Faction A Place To Call Home, Pt. 2 - "A Glimpse of the Future" (Epican Chronicles, Ch. 1)

[Iliana Röhr]

I L I A N A⠀R Ö H R

'La Llorona'​

Raising her hand in acknowledgement of Safiya Mylas's call, her attention soon shifted back to her own dealings~ the screeching of the iron gate, "DON'T BREAK ANYTHING!" Ily' herself screeched at the twi'lek, "jeez.." she muttered to herself as she took a deep breath, aware of the fact that any part of the structure could collapse at any point.

Trailing behind the main group slightly, she caught up to Ivory Stroud to add a point, "We can set up temporary accom' in the area next to the main gate, to the north.." and with her piece said, she departed from the group to make her way around to the winery section of the villa, as she had just explained.

Moving to the southern point of the main structure, the winery section sat an entire floor below and lead directly into the subsection of the castle; It was dark & pungent from the smell of many years of decomposed fruits, rotten barrels and rusting fermentation chambers.

Flickering on her flashlight, she splashed through the few centimetres of water that had been collecting for years and ventured further into the underbelly of the winery, passing garages, fermentation chambers and eventually the storage cellar where the wine is left to age in barrels.

Now, the water was up to just below her knees, moss and vegetation had began to reclaim most of the cellar. It was at this point she daren't go further as she couldn't ascertain if there were any sharp drops or open drainage chambers; not to mention the sporadic splashing of local critters beginning to unnerve her..

Ivory Stroud , Mairéad Solus , Stardust Solus Skirae , Dedata | Celty Ree

 

[Mairéad Solus]

Location: Epica
Objective: Survey the Castello
Tags: Ivory Stroud Iliana Röhr Dedata | Celty Ree Stardust Solus Skirae

Spoiler: Equipment:

Beskar'gam
Velmorite bladed lightsaber
Knife on ankle
Ladies Watch
Serenity bracelet
FDS-4F blaster pistol in thigh holster
Empyrean Gland
The Family Finger
Marzanna
Datapad

A grinding of metal against stone and a plaintiff cry from Iliana Röhr not to break anything told Mairéad that her Buir was in action, the elegance of a butterfly, the subtelty of an angry rhinoceros. She might not repeat that to Stardust Solus Skirae or it will be volcano training time again. She smirked privately to herself with the image, and also the contentment of being surrounded by family.

To one end of the courtyard appeared to he several large hatches in the ground, the remains of wooden cranes hung above them, clearly a loading access to the area below. Mairéad gestured with her hand and one of the large doors opened. It began to fragment as it did but Mairéad gently lifted the whole door off and moved it to one side before peering in. It was dark down there and the smell was rancid. She now wished for the air filters that her beskar'gam was equipped with, oh well, in for a penny. She muttered to herself before sitting on the ledge then dropping down... with a splash. More floodwater, up to her calves, soaking her boots and denims. She considered freezing it but the expanding ice could cause considerable damage to the underside of buildings.

<<Hey Ily, how is the water level where you are, I'm starting to think this is plumbing issue from the smell down here.>> she communicated to Iliana Röhr . It was disgusting, being up to her knees in what might as well be sewage. <<Urghh... who else is up for a long soak in a hot bath after all this?>> she joked into the open comm so everyone could hear. She tried to keep that thought in mind as she nearly lost her footing on a hidden ledge under the surface.

She let out a low whistle at how bad this place was, the land was worth a fortune but building itself was certainly a lot less. She came to a wooden door in the chamber underground with its bottom half rotted and swolen. She shoved the top half and it ripped open. A screech of a rat made her jump again and she let off an instinctive blast from her wrist dazzler, sending a low calliber blaster shot ring through the underground corridors. The rat sat smouldering on the other side of the room. <<False alarm, just a rat>> she laughed again into the comm. She would be happy to be back above ground. Something about the squalid damp and dark tunnels was getting under her skin, maybe it reminded her of something I'm her childhood, she couldnt be sure.

Looking around the room with her flashlight it looked like some kind of store cupboard with rotting payment ledgers on shelves and several steel lockboxes. A least one of them contaned old coins, possibly taken as payment from local pubs and businesses.

​

 

[Safiya Mylas]

Location: The Matrisca Estate, Epica
Objective: Assist Iliana
Tags: Iliana Röhr Ivory Stroud Jai'galaar Gred

"Nashtak huh? Cool, just don't let him bit the deer." she laughed and they picked up speed. No, it didn't look like his first rodeo, he had a certain rugged and weathered charm to him, he looked like he might fit in back in Yharwod.

Safiya looked at Jai'galaar Gred and rolled her eyes a little, but her grin showed the lack of venom. "I know what that means... you guys have upset the familes somehow right? I stay out of that mess myself, had a couple of them approach me to rig the odd lightball game. But that's not my style."

The pair headed to the river that Jai had spotted and ahead of them was a small group of large game birds, a male and a trio of females. Safiya made a few ticks with her mouth as if thinking something. "I see our dinner. Have one for yourself if you like." Safiya raised herself to a stand in the stirrups and took aim, her stance was solid but rough, someone who learned to hunt by hunting rather than by training. Her first shot narrowly missed but she cycled the level action smoothly and quickly, popping off another shot as the bird took to the air. The bird dropped to the to the ground in a puff of dust as the slug punched into the bird. "gotcha!" The young woman plopped back down heavily on the Orbak after her shot. What happened next would be down to tracker, if he was gun trained he might fetch the kill for them, or he might greedily eat their dinner. But otherwise Safiya would trot forwards before dismounting to collect the bird.

"The bird will go great with a glass of matrisica if your bosses get this place up and running by dinner." she laughed ​

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

With a sigh she looked the door over and nodded her head to Ivory Stroud as she rolled her neck and popped it, stopping only as screeching reached her senses and her head turned with a stern gaze towards Iliana Röhr but said nothing as she turned away to follow her Donna instead. Looking around the building she let a heavy sigh out dragging her hand carefully against a old wall before moving to step near ivory

it will take some time, but the vision of what this was...what it WILL be is such a grand vision

A bird passed overhead casting a small shadow down as it flew away, star watched it fly off and blinked before she glanced over to ivory and nodded

right behind you ives, let us see what lies in the tower

She moved on with ivory waving for Dedata | Celty Ree to follow with them, stepping inside star raised a hand to form a small ball of contained fire to light any potential hazards as they steppes along, eyes observed the aged and decaying structure as she nodded her head

I disagree with the last portion, this place looked like it had a good build of manual workers, if we wish to build a reputation especially a good one with the people we must show them we are willing to have them as workers rather then shun them away

Sudden movement, her balster was out in a second but didn't fire spotting the lizard with skin near same as her glare at them, chuckling her blaster slid back into its holster

I would've glared as well...actually probably would've drawn on you

She stated and turned to follow

 

[Jai'galaar Gred]

Jai smiled a bit. "Don't worry. Trained him myself." He'd then quickly get the Orbak to pick up speed to follow Safiya, hearing her note that she figured what he meant. The bounty hunter noticed her look when he explained a bit of why the Family was there, and give a bit of a nod.

"Yeah, though I think us just showing up did that. We'll see what the future holds though." He smiled, slowly following as the birds came into view. He'd pull the rifle around, notably keeping solid track of where the barrel was. He was a fighter, not a dummy. He'd quickly load a round and wait until Safiya gave the word, and he quickly took aim for one of the birds before hearing Safiya fire, then quickly taking a shot of his own, downing a bird. Safiya might have noticed the discipline in his shot as he quickly cycled the rifle, Mandalorian training kicking in quickly. The eyes helped too, but he didn't really use them for stuff like this that much. He took a breath before going back to sit in the saddle, letting out two quick, sharp whistles, giving Tracker a signal to go fetch the downed birds. He then chuckled at Safiya's remark

"Of all the crazy things I've seen them pull off, getting wine a few hours would probably be the most impressive."

Safiya Mylas

 

[Ivory Stroud]

Together, the small group milled about for a few moments longer before Ivory redirected them. The tower at the very center of the keep was calling to her, in some odd way.

I disagree with the last portion, this place looked like it had a good build of manual workers, if we wish to build a reputation especially a good one with the people we must show them we are willing to have them as workers rather then shun them away

Ivory smiled to herself, staying close to the 7-foot-tall Twi'lek & her force-fueled torch. "Indeed, Lady Stardust." She replied in jest. "Your understanding of the common folk do you credit. You have learned well." The exploration of the old, abandoned castle had drawn her in - enrapturing her with romantic notions of royalty and ancient tales of chivalry & honor.

Ivory had memorized the outside of the building well enough that she directed them out of the large room and into one of the hallways, taking them in the direction she assumed the entrance to the tower lay. The deeper rooms & hallways within the old abandoned castle were even darker, and debris littered the ground - fallen roof-tiles and old stones, as well as a thin layer of dust on everything. Star's hand-held palm of fire lit everything in a pale eldritch-green glow, causing the shadows to dance. The Donna took the lead, leading them around a bend in the hallway and past a number of rooms. Some even still had old wooden doors attached, but most hung loosely or had long-since vanished.

"The strange thing is, there's not that many artifacts. It's almost like the place has been picked clean. I wonder if that group of mercenaries came here before setting up camp where you met them..." She mused, then continued under her breath: "But why not set up camp here? Way more defensible."

Unfortunately for everyone involved, she would stumble upon an answer to her question exactly one minute later.

Ivory was the first to pass a doorway which, like the others, led into a pitch-black void. The moment she'd moved beyond it, a sound began to emit from within the room which sounded like the low, rolling rumble of distant thunder. She paused in mid-step, straining her sense of hearing, then slowly turning on her heel to look behind her; making eye-contact with Stardust Solus Skirae .

At that exact moment, an ear-splitting screech, loud enough to shatter glass at a dozen paces, erupted from the oppressive blackness of the room which had seemed entirely empty only a few heartbeats before.

Suddenly, a massive shape erupted from the doorway - bounding into the hallway. As it landed, the ground shivered slightly. The creature was unlike anything Ivory had ever seen before, crouching low in six legs, and turning its narrow head back & forth, eyeing the Twi'lek to one side and the human on it's other. Ivory & Star were now completely separated by this ferociously terrifying beast.

The Viator opened its jaws, and hissed - turning its back on the emerald green Twi'lek and zeroing in on the raven-haired woman only one quick leap away.

Ivory's eyed had gone wide, and for the first time in a very long time, a very real look of fear & shock were plainly visible on her face.

The creature's muscular back legs were coiled and prepared for a vicious leap.

Iliana Röhr Mairéad Solus Jai'galaar Gred Dedata | Celty Ree Safiya Mylas​

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

Stars lips curled into a soft grin at ivory jest, she gazed out a old window that needed replacing and let a breath out

I learned, because I was given a choice, I saved a planet from a old imperial dictator years and years ago...they put me up as queen of their planet worshipped me...I could've had them set on a path of war but it was not their culture and it was not a thing I could do. Maybe I can take you there after this?

Heck she might even go back to see who would wish to help the family in this venture from imahalyan, but with the time for reminiscing passing as they descended further in stars eyes gazed about the long forgotten rooms with doors barely attached her fallen in from the hinges being rusted or busted open years ago. Hearing ivory she glanced over and then looked forward

I wondered the same...but...

She stopped suddenly, glancing to the door way her hands slowly moved down to her sabers gripping them and pulling them off but not yet igniting them, her body tensed up as she started slowly approaching the door. However soon as she did the screech hit her and caused her to step back just in time for some...beast! Some beast to just barrel out of its lair and between her and ivory. Her sabers immediately ignited casting a bright blue glow around her as she crouched low and growled back at the beast

But it...it didn't focus on her? Instead it went for the easier prey, on ivory! Star saw her shock and fear and her legs sprang forth and jumped into the air with a massive roar as she pointed her blades down to stab right into its back intending to get its attention by any means necessary

Ivory Stroud

 

[Safiya Mylas]

Location: The Matrisca Estate, Epica
Objective: Assist Iliana
Tags: Iliana Röhr Ivory Stroud Jai'galaar Gred

"Of all the crazy things I've seen them pull off, getting wine a few hours would probably be the most impressive."

Safiya laughed and watched as the Tracker vanished into the undergrowth to collect their prey, two big far birds were returned to them and Saf inspected hers before hanging it on her Orbak. "We should be probably find those deer right?" she grinned as she kicked her mount into gear and they headed onwards. "They often come down this way, it's a nice little route that leads straight in to the rear of the vineyard."

The three sets of claws and hooves clattered down a small ravine and sure enough, ahead of them was a large group of deer like creature. A large muscular specimen with elaborate antlers looked out across the valley and at least two dozen more feminine looking creatures walked easily around him. There were other smaller males but it was very clear who the leader of the pack. Safiya quickly took a few photographs. "These are our little friends, big guy is called Carlos. Its a bit narrow down here so I don't want to spook them too much or they might not run, Tracker cant fly or anything can he?"

​

 

[Jai'galaar Gred]

Jai smirked a bit, grabbing his bird from Tracker before following Safiya. He looked out, seeing the group of deer, and the big buck named Carlos. He leaned back, taking a breath. This honestly felt... well a lot like home. His old home. Concord Dawn. He looked around. It made him like this place a lot more. He chuckled a bit when he was asked if Tracker could fly.

"He can do a lot, but that isn't something he can do." Jai had kept his head on a swivel. He knew there were a couple of creatures on Epica that could be quite dangerous. He looked at the deer, thinking. "Hey..... Ever done mounted herding?"

Safiya Mylas