< atton revisited > The information page for Atton has been fully revised and updated with the new map!
< updated calendar > The Fortuna calendar has been updated in the "Other" lore section! This includes a document which displays the calendar for you to see, making it much easier to understand.
< moving map > The first functional map has been released in the News section! This map is also interactive, allowing you to drag and drop between points in order to determine distances. This is the first iteration, and there's more and better to come!
< first annual awards > The results for the First Annual Fortuna Year-End Awards have been posted! Go and take a look at who the finalists were, and who took home the big prizes!
< new default skin > Our new skin has passed the beta test, and is now the new Default for the forums! If you have any issues with this skin, send a PM or Discord to Mellie.
< human lore update > Humans have been updated with TWENTY-FIVE subraces/subcultures which add numerous options, and a little extra lore and flavour.
< magic lore update > Magical Lore has been enhanced with the addition of a post on Magical Education. From Beginner to Expert, this is how you learn the spells.
< a change to member groups > Member groups are now based on storyline! You can change your displayed storyline by editing the settings in your profile.
Welcome to the world of Fortuna, a land of fantastic proportions. This is an original fantasy roleplay that takes place in a world developed over nearly a decade of work and collaboration. We aim to encourage all participants to have a hand in the stories of the characters here, and the world around them. Your choices are key - so make them with pride. You decide who wins the wars, you decide who becomes King, the world is ours, and together we will bring it to life!
Post by Thomas Dunn on Dec 19, 2016 16:02:33 GMT -7
Vinnie hated him. It wasn't a mild dislike, and it wasn't the disrespect that he sometimes ran into from people like Relos Voden. It was pure, vitriolic hatred. It dripped off of his words... And it begged for competition.
Tom would play. He'd play a different way - after all, Woodrow quite liked them both, but Vincent certainly more. If he tried to work against Vincent in a public manner, Woodrow would likely drop him. If he did it privately... Tom's brain stirred eagerly at the thoughts of what he had seen on this ship, and the purpose he knew it could now serve. He only needed a moment to be discrete.
For now, he would play pretend, and ignore the slights Vincent put against him: "While you are quite right about the technology, Vincent and it is a valid concern... I must ask for greater consideration than that. I wouldn't allow Katerine to be on board your ship, unbound, if she was a risk. She has been thoroughly tested, and my assistants have even confirmed of her orders being strictly followed when I left the country. She's a success in every meaning of the word... And you are so close, mere inches, away from destroying your enemies. Do you want them to continue to plague your seas?"
Tom wasn't playing hardball the way Vincent was. He assumed that Vincent would win this battle - though he was prepared for surprise... More importantly, Tom wanted a segue. He wanted this conversation to end, and for the next to lead him to his prize... ACACIA-BLUE.
Post by Kikuriku Gouken on Dec 19, 2016 16:09:24 GMT -7
The beautiful woman, Tehodis, agreed to keep Kiku’s stowawayness a secret, and Kiku was immediately relaxed. He could trust her, and that made him happy. He wasn’t afraid that she was going to run upstairs and turn him in. He leaned back against the wall of the cabin they were in and put his hands in his pockets.
She wanted to know who he was looking for, and he felt a pain in his chest. Thoughts of his mother rushed to the front of his mind, removing the happiness that he felt and replacing it with dread. Dread at the thought of something terrible happening to the woman who had sacrificed everything to give Kiku a fair shot at life. He was sure something had happened to her – that someone had taken her. He didn’t know it, but he felt it.
He looked into Tehodis’ eyes. She didn’t mean to bring him this pain – there was no way for her to know that it was such a difficult subject for him to even think about. He decided that she didn’t need to know all of the painful details, so he closed his eyes to compose himself and wash away the anguish that was likely evident on his face, however briefly. Taking a deep breath, Kiku put a smile on.
“My mother, actually. And not in that ‘I’m a momma’s boy where’s my mommy’ type way. More of a rugged, manly and loyal son type of way. Not at all in an embarrassing way.”
Kiku was embarrassed. He decided to move on from the subject quickly, as it had not gone as smoothly as he’d envisioned.
“You’re a Peacekeeper, Officer Kitai? I’ve never thought to ask for help, to be honest.” Kiku put a hand to his chin, stroking it as he thought about it. Help might not be so bad, especially if it’s from Tehodis – though he wondered how much help she’d be able to offer with just one arm. Help requires two hands in most cases.
Post by Tehodis Kitai on Dec 19, 2016 16:20:46 GMT -7
When she had asked the question, his face had changed. Where at once there was something in it that made her feel awash with trust and comfort, now she noticed that there was a pain there, and it forced her to turn her eyes down and look away to offer him privacy. She felt almost scandalized looking at someone going through such a moment. She wondered if maybe it was a lost love he was looking for, someone he felt more deeply for than she could imagine feeling for anyone. She wondered if she would still help him if it was. She realized that was a selfish thought, and banished it from her mind.
It wasn't a lost love he was after, though. His mother. She looked at him again, smiling now, feeling less intrusive now that his pain had turned to embarrassment. She liked the way most mortals skin could discolour like that, how it felt so much more rich in colour than before. She wished her cheeks could pinken. But she was pure white, head to toe. Perhaps only becoming slightly gray on occasion.
"Well, it's a good thing I offered then, isn't it? If you're looking for something in Aissic, I'm sure we have at least a clue of where to find it, or who to talk to. And not only that but... A badge can really get you places that a monstrous face like your's can't." She had wanted to say 'pretty face', but didn't want him to think too much of it, so instead went with the joke. "We're still a ways from Aissic... But I guess that doesn't have to hinder the help. If you've been stowing away with luggage, you probably haven't eaten... Assuming you do? Eat, I mean?" She wasn't sure what race he was. Obviously not a Kina, that was clear. But there might be other races who didn't need food. Perhaps he was one of those. She hoped he wasn't. Food seemed like an easy way to help someone, and she really wanted to help Kikuriku.
Post by Kikuriku Gouken on Dec 19, 2016 17:03:11 GMT -7
She’d made a joke, and offered him food. Kikuriku had immediately felt a closeness to Tehodis when he first laid eyes on her, and now it was materializing little by little. She clearly felt comfortable enough with him to make jokes, and to offer him food whilst knowing that he was a stowaway and she was an officer. It was like a secret, forbidden relationship that no one was allowed to know about, and that made it even more awesome. “You would be surprised at the amount of places this monstrous face could get into,” Kiku laughed. “And though I’m okay for now, dinner is definitely something I am going to take you up on later. Since you offered and all. You’re so nice, has anyone ever told you that?”
Kiku looked at her more closely, thoroughly examining the white of her skin. She almost lit up the room, and wondered if she’d be more difficult to see in the daylight. Being an Ajatar meant that Kiku could see better in the dark and dim, but he was almost certain that he’d be able to gaze upon Tehodis anywhere.
"So, what were you really doing in here? Actually checking for contraband?"
Post by Tehodis Kitai on Dec 19, 2016 21:01:10 GMT -7
She was about to say 'yes, lots of people tell me that', because she thought that she was in fact very nice. But really... They didn't. She either wasn't noticed, or she was far too noticed, and everything that she did was treated as something beyond nice. Something inherently... Something inherently something she didn't want to be. The latter was mostly relegated to Woodrow's opinions of her.
He questioned her motives for being in the compartment and she laughed, and shook her head - she wasn't great at lying. "No... Just-- I don't know, bored I guess?" She sat down on a piece of luggage carefully, using her one arm to keep herself from comically - embarrassingly - falling off of the thing. "Not only does everyone treat me strangely now that I have... This--" She gestured to her lack of a left arm, "And the only people looking for me have ulterior motives. So sneaking around and spending time where no one is - or, no one was supposed to be - seemed like a good idea."
Post by Kikuriku Gouken on Dec 20, 2016 2:36:06 GMT -7
Kiku listened as Tehodis explained why she was in the room. He hadn’t expected the degree of honesty that he got from her, but he was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t often that you found a girl, or any person, be immediately truthful about their reasons for anything. Everyone had something to hide in this world, but it was refreshing for Kiku to be in the presence of someone who was so… candid. And he could attest to the stresses of boredom.
“You know, I knew there was something amiss with you, but I just couldn’t place it,” Kiku said, putting his finger to his lips jokingly. He was glad that Tehodis had brought up her lack of an arm first, though he knew that he still had to be sensitive about the subject. “Now that you mention it, I think I see now. You appear to be – and stop me if I’m wrong – but you appear to be missing an arm maybe? It’s hard to tell.”
Tehodis had carefully sat herself down on some luggage, prompting Kiku to do the same. He sat on the floor nearby, leaned up against a rather hefty carrying case that clearly belonged to some outrageously important person, because it had gold trim and was adorned with jewels. Unnecessary, but very valuable. Kiku made a note of it, should he have an opportunity to pilfer it when Tehodis was not in the room later. But, for the time being, her presence was appreciated.
With the mood feeling even more relaxed, Kiku felt comfortable asking the question that had been on his mind since he first noticed her arm, “So, can I ask what happened? I mean, it’s pretty clear that it’s a new… non-arm. Were you in a fight? You don’t strike me as the fighting type.”
Post by Tehodis Kitai on Dec 20, 2016 8:11:21 GMT -7
Even though the mere mention of her arm was enough to dampen her spirits, she did have to appreciate the way that Kikuriku treated the whole thing. He hadn't mentioned it at all until she did, and now he was making pleasant jests about it. Nothing that felt as though he was making fun of her. In fact, it felt more like they were sharing in a private joke, one that no one else was permitted to enjoy.
He asked her what happened, and for the first time she wanted to recount it all. She hadn't told Endless everything. Not Simon, the boy who had saved her. Not Charlotte, the seer who had looked into her being. She had simply avoided Vincent, assuming he would attempt to convince her that Woodrow was due for forgiveness. She had simply wallowed in her pain of that night. Maybe a stranger was just the right person to tell.
"A stupid... Stupid man," She started, her voice catching with the weight of it. She cleared her throat and looked up as if trying to force the tears to absorb back into her eyes instead of falling - just like with mortals, such a trick simply didn't work. Instead, she resorted to wiping them with her sleeve more quickly than they could escape. "He was very full of himself in... In a lot of ways. Thought I maybe owed something to him, I guess. And so he forced me to be in his presence when all I needed was rest, and magic, I was starving after the day I'd had. I just wanted to go home... But instead he forced me into his, and then he decided to help. Not out of kindness, I can't imagine this stupid man ever being kind, but selfishness. Wanted my appreciation, wanted me to undeniably owe him, I think." She remembered feeling thankful to Woodrow in that moment, feeling thankful when he brought her the magic bracelet. Feeling like maybe he was a better person than she had given him credit for.
But she had been wrong. He was careless.
"He brought me a magical item, so that I could feed on its magic, feel better. It seemed like a good idea, but he brought me something he knew nothing about. He'd never had it appraised, it was something he had simply acquired and... And had put in a safe. He probably didn't realize it was cursed, but he shouldn't have tried giving it to me - something he knew nothing about. Something so... corrupting." She remembered the pain of it and shivered a bit, her hand going to her stump as if it still pained her. She recalled how it shot through her and made it feel as though every piece of her body was rotting away. She remembered nothing after that, until the pain of her arm being lost. "He got a mortal doctor. A butcher who cut it off. It didn't stop the bad magic, of course. It wasn't in my blood, I don't have blood. It was in my spirit... And all it did was make it worse. I lost my arm because of this stupid man... And he still thinks I ought to forgive him. Let it go," She sniffed and pursed her lips to try and quell more tears, "You know I haven't even figured out how to do basic things yet. And he wants me to forget it. Forgive him. I just want to tell him to fuck off, honestly." She realized the word she had said after she said it, and covered her mouth suddenly. She wasn't one to use such vile language... But it had felt right. "Excuse me," She managed, both for her language, and for simply dumping this on him, "I suppose... You weren't really looking for the long version. I'm sorry. I..."
Post by Markus Woodrow on Dec 20, 2016 12:19:46 GMT -7
As much as Tom's argument was compelling - and certainly he was very interested in completely disposing of the Grail... Vincent was far more correct. If it would risk their chance of even demoralizing the Grail - destroying their safe havens, hanging their partners, identifying each one for wanted advertisements... Well, it just couldn't be worth it. Merlyn Astra would not have the last laugh, certainly not at Woodrow's expense. After what happened with Tehodis, he was perhaps a little wiser. Woodrow summoned a cabin boy with a motion, who brought forth some scotch and weighted glasses. He had one poured for himself and Tom, not bothering with Vincent. Not out of impropriety, simply not to waste anyone's time. Vincent didn't drink.
He thought on both arguments for a time, enjoying the salt in the air and the sweetness in this particular scotch. Eventually, he came to a decision and placed the glass on the table with mild caution. "Impressive as the technology might be, Thomas, Vincent is quite correct. A single mishap with your machine and we would lose everything. I'd far prefer to keep the pirate with us, as a permanent guide safe within my very clutches.
"I've coped far too much recently with the consequences of risk, as Vincent well knows," When would Tehodis forgive him, he wondered? The Seeress had informed him that his heir was to be with her, so she had to eventually - hadn't she? - "I'd much prefer to play things slowly, and surely to my inevitable victory. I trust you won't find offense in that."
Post by Thomas Dunn on Dec 20, 2016 15:46:00 GMT -7
Tom wanted to impress upon Woodrow that no offense had been taken - that the decision had yet to be made - but he also wanted Vincent to feel as though he had won. Just for the sake of a victory tasting sweeter at a later time. So, instead, he embraced the loss and adjusted himself grumpily in his chair. "As you wish, Lord Woodrow." He sipped at the drink Woodrow had offered him, and wondered if everything on the sea tasted like salt. Scotch shouldn't be so salty. Perhaps it was the fish in Woodrow. The thing that came from a deity long expired.
"I feel as though I've been left in the dark, though. What happened to make you so timid, Mark? Where did the brave, bold, Lord go?" It was teasing, and he knew the Lord would chafe at it. Heck, Vincent would certainly be bothered. But it was this teasing that he hoped would lead to the next step. All he needed was the in, and all they needed to do was offer him one.
Post by Kikuriku Gouken on Dec 20, 2016 16:34:13 GMT -7
As Kikuriku sat and listened intently to Tehodis’ story, he felt an uncontrollable rage build up inside of him. He knew from the short time that he had known this woman that she was as kind and pure as anyone he’d ever known, and to hear her talk about some foul man with such disdain ripped Kiku’s heart asunder. Metaphorically, because having a ripped heart generally lead to the death of most species. Perhaps not Tehodis, though. She didn’t have any blood.
Kiku didn’t quite follow when she talked about her need to feed on magic, though he assumed that it was what she used as food. He’d never seen someone as white as Tehodis, so he gathered that she was probably a species that he didn’t know about. He wondered if it would be rude to ask more about her species, or if he would come across as ignorant and childish – he desperately wanted to avoid being anything negative in her eyes.
When she told Kiku that she wanted to tell this mystery man to fuck off, he let out a laugh. He was so surprised to hear that word leave her lips, though less surprised to hear her apologize immediately after – it showed that she was starting to let her guard down around him.
“No, no please don’t apologize,” Kiku said between laughs. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh, that just caught me off guard. I asked what had happened, and you told me. I’d gladly listen to the obnoxiously long version any day.” Kiku caught himself, realizing that he may have offended her. “Uh, what I mean to say is… I’m sorry, that all of these things have happened to you, especially because you trusted someone. Trust is such an important, valuable thing to have. I hope that you are as far away from this guy as possible. Forgive him? Jackass. Maybe he should forgive my fist in face.” Just the thought of someone doing something so horrible, and then expecting forgiveness made Kiku want to punch various things in order to feel better, but he decided that a scowl would be more appropriate in the situation. He’d save the punching for later.
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