< 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 Tehodis Kitai on Nov 9, 2016 11:54:24 GMT -7
3:30pm on the 3rd of The Scales of Judgement La Muse Street in Eersaeb, Submiere
If there was one thing shocking to Tehodis about her new life, it was this: She loved her job.
If she had had a job in her past life: she didn’t know what it could have been. Beyond that, she had simply lived off the land and on the run for the few years she had memory of. All she had known about work prior to these last few months was the fact that most people hated it. It was a “necessary evil” they called it. Heck, even her coworkers tended to complain when she was partnered with them. The shifts were too long, too arduous. The paperwork was too dull, too stressful. The pay just wasn’t enough.
Tehodis couldn’t disagree more.
The long shifts were a godsend. She had little else to do with her time, and the small place she was staying wasn’t good for much else than sleep. It smelled of dead fish and the other renters were rowdy all hours of the day. The difficulty of the shifts kept her awake, excited. There was usually something fresh happening, someone new to interrogate, or a lead to follow up on. The paperwork wasn’t a problem either - it was a break from the usual grind, and she found herself excelling at reports in a way others struggled. The pay was enough to satisfy her minimal desires - after all, she hadn’t a single memory of being paid before - and moreover, the job gave her satisfaction.
Well, it usually did. Today was a little different.
Today, she was following up on a lead. Someone had reported pirates in the docks in this neighborhood -- the nicest in the city. It wasn’t that she hated the area - it was that there was no way there were pirates in a neighborhood like this. Lord Woodrow’s manor was just up the street a few kilometres, and the rest of the streets were lined with fanciful houses, and ornate stores. Most importantly, there were guards patrolling the neighborhood at all hours of the day. Even if there had been a pirate, they would have been caught by now. Still: It was her job.
She had to follow up on the leads given, no matter how false they sounded. She was a Junior Investigator and did as she was told. And this is where she was told to be. Her partner had abandoned her, believing it to be as false a report as she did. Now she was left to go door-to-door, store-to-store, alley-to-alley; questioning, canvassing, investigating... All by her lonesome. She was thorough, but it was exhausting.
She looked up at the sky to see the sun well-past it’s highest perch and sighed. She had been here for four hours already, and still had over half of the street to go. It was hot. Her uniform was stuffy.
Oh well.
She straightened her jacket, wiped her badge clean, and went to the next store: Pottery. Perhaps there’d be a clue… Or at least a commotion to quell.
Post by Endless Laeretti on Dec 5, 2016 10:16:28 GMT -7
Endless had never been to Eersaeb. In all the time he had spent in Submiere after fleeing Artavia, Eersaeb was a place that was more or less 'forbidden ground'. Or at least, that's how it felt. After all, Endless had been a street urchin before moving in with Urla, and Eersaeb was filled with people who had money. Okay, sure, not everyone here was rich, Endless knew that, but... it just never seemed like a place he could go. Well, that and the SSPB were also something Endless always found intimidating.
Though really, Endless was in no better position to be here now than he ever considered himself to be in the past, given his still distinctly not-rich status. But, the travel he had finally managed to secure to get into the country to begin with had deposited him here, more or less, a predesignated location for the services he'd chartered. He figured he'd make his stay in the fiefdom brief, just pass right on through and make his way to Lismore in Nowra, where he'd go and find Urla's old home. He wondered if someone was living in it now, maybe someone who realized that it was abandoned with no one to lay claim to it. That was a depressing thought.
Well, briefly passing through Eersaeb had been his intention, at any rate. But the funny thing about that was: Endless had never been to Eersaeb. So he wasn't fully prepared for how beautiful the place looked, how nicely-kept it all was (of course it was, it was a rich place), and honestly he couldn't help but feel a little captivated by it all. So much so that he decided he wanted to see some of the sights, maybe even peruse some of the shops (even if he knew that was fruitless since he was nearly broke again and everything here was likely expensive).
It was while he was in the midst of his wandering, now inside of a pottery store and looking with wonder at the beautiful pieces of art, that he made a blunder that was far more common than he'd like to admit; he bumped into someone, too careless to have been looking where he was going, and thank heavens he hadn't knocked them into anything expensive.
"Ah! I'm so sorry, I wasn't-"
He stopped, staring at the person he'd collided with, his mouth slightly agape. A distinct sense of deja vu, as his silver eyes met a pair of clear blue ones.
Post by Tehodis Kitai on Dec 5, 2016 16:37:25 GMT -7
She entered the pottery shop and made for the till, figuring she could speak to the clerk and then continue on her canvas. As she moved however, someone got her way. Coming from her left - they'll stop, won't they? - they didn't stop, and crashed right into Tehodis. She was thrown off balance for a moment, the way someone so light could easily be -- and then her eyes flashed white for the briefest of moments, and she reached out to quickly catch a falling flower pot. It was back in its place before anyone could notice it moved, and her eyes were no longer white.
She turned to request - kindly, of course, as she always did - that the bump-er look where they were going next time, but she was stilled by two things. The first, was the way the boy -- who had silvery eyes with no pupils, and a face pale as the moon itself -- said her name with such recognition. It wouldn't be rare that people on her route would know her name, but often they called her Officer Kitai, or Miss Kitai when she was off duty. The second, was that there was a part of her that recognized this boy with his pupil-less eyes and skin pale as the moon itself.
Something in his nose brought to her mind her day spent with Vincent just yesterday. Something in his eyes brought her back even further. His voice, once again, made her think of Vincent -- but everything else... "I'm sorry," She said. Not because she was sorry they collided, she wasn't. It was because her head ached as she tried to think of where she remembered him from, "Do I know you?"
Post by Endless Laeretti on Dec 5, 2016 22:27:25 GMT -7
Do I know you? she said.
Endless felt a slight stab at his heart. He didn't even know where to begin. He hadn't seen her in two, maybe three years? He remembered their meeting, on the beaches in Nowra, where she had seemed confused and lost. He remembered trying to help her, and then he remembered they'd spent what felt like a long time together. Lots of things had happened to them, most of which was behind a frustrating fog of memory that Endless found himself less and less capable of accessing as time went on, but he never allowed himself to forget it all. Some strange place, flashes of them having fun and protecting each other, glimpses of a magnificent bird from out of a dream...
And then he remembered them being back in Submiere, trying desperately to cope with life after the strange experience they'd had, Tehodis seeming even more lost now than she'd been when they met... and then one day she was gone.
And now here she was and she didn't even know him at all.
Endless swallowed, unsure what he was supposed to say. Looking at her now, though, gave him a sort of picture. She looked... solid. Her eyes were clear, focused, confused only because she was being faced with a stranger she didn't know rather than because she was just generally confused at the world around her. Her posture looked firm, purposeful, and she just... there was a feeling about her like she knew who she was and what she was doing.
This was not the same exact person he had met on Nowra Beach. This wasn't even the same person he was sure he had gotten to know in that strange place they visited. She was... he wanted to say she was probably better now than she had ever been. Endless still felt a sense of betrayal, of resentment, that his heart seemed to want to hang onto at the sight of her, remembering how she'd just up and disappeared without a word, but if it meant she'd gone on to finally live a good life, then he couldn't possibly be mad at her for it.
So he breathed out slowly, and gave her an apologetic smile. "I... don't think you do, no. Not anymore, anyway. Er, sorry, that probably sounded more cryptic than it needed to, um..."
He floundered a bit, one hand rubbing the back of his back. "What I mean to say is, I met you, a long while ago, but um..." he didn't want to go into all the details. He didn't want to risk upsetting her by reminding her of a portion of her life she would maybe have rather left forgotten. So, he chuckled and lied. "I think though that maybe I didn't leave such a strong impression on you. Don't worry about it! I'm honestly just really good with names and faces, so I, er, tend to remember even brief meetings, ahahah."
He emphasized this by knocking on his own head lightly. "Like a steel trap! Anyway, er, sorry again, for bumping into you like that, I..." It was only now that he finally noticed the jacket she was wearing, recognizing it and the badge it was adorned with as belonging to the SSPB. Wow, he thought, You really got ahead, didn't you?
He smiled, finishing his sentence. "...I see that you must be busy."
Post by Tehodis Kitai on Dec 6, 2016 9:48:13 GMT -7
The boy rambled, and Tehodis looked at him quizzically at first, and then tried to cut in -- but he just kept going. It reminded her of Lord Woodrow. The way he would just talk, not giving you a moment to speak -- until of course, he asked you to. Even then, it was questionable if you should speak or not. With this strange, familiar, moon-eyed boy, it didn't seem he was doing it because he wanted to hear his own voice. He was doing it out of nerves. If he had been a suspect, she would have cut him off long ago. But he was a citizen in her patrol route, so instead - when he finished - she smiled.
"No. I mean, yes I'm busy, but... We always have time for our citizens, besides! I'm here to ask questions of those in the area, so if you've got a spare moment, I'd like to ask you some, Mister...?"
Post by Endless Laeretti on Dec 6, 2016 19:10:07 GMT -7
Whenever Endless ran over scenarios in his head about what it might be like to meet with Tehodis again, he didn't really figure that she'd be asking if she could interrogate him a little for the sake of... he was't sure, some investigation probably. She was wearing an SSPB uniform, after all. She also seemed so professional right now, and it was a little jarring having her act this way. Not necessarily unwelcome... it made him happy to see her doing well.
He gave her a soft smile, probably doing a poor job of hiding the slight sad tinge in it, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm free at the moment. Although, I'm actually just visiting the area and only got here today, so I don't know if I'll be able to tell you anything useful." Then, as an afterthought, he hastily added: "Oh, and uh, it's Endless. My name."
Post by Tehodis Kitai on Dec 6, 2016 19:18:51 GMT -7
"Just Endless?" He nodded. Such a curious name... But it fit such a curios young man. And that wasn't all it did. It rang some bell in her. Something in her heart squeezed too tightly and her chest felt... Sad. She shook it off however and gestured to the side of the store - out of the main thoroughfare. Sure, it wasn't busy, but it was rude to block the store so. She offered a wave to the shopkeeper who had been looking at Endless with a concerned sort of visage, and he nodded and continued with his business.
It was interesting to her that Endless had only just gotten here. It made him suspicious, of course, with a pirate having been reported so recently. But at the same time, something inside of her told her this boy was certainly no pirate. She would have to agree with that intuition... His arms didn't have the weight she'd expect from a sailor. "Got in today?" She repeated it as though she was asking a question, but it was clear it was a rhetorical one, "Then you'll be just the person to ask, actually. I'm following up on a suspect looking individual in the neighborhood. This individual was reported to be slinking around the docks only a few minutes from here. Have you seen anyone suspicious around today, Mister Endless?" Mister Endless sounded strange, "Endless, sorry."
Last Edit: Dec 6, 2016 19:19:19 GMT -7 by Tehodis Kitai
Post by Endless Laeretti on Dec 6, 2016 19:37:14 GMT -7
He had to admit it was kind of surprising to hear that there was supposedly someone suspicious hanging around. He'd been looking around all day and everything here looked so together, and well-managed. "A suspicious person?" he asked, resisting the urge to smile at how silly 'Mr. Endless' had sounded. He considered maybe he ought to give her his last name to ease that, but that was something he was always extremely apprehensive about. "In Eersaeb? That's kind of... I mean, this place always seemed so untouchable to me, growing up... Ah, I lived in Nowra, by the way, from when I was... nine? Nine. And until a few years ago. That's actually why I came back in today, to visit, more or less."
He realized he was rambling again, and she had only asked him a very simple question. "A-anyway, I haven't seen anyone like that, not yet at least. I was doing a lot of sightseeing, too, but I was only by the docks when I got off the boat."
Post by Tehodis Kitai on Dec 6, 2016 21:34:09 GMT -7
He didn't know anything. Then why did she want to keep talking to him? She had a job to do. She was on the clock. She had half the street remaining. She didn't want to be out late - she had so much paperwork that had piled up due to her training session with Vincent-- ...Her eyes squinted a bit as she thought of Vincent. Her face pinched a bit. She shook the feeling.
"Not a one?" She sighed but managed a smile, "The Peacekeepers thank you for your time, Endless. Keep your nose out of trouble and our streets safer and--" She spotted movement out the shop window, some slinking figure. She looking around his shoulder at it, but by the time she had readjusted it was gone. Was it just in her head or...? "If you see anything, please report it. There are... There are officers on every block. I've... I've got to go."
She left with no further ado, not allowing him a goodbye, not allowing him even a last nod or smile. She quickly made her way out the shop doors and to the centre of the street where she had spotted the figure. She looked down either side of the street at the afternoon crowds, at the shops nearest to where she stood -- and then spotted the alley. She made a beeline for it, not noticing that Endless was following close behind her.
Post by Endless Laeretti on Dec 6, 2016 22:25:50 GMT -7
Endless had definitely had smarter moments in his life than pursuing an officer of the law against her knowledge or will while she was on duty. He wasn't sure, but there was probably some kind of law against that, harassment maybe, but Endless was not honestly giving the whole matter much thought.
One second she was talking to him, asking him one simple question, and then just like that it was over. She hadn't needed to ask him anything else, hadn't needed to say any more, and she was moving out the door without even giving him a chance to say goodbye.
Now, in his head, Endless knew that she was living a different life now, that she was almost a different person entirely. She didn't know him anymore.
But he still knew her, and once upon a time she'd been important to him, and he couldn't seem to let her just disappear like that after everything. He wanted to know more, maybe find out where she had gone those years ago, find out how she got to be where she was now. Sure, it would be hard to find any of that out if they weren't actually friends anymore, but this didn't have to be rational.
Endless's feet carried him out the door after her before he really knew what he was doing, and when she started ducking down an alley in a hurried pace, he gave chase as well. Maybe she'd spotted that suspicious person, maybe she might need help, who knew? Or maybe she'd just spotted a colleague and he'd be intruding.
When he rounded a corner, he realized he'd lost track of her. This must have been one of the few major alley networks in Eersaeb, because he found himself at a small hub with a couple of possible turn points, and he wasn't sure where Tehodis had gone. Endless quirked his lips, and decided he'd try a nifty trick he'd picked up recently. Closing his eyes, he reached for his power, feeling the familiar tug of energy in his mind as he tapped into it. He spread it out around him in a wide area like a light blanket, probing around, feeling various objects that he could lift or move if he tried, but he wasn't interested in those; he was interested in a feeling of resistance, the signs of something he couldn't move. Endless couldn't move people.
He paused for a moment, that thought reminding him of something he couldn't quite place that almost made him feel a brief instance of panic, but it was gone in a flash. He shook his head and redoubled his focus, and... there! He felt a tug of resistance in his blanket. Opening his eyes, he smiled softly and muttered a "Gotcha," to himself, taking off in the direction he felt the signal from.
But when he rounded a few turns, he didn't see Tehodis. He saw another girl, one he didn't know, a girl who looked like no other he'd ever seen. She had long, matted hair in a dark color he couldn't particularly identify because it looked so dirty, her dark skin was splotchy, her eyes looked sunken, her lips were cracked, and she was wearing ratty clothes that clung to her sickly-looking frame. She was sitting next to some garbage cans, and she looked at him with wild surprise when he appeared. To be perfectly honest Endless probably had a matching expression on his own face.
He was just about to quietly excuse himself, to tell her that she was not who he was looking for, but then an obvious detail clicked for him; she was a suspicious person. She was wearing boots that looked like they were made for seafaring. Her hand was reaching hesitantly towards a blade at her waist, though she hadn't gotten to her feet yet.
This must have been who Tehodis was looking for. Now the only question was, how could Endless... well, call her? Get her to come over here? His eyes shot to the end of the alleyway, where more trash cans were sitting. The cogs in his head turned... if she ran, he could probably keep her from getting too far for at least a bit, and if she attacked, well... he just hoped she wouldn't attack.
With that in mind, he decided he'd just have to make as much noise as possible.
"I-It looks like I found you!" he called loudly, his voice cracking with a ridiculous volume he was not used to speaking at. He gave the girl an accusatory point of his finger, hoping to thoroughly confuse her. "You thought you could get away! But I - uh..." His voice grew quiet for a second. "uhm, ahem, I-I, the great phantom detective," - really, Endless? - "Have tracked you down!"
He then swept his hand out and knocked over one of the trash cans she was sitting to, causing it to clatter loudly and startling her to her feet, now thoroughly on guard. "Fear me!" he cried, hoping that this was both intimidating and that the noise of the trash can and his voice would summon Tehodis.
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