< 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 Elias Harel on May 17, 2018 10:42:04 GMT -7
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[attr="class","mary3"]THIS KINGDOM OF MINE,
[attr="class","mary4"]THIS GIFT FROM THE DIVINE
[attr="class","mary5"] Her name was Scarlet, Violet told him. Scarlet Dunn, possibly. Or Scarlet of some other family, depending on the extent of the Doctor's immorality. Violet seemed horribly concerned over revealing just that, which meant that she had likely realized the threat she had just laid against the child's life.
Yet? Violet had made the decision that the girl's identity was worth information on the centaur. If, of course, Violet was telling the truth. Her shift in personality to concern and quiet could be evidence of an act, or just as easily proof that the woman was just so desperate. If he wanted to know perfectly, he could enchant her, and force her tongue on the matter. It would be a simple thing, but so taxing. There were more important questions he wanted answers to that he wished to retain his most convincing of spells.
For now, whether Violet was telling him the truth or not, and whether she truly had more information and was not merely leading him and his associate on... He would honour the deal. After all, everything he had done to the centaur had been perfectly legal. Elias Harel had nothing to hide.
"Of course, Violet. I am but a man of my word... The centaur you are so interested in refused to grant us his name, and so I am afraid I have no such identity for you... However, I can assure you that the beast was obtained legally. It was causing a ruckus about my markets in Aekam, knocking over stalls, generally being a troublesome kind of animal. It was detained for questioning, upon which it was discovered the thing had no identification papers, no passport, no visa, the thing did not have permission to be within our borders at all. As is the law of Muerte, improper entry is punished by imprisonment... However, that law is not so for beasts. Beasts are to be put down when they misbehave. A centaur is a beast. A monstrosity of one, certainly, but a beast nonetheless. The thing was lucky to receive such an honorable death as the one we gave it...
"Does that satisfy your curiosity, Violet? Or would you like to know the life story of the goat planned for tomorrow's luncheon?"
Post by Violet Macar on May 17, 2018 12:14:02 GMT -7
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No, no, no-- Violet felt her stomach flip-flop and somersault. Her stomach wasn't much of an acrobat, though, so it mostly did a lot of tumbling and rolling and aching. No, she most certainly did not want to know about the goat Harel was planning on eating tomorrow, and she particularly did not want to know if 'goat' meant, well... Goat or satyr. No, she didn't want to know any of this-- And yet, she did. She did because she wanted to help Nikolai, her friend, and also to break some big story that could change things. Maybe. But damn, if it was Xista and Woodrow and Meixner and Toran and Nickell were here for Harel, was change even a possibility? She supposed she had to try. She had come this far.
But dear Temos did she feel sick now.
"No," She managed through partially sealed lips. She pulled in breaths through her teeth and let them out through her nose as she tried to rid the horror show in her mind. "No that's fine--I don't... You-- You don't... Know where it came from? Or care? Come now," She tried to lighten up as much as she could despite the threat of projectile vomit (which would surely end in an execution), "I thought your Black Cloaks were the best of the best. Surely they know where it was from."
Post by Elias Harel on May 20, 2018 10:37:34 GMT -7
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[attr="class","mary3"]THIS KINGDOM OF MINE,
[attr="class","mary4"]THIS GIFT FROM THE DIVINE
[attr="class","mary5"] Violet Macar, like so many foreigners, was weak. Her pallor shifted, and she looked physically ill at his descriptions. In Muerte, they did not have the blessing of being coddled. Elias had grown up enslaved and prepared for sacrifice to vile beasts of snake and man. He had fought many wars, and was only now beginning to move towards his true, earned, safe society. Violet Macar had no stomach for anything in the realm of war. Her existence to this point had likely been a charmed one. He had no pity for her now, as pain was finally coming to demand its due. Sadaana was owed her suffering.
"A dog without a collar is a stray," He informed her with simplicity, watching a smile break the shadows around Arzuul's lips behind her. "If your demand is that we seek out its origin, surely we could make an attempt... However, I would have another price to ask in return, and it would take time. I cannot be certain how well you would survive imprisonment until the time we discover your answers. But if that is your wish..." Elias began to stand as if the meeting was over, and Arzuul placed his hands upon Violet's shoulders reflexively.
Post by Violet Macar on May 20, 2018 12:19:39 GMT -7
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This Elias guy really was for real, wasn't he? Like, really really real. It had been easy to think that a lot of the stories about him couldn't be true. There were always lies about famous people - hell, a lot of them started from Violet's own gossip column. However, all of this? All of... Elias Harel and his Black Cloaks? Was as real as a bonelogical finger on a horse. No one was lying, or even exaggerating when they talked about all of this amoral jibber jabber. In fact, they were probably being a little too kind. Elias Harel was quite literally a massive pile of evil doo-doo.
"No-no-no," She caught Elias as he stood and as the Black Cloak grabbed her by the shoulders, "Not quite yet, anyway darling! Please-- You don't need to start the massage now! I'm still feeling quite limber!
"I've got more trades. More information that I have, which you want. And more queries as to what I'm inquerious about. Like, let's say, for example, oh, I don't know... Your guests tonight. I saw quite a number of exciting faces. Representatives from all over Aebrynis-- and even one striking six-winged Aasimar. One... Pelagia Xista? How in the world did a doo-doo man such as you surround himself with such charming friends?"
Post by Elias Harel on May 24, 2018 15:34:39 GMT -7
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[attr="class","mary3"]THIS KINGDOM OF MINE,
[attr="class","mary4"]THIS GIFT FROM THE DIVINE
[attr="class","mary5"] Doo-doo man was an inane turn of phrase, and not particularly insulting. However, just as if she had threatened him, Elias felt a wave of negative intent. His eyes shifted of their own accord back to the crescents, which keyed in on her body language. In response, Arzuul lifted his hands from Violet's shoulders, and then laid them down once more, twisting with great force to make her shoulders shift well past the distance her chained arms could turn without pain.
Elias let this last for a moment, Arzuul's test of Violet's elasticity, and took his time to fill her glass with water once more. When it was filled, and he leisurely wiped the desk's surface free of a small and wild driblet, he cleared his throat. That was enough command for Arzuul to lift his hands, cracking his fingers as he did so. "That's enough Arzuul," Elias needlessly commanded.
"I believe our friend Violet was just playing games, hm? Perhaps now she realizes that this is a meeting of business, not pleasure." The smile Elias wore as he met eyes with Arzuul was enough to belie the statement. Arzuul took quite the pleasure in these little pains. Elias took pleasure in getting what he wanted. The rough and tangled torturer was a perfect compliment to Elias' steadfast patience.
"Now to your question, sweet Violet, I would be happy to answer with regards to Xista and the others. My desire, in return, is for an answer as to how the Doctor accessed my palace. If you have that information, you have a deal with me."
Post by Violet Macar on Jun 1, 2018 7:45:51 GMT -7
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The reaction was too quick for Violet to combat, and too painful for her tired brain to try and defend against with a shift in shape. Instead, she suffered with a pained gasp as the Black Cloak-- Arzuul, Arzuul, Arzuul she tried to remember -- twisted her shoulders. She was certain her arms were going to pop right out of their sockets, until Elias stopped the torturer and the joints relaxed into an alternate flair of pain.
Just enough time passed then for her mind to defog, and focus on what he was saying to understand it, but not enough to be clever in response. The edges of her mind felt frayed, and her grasp on the situation was falling apart. She needed to get through this more quickly.
Thankfully Elias was asking her a question she had far less investment in. She would be happy to see Tom captured and treated just the same as her, if not worse. She would be overjoyed to revel in the screams of his pain. He had betrayed her, lied to her, done... Horrible things to her, now that she looked back on it -- and he deserved this way more than she did.
She just hoped that was the kind of thing Elias had in mind. What if he wanted Tom for some other purpose? Maybe, just maybe, she could ask. "I would have exactly that, sweet Elias," She toyed back, grunting as Arzuul's grip met the joint he had just nearly split apart, "Ah--ah-- I just... Have to ask, of idle curiosity, what in the world has made Thomas Dunn so important to you? Not that I mind... It's just that you seem to have much more important men and women barking up your tree."
[attr="class","mary5"] It seemed almost as if she were buying time, or as if she did not understand the game. Elias supposed that if he decided she was clever, it was the former, but he had not yet decided that she was clever. It didn't matter, of course. If she wanted to strike a new deal, he would allow it. She had little he desired, and soon they would be coming to the end of their arrangement. He was certain she would not be able to obtain all that she desired.
"Your curiosity, idle though it may be, was not a part of the exchange," He informed her matter-of-factly, smirking with confidence, "However, I am willing to make it equal. You must elucidate me with regards to the... them you mentioned earlier. Those like Miss Scarlet Dunn, those who you say are in no control of themselves. Satisfy my curiosity, and I shall satisfy your's."
Post by Violet Macar on Jun 5, 2018 15:21:45 GMT -7
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Violet opened her mouth to speak, to give Elias everything he desired from her in exchange for the curiosity she just couldn't hold in, but she stopped herself short.
She shouldn't tell him. Not for that exchange. She had come here for Nikolai, and for the missing younglings. If Elias knew anything about that, she needed to get it out before she ran out of things he wanted. Sure, she cared about what Elias could want with Tom, that would be priority number two... But priority number one was Nikolai. Especially if the dinner table was where his family members were ending up.
Besides... Could she really moralize telling them about Green or Zechariah?
"Forget it, seems a bit above your pay-grade," She told him facetiously, shaking her head quickly to help lump things back together in her brain. There was an order of operations to the whole thing, here: C.R.A.T.E. Centaurs, royals, appetizer, Tom, escape. Wait-- Appetizer? Surely she wasn't hungry with all this cannibalism talk. Maybe she was just sick and confused. Yes, that.
"Back to business then," She focused, "You wanted to know how Tommy-dunce got into your precious palace, and I'm quite sure I know. It ties into one of your special guests, in fact. ...Markus Woodrow? You know the one, tall, kind of shiny skin, not the first but the second? He's been... Well, I thought Tom was so impressive for the good work he was doing with Lord Woodrow. Now I'm considering perhaps that Lord Woodrow is terrifying for the work he's doing with Tom. I suppose you should keep that nugget in mind for the next exchange.
"Now you tell me: Why in the world were so many world leaders here tonight?"
Post by Elias Harel on Jun 14, 2018 16:02:48 GMT -7
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[attr="class","mary3"]THIS KINGDOM OF MINE,
[attr="class","mary4"]THIS GIFT FROM THE DIVINE
[attr="class","mary5"] He chuckled at her joke, sounding naturally amused although falsifying the reaction. She was going to keep that to herself, either because she did not know any others that Tom had affected, and was merely trying to 'up his bid' as it were, or she was protecting someone. He found it droll how people would go to such lengths for others, and for little benefit to themselves. If it were the latter, she would need to tell him before she left this place. If it wasn't? She was merely setting herself up for failure. There would be no escape for her, then. Elias found that absolutely rollicking.
It was thankful for Violet that she provided such an interesting perspective on the Doctor Dunn situation. He had known that Markus Woodrow had some interest in Dunn, what with his attempts at manipulating the interrogation with Sabela. However, he had not quite known how close they were. He needed to know how long they had been working together. He needed to know how big of a threat Woodrow had become. "We'll get to that," Elias placated, folding his hands together, "To your knowledge, how long has the Doctor been working with Lord Woodrow?"
Post by Violet Macar on Jun 18, 2018 10:47:13 GMT -7
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Elias was double-dipping: Violet had given him what he asked for, and now he wanted more. She could choose to trust that he would repay the favour if she went on about Tom -- but she found herself believing instead that Elias Harel was a slimy, tricky son-of-a-beehive, which meant she certainly didn't want to just let him go unchecked. So instead, she transmuted her fingers. First, was the pointer, whose bone turned lopsided and pointed up at a right angle from where her hand was restrained to the arm of the chair. One.
"Not quite a year," She revealed, biting her tongue on flourishes to keep from revealing anything else. Her middle finger jolted with magic, poking up at that same strange angle as the first finger, "And that's two you owe me. Want to keep going?"
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