War of the Lost Kingdom

Greta’s sword slams home in its sheath. She slings her shield back across her broad back by its worn leather guige.

She strides forward and offers her hand to the newcomer and the hard scowl on her face softens slightly as she introduces herself.

"I am Greta Ingvarsdottir."

The thin human woman took her cue from Greta's actions and retracted her cool porcelain hand to push at the bridge of her wire-rimmed spectacles. Her black hair was loosely tied back in a short bun, yet several strands managed to escape due to recent stress and joined the remaining lengths cascading down her back. The gold and ivory ornaments on her braids were dulled with dust and grime. Only the red cord on her hand seemed clean, threads of gold shimmering between the woven strands.

She tried to carry a refined appearance, fidgeting with her meticulously-arranged and layered attire. The golden brocade robes were dark with soaked water, and the edges of deep vermilion seemed more like an off-colored black. The wide sash at her waist was equally dirtied, and the long sleeves hung loose over her gloved hands. A diaphanous outer robe lay open with threads of stained quicksilver coursing down her arms. Underneath these robes was a layer of sweat-covered silk that rose high upon her neck, pinned at the collar with tortoise shell.

Over one shoulder was a small chest of black lacquered wood with gold decoratives. A bedroll and blanket were rolled tightly between the long handles, and a coil of rope was draped over one side. Perched upon the chest was a tiny burrowing owl with long legs.

She clasped her hands together underneath her long sleeves, and bowed. "Xiao Zifu," she said in introduction.

A gaunt figure lowers his head down the whole in the wall to see what the commotion was all about. He looks to be in his early 30s with a weathered pale face, ruffled dark black hair and a short beard below a modest handlebar mustache. Scale mail armor covers his torso and lies underneath a long black travelers cloak; a sheathed khopesh strapped to his belt. Dangling out of his tunic is a Onyx gemstone necklace that gleams dully in the dim light.
He regards the newcomers with a flat expression. Watching Toyachek pick Jauk up off the floor was proof enough that this new warrior wasn't here to kill them all.
"Doc. Now get the fuck up here. Ian's not back."

Greta nods to Doc. As she starts to ascend the ladder she says to Xiao "I might be going crazy in this place. I think I heard something going down this ladder, and then out that door, right before Jauk came in. Am I the only one? "

About halfway up she looks upwards to Doc and asks "Didn’t you hear something Doc?"

"I did see the door open all by itself," Zifu admitted. She wondered if the phenomenon triggered her arcane senses.

Jauk takes Toyachek's extended arm grasping the inside of his forearm with his hand and pulling himself up and into an embrace of his fellow Taur, "Dang glad to see you be alive, your last letter was kind of vague about what was going on."

He is interrupted by the greetings, he releases Toyachek and takes the woman's inside forearm as he did with Toyachek and pulls her into an strong embrace, "Glad to meet you Greta." He glances back to Toyachek, "So what is going on around here?" He releases Greta looks at Xiao and... gives a short side wave, "Nice to meet you Zifu." Looking back to Toyachek, "I mean what's with the village and those creepy dudes slinking through it?" He looks up and waves, "Hi Doc." Then again looks to Toyachek but listens to the remaining exchange. "Well I opened that door," he points back to the door that he had come through, "and there aint nuttin in that direction but a bunch of nasty... somethings which hopefully won't get through that door... that is prior to this door, anytime too soon but all in all I hope there are not more of them. Are there? Regardless I don't think we should hang around here to long."

Well we have another man to grab first. Doc says as he returns to the second floor Went for the Legate's office a few minutes ago and hasn't come back. Either of you two felt strange when the moonlight touches your skin?

One back in the attic, Greta puts her cloak’s hood on and covers her face with an upraised arm. She keeps her hands tucked under the cloak to protect herself from the strange phenomenon.

She then looks out the window where Ian went.

Jauk responds to Doc's question before Doc disappears into the ceiling, "No not necessarily, although I did get an odd sensation once when I obtained a higher elevation."

He looks at Toyachek, "So what's the plan?"

Axu, who had seemed rather awkward to this moment, built herself up and puffed her chest out.
"Yes. We need to leave... But, what was that about strange things in the city, Jauk?"

Greta and I will be back in a bit. Doc stops to look over his shoulder at Zifu as if to ask You coming? before he catches up with Greta at the window.

Jauk thumbs in Revulde's direction, "Yeah what he just said." Jauk then moves back to the door he and Revulde came through and closes it and checks to see if it can be barred some how from this side.

Axu pursed her lips, and tapped her chin.

"Have any in your group seen anything like that, Ziao?" she asked, turning to face her fully.