in tandem to bring her in a fluid motion down the steps and before the two soldiers - and the dragon and human woman, whom received her careful eye for a few quiet moments. She smiled sweetly, though it was anything but kind. A subtle hiss sounded from the faintly moving fangs just before her hips.

"My lady," spoke one of the soldiers, "this is Alrein, wer Vutha. He wished to speak with you."

"Really, now?" she purred, looking the dragon directly in the eye as she nodded her head in a form of greeting while folding her pointed hands before her lap. "Whatever about?"

He wished Jun of the Celadine was ready, not to say he didn’t have an idea to distract the spider woman, but his sense of vulnerability. He didn’t like sneaky plans like this, he felt very unsafe with somemany around him and in close proximity, knowing that when they started fighting, they’d already on top of him. Technically, with a well placed crunch of his jaws he could likely sever the Warden’s head, but if he missed nothing would stop her from driving one of her spider-like legs into his eye sockets or other parts of his face, nor would the minions be stopped from rushing beneath him and striking at his underside. Him winning this, relied on Jun. Again.

The dragon slightly bowed his head towards the Arachne woman.
“My lady, I wanted to first come talk to you about the lands near your city. I was told that you alone do not run the city and must come before a council, but I wanted to inform you immediately about it before I went before them.”

The dragon allowed a long pause, giving Jun a gentle shake, not for emphasis, but to do whatever she had planned, soon.
“It appeared to me after a few years that one of my lairs that is near the mountain range seems to be very close to your city, and after a while I had seen folk from here wander around on what I would’ve called ‘my land.’ I explored the source further and realized the complexity and strength of this civilization and wished to come forth to announce to your people and more importantly your troops that it appeared that I owned a part of your territory without and wanted to hash out an official boundary line by coming before the council. The reason I’m meeting here now, with you, is I hoped you would have the authority to keep people away from my lair until the council addresses the matter.”

It was a clear and faulty lie, but all it needed to do was give Jun time. If she didn’t start the fight, he’d do it himself.

Jun was now genuinely sweating.

I get it Jark we're supposed to be vaporizing her!

This was no good. Even though by now she had enough mana to level half a castle, she couldn't just turn her into orange goo without finding out more. The arachnid might simply be working for someone else, and killing her might not be the secret to saving Achrine Village. But if she didn't do something she knew Jarkoopi would begin the fight.

"Why?" She muttered haplessly. But her next words would come off a mix of pleading and furious. "What gives you oversized monsters the right to enslave and harass people like this!?"

Her eyes flicked to Jarkoopi as she stepped forward slightly, expecting him to "restrain" her. As he did, he would sense a sudden build up of invisible mana around her shoulders and arms. Her spell was on a hair trigger. Any suspicous movement  or inkling of anti-magic would set her off like a bomb.

Come on. Just one more clue damn it. Elinlia.
That's a start.

Uh oh.

Had the Warden been himself in that position, he would’ve killed Jun. Luckily for her it seemed this Warden was tolerant enough to not strike her and get mad at her current “master.”

He gently squeezed Jun, careful enough not to set her off, but enough jerk her back onto to their original plan.
Shoot. Her. Now.


The urge to strike out was almost instinct, he could lash out and catch her upper half in his jaws and chew. However the Arachnea looked at him and smiled, giving him a question to answer instead of attacking.
“A mage wandering along broken path near my lair, I sensed her presence due to her aura.” The dragon replied.

He was tempted to say she was from the Land Tillers, but he didn’t want give away real names of places or people, should Jun for whatever reason not blast her away this very instant, otherwise Jarkoopi, Kepesk Altiui is going-to-be-very-pissed-at-Jun-for-a-bit.

Jun of the Celadine , Jarkoopi, Kepesk Altiui


It wasn't the lights or the shadows, however faint, to alert Nessoria. It was the feeling of the charged air, and having a far too familiar sense of it. Instinctively her foremost legs and hindmost would rise up in a prayer curl while the remaining middle four spread out for support along the ground. The first arcs of power that surged forth would latch to the forelegs like electricity drawn to a lightning rod and dance and light and crack and hum as it was nulled out rather than finding the source that was situated behind the Arachne herself.

The sheer power of the magicks was enough to send the two undead spear men flying off the staircase in a number of bony pieces and bits of armor - wondering what in the hell had just happened as their skulls bounced along the pavement in dumbfounded amazement.

The display brought around the attention of the Minotaur guards, who stormed through the gates roaring in a fury - what in the world was going on?!

High up along the towering structures of the facility there was much movement - like watching the moving walls of a beehive with the entirely colony nested inside. And many - possibly hundreds - took to the air on a mix of wide, batish wings of bone and membrane and feathery wings of dark colors. They were swarming far overhead and all about the area of the prisons and partially about this side of the city.

When the light show finally died Nessoria would be standing there, her feminine portion leaned back from her forelegs - revealed by the light that her legs were discreetly plated in steel with an odd sheen - until they eventually settled to the ground again. Her expression had shifted from the smile to a very displeased, almost disappointed, scowl. Her attention went to the mage, and the state her cuffs were now in on the ground.

"... ... those are not very reliable bindings. If that's what they, indeed, are," she murmured, her tone still gentle but annoyed and on the verge of suspicion. And it was aimed at the dragon. "And your story isn't making much sense now, Mister Alrein."

The Minotaur stopped just shy of the dragon's tail, huffing heavy and flexing in preparation for any order given. The skies continued to warp and shift with hundreds of varied wings of creatures high above. The Arachne seemed unfazed by the display of the woman mage that was at her feet. She hardly shifted her long legs but continued to watch her with something of a cross of mild amusement and slight annoyance. Despite the attempt on her life, powerful as it may have been, Nessoria wasn't making any motion towards Jun.

"Your initial inquiry. Hmm." She seemed to lower her form down just a touch closer to the ground, like one might settle into their chair more comfortably. "It is as simple as I answered before - that is just the way it is. This has been the way of Airedale since the Covenant's first founding with Lord Alexander, and well into the time that Lady Lucile took it over. If the sides had been reversed then I would be where you are now, little mage, and you where I stand. That is where we are.

"But, fret not - you'll learn. I'll be more than happy to give you a personal look into the history and culture of Helmfirth." A small gesture of her hand would summon the Minotaur to attempt to seize the small woman.