He smiles at you, "Yes, furycrafting does take effort and energy. It takes energy to muster furies to do your bidding. Even more with the greater efforts, but you'll find that it gets easier, just like using a muscle. Now, give that arrow a shot."

While you concentrate on the arrow, he says, "I'm not sure how different furies feel. I suppose I haven't really noticed. But it reminds me about what a high borne friend of mine once said," Then, when you think you're about to touch the wood furies in the arrow, you see a black one arch out of the night and land in Gnaeus' neck. The force knocks him off of his horse.

"Gnaeus! Are you ok?" And I'll try to dismount quickly and rush to his side

I'll apologize and explain a black fury jumped out and I don't know what happened. I guess I lost control of it.

Oops, I meant it was a different black arrow that flew in out of the night to lodge in his neck and unhorse him.

But that misunderstanding gives me cool ideas for later.

Muahaha.

But it is a different black arrow from someone out there in the dark, for now.

Ah my mistake. It occurred to me significantly after the fact that I may have misinterpreted. I assumed I botched and had summoned a dark version if the furies.

Either way, my first actions are much the same. I dismount quickly and yell "Gnaeus, are you ok?" Understanding there is no way he's perfect right now but hoping its not too severe. I'll grab a waterskin from the horse on my way over.

Once I'm there I'll mention to Gnaues I'm not much use in a fight yet, having no weapon and only having lit a torch with my furycrafting, but I can try to heal him. I'll mention I got to observe one of his men do so earlier, so I have some idea of how. If he doesn't disagree, either because he agrees or is in too bad of shape to protest, I'll try to heal him using watercrafting, as I observed earlier. I'll pour water over the wound with one hand while having my hand on his wound, and whisper Hedda.

You sweep down and grab a waterskin from Gnaeus's horse as you do so in one, fluid motion.

On the ground, you lean over him and the arrow is deep in his neck while his mouth is full of blood. His eyes are opened, though, and he looks angry and scared. He slaps his hand on the ground, and mumbles a bloody, "Vermillion..." and an enormous bear with eyes for emeralds and a body that looks like boulders comes out of the ground and bounds into the darkness. Gnaeus looks weak at that point, and passes out.

Everyone else starts moving as well, and you see some minor fires shooting into the darkness and horses riding off, while one of the other men takes charge and shouts orders.

You start trying to perform your watercrafting to stop the bleeding; however, when you say "Hedda", nothing happens. The watercrafter from before is by you in seconds, though, and tells you, "Use watercrafting as you can, but Hedda won't listen to you; she's my fury." He breaks the arrow shaft still buried in his neck, and pulls the head out the other side. Blood spurts everywhere, but he pushes his hands against both the entry and exit wounds. "I don't have the hands for it. Pour the water so that it covers both the wounds. Quickly, or he'll die!"

I make note to apologize about misunderstanding what Hedda meant. I thought it was a key term for the type of healing.

But for now I need to focus on doing what he says. As soon as his hands are in place and he tells me I'll start pouring the water so it runs over both wounds. I'm making sure to listen closely to anything the watercrafter tells me and do it in order to help make sure Gnaeus doesn't die.

"Just keep pouring the water. I almost have the wounds closed." You hear shouts out in the dark, and see the few soldiers who rode with you summoning furies from the ground and trees and out of thin air to fight assailants in the dark.

Soon, the watercrafter finishes and wipes his brow. He rouses Gnaeus slightly, who wakes and immediately sits up. He looks dizzy, but stands nonetheless, making to draw his sword and stumbling to a knee. The watercrafter says, "Captain, you shouldn't. The energy it took to heal your wound...you lost so much blood."

Gnaeus spits some of the blood that was still in his mouth out and turns to the watercrafter. "I have to. The men-they need more swords. That was a Marat arrow."

After the watercrafter is done I'll apologize for the misunderstanding and that I thought it was a key word to let the furies know what you were trying to do, not your furies name.

Then to  Gnaeus "Is there anyway I can help you? Perhaps there is a type of metalcraft were I can transfer some of my energy to you? Or else let me fight in your stead. I'm no soldier the likes of you, but you're injured and this group needs it's leader. Or if you have something else you'd rather I do. I actually am decent with a bow if there is an extra one."

I'd say I'm high level amateur with a bow. It was my favorite activity in scouts so I have lots of practice. Probably 1@10 or 2@1 (MJ once said that with performance shootings people who make money on it tend to be expert level and the best of amateurs tend to be low professional level in terms of mv.)

OOC: I'll add the bow to your Tech skills list.

Gnaeus keeps his sword, but tells you that he has a bow on the back of his horse for you to use. It has a quiver of twenty-five arrows inside.

As he's talking, he's already taking action. With the aid of the watercrafter, he's remounting his horse and redraws his sword when he's astride it.

Currently, you see that there are two Aleran furycrafters out there fighting. One has lit the area with a fire fury in the form of a hawk, who flies and attacks enemies that look like tall, pale-skinned elves with ivory-white hair.

These enemies are barely clothed and carry spears, bows, and arrows with black, stone tips on them. Fighting alongside these creatures are animals, you notice. There's one large wolf for each barbarian fighting.

The other Aleran in the fight is the metalcrafter who was barely standing at the beginning of this ride, but his blade glints brightly in the light of the other Aleran's fire, and he doesn't so much swing his sword as strike with such precision from horseback as to either kill or push back any of the barbarians or wolves who attack him.

The two Alerans are fighting valiantly, but independently. The barbarians and wolves seem strangely coordinated, and are moving to surround them independently now.

Edit: describing the battle scene for you.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:04, Wed 30 July 2014.

I'll move into position, towards the battle until I can see the enemy. I'm going to be aiming for the enemy archers as they should be both the cleanest targets, being furthest from my allies, and have a strong tactical effect on battles.

Once I'm within range both of using the bow and seeing the enemy I'll take the first shot, and while pulling the next arrow move to take cover behind a tree or rock outcropping so as to not be more vulnerable. I'll also try to call upon the wood furies the way I saw Grendel fire, to allow the bow to release with more strength and for the arrow to fly true.

What does the enemy look like, they were called Marats so I assume either different country or different race.

OOC: Glantri, I edited my last post above to include a description of the battle before you enter it, in case it changes your thoughts on anything you intend to do. Let me know if it does.

I'll still go with the strategy I have outlined. Just shortcuts having to move into position to see and let's me just immediately move towards cover.

You find a likely rock outcropping and take cover behind it, only moving out of cover to fire on your enemies. One of the fighter's fire fury helps you aim drastically, by lighting the field of battle, and you identify that there are twelve enemies total. Two are archers, four with spears, and six are wolves prowling the battlefield waiting for moments to strike the Alerans.

You nock and draw for your first shot. While you're doing so, you try to take a moment to feel the wood furies in the bow and arrow, but it's taking time, and Gnaeus and the rest don't have much. You see him, and the watercrafter enter the field of battle mounted with swords. They draw the attention of the enemy archers, so you fire into one of them, and another while still failing to communicate with the wood furies inside the bow. You feel like trying to woodcraft is slowing down your efforts with using the bow.

Your arrows are keeping one archer distracted, while Gnaeus summons his bear-like earth fury, Vermillion, again. It bum rushes to break their spearmen and wolves who surround the other two fighting Alerans.

The marat archer you shot at is trying to find you out in the darkness, and you see the wolf by his side raise its ears and nose, looking for you as well most likely.

Once I realize the wood crafting attempt is hurting my input not helping, I stop trying, putting off learning that till later. I focus now on firing as quickly and accurately as I can.

I'm going to switch to firing at the wolf. If the wolf locates me I'm in trouble as I don't have close range attacks, at least if I kill the wolf and the archer then locates me it's an archers battle which I'm at least armed in.

So targeting that wolf that's looking for me and once it's down focus on the archer who is trying to find me.

You quickly knock, draw, and release your arrows twice as quickly with the same accuracy as before, now targeting the wolf instead. You miss with your first two shots, as the wolf dodges deftly, but you fire two more arrows in quick succession with them and hit the wolf once in its flank and another in its chest. The wolf falls down with a yowl.

The marat (think the big blue guys from the Avatar movie but pale instead) archer drops his bow and falls to the wolf's side immediately, examining the wounds. He looks around again, for you and at the battle taking place.

Gnaeus's earth fury is barely being held off by the wolves while the watercrafter is keeping the other archer busy. On the other hand, while the two other Alerans are injured, they redouble their efforts in front of Gnaeus and the other marat are slowly being fought back with a coordinated effort by three furycrafters.

The archer marat you're watching screams in some foreign tongue, gaining the attention of the rest, who start fleeing the battlefield with their wolves. The one you're watching makes to pick up his wolf as well and make for the cover of trees and darkness to the east.

Ah ok. I think I have a decent visual of them now. I was thinking gnoll size from d&d which is pretty close, but with dark elf characteristics.

When they start retreating I take aim but hold my fire looking to Gnaeus's actions for guidance. If he continues and pushes the attack, let loose on the archer carrying the wolf. If not then keep aim and advance to Gnaeus's side and check how everyone is doing.

Gnaeus makes no move to attack the routing marat. He holds his and up and says "Hold here, until they're gone and mount up quickly. They may be a small group retreating back to Maratea or regrouping with a war party. Either way, we make for Eberacum double-time. You, Mike, keep the bow until we arrive. You're proving a more than adequate prisoner. Keep sharp eyes out for movement."

And at that, everyone mounts up again and heads for the road, where you quickly learn the difference between riding a horse and clinging to a horse for dear life when it follows the others' lead into a gallop down the road.

Soon, you and the rest arrive at Eberacum, a town with wooden walls surrounding it. While most of the buildings are made of wood, there's one longhall with thick, stone walls. Gnaeus leads you all to a wooden inn within the town, where he talks briefly with the innkeep, offers him payment and scores your lot two rooms with enough beds for everyone to sleep.

I thank Gnaeus and try and keep an eye out while holding on to the galloping horse.

That night before going to sleep I'll try and communicate with the furies in the bow, just associating myself and trying to convince it to bend easier and then snap harder when I need them to.

But other than that just get some rest and be ready to move out when Gnaeus says to the next day.

You're exhausted when you finally reach Eberacum, and when you're no longer clinging to the horse for dear life, the adrenaline dies down and you really feel it, in your eyes and muscles and bones. You know you're going to feel that ride tomorrow when you wake up.

But Gnaeus allows you to keep his bow briefly, until the following day in case the marat decide to attack Eberacum, which he seriously doubts. He explains before passing out that sometimes they get across the Sea of Ice in small groups, but larger hordes would have to go through Calderon Valley, where they'd be hard pressed to get through without being detected by the local holds.

The watercrafter has a tub brought up, to the adjoining room to heal the fighters from the day, including Gnaeus to make sure he doesn't have any sustained injuries inside of his neck.

While they do, you work with the wood furies in the bow, trying to tease cooperation or even communication out of them. Regretfully, though, it seems no matter how hard you try you can't get the bow to be more supple or snap the way you want it to tonight. You find it hard to suppress a loud yawn while you work. By then, the watercrafter is finished seeing to the injured. Everyone is passed out in their respective beds.

A little disappointed I couldn't talk to the wood furies, but mostly just happy we're safe and I managed to help in battle, I get some sleep. I'll eventually have questions, but not enough energy to ask  Gnaeus and practice, and the practice may save my life or the life of those around me.

Try to wake up early enough tomorrow to be ready to go once  Gnaeus decides to head out. Use any time between when I'm ready and  Gnaeus decides out head out to continue trying to convince the wood furies that I'm worthy and to listen and help me.

You sleep deeply and don't rouse early like you'd prefer, but you wake when Gnaeus's voice calls everyone to wake.

Your four travelling companions look road-weary too, but they don their legion armor regardless and straighten up for the rest of the trip ahead.

Gnaeus begrudgingly takes the bow from you, "It wouldn't be proper to arrive with an armed prisoner. And that's what you are until Lord Phrygia rules otherwise. Sorry." Still, he lets you practice with an arrow shaft (the head removed) on the way back. You commune with the furies, and feel them once again, a little bit easier this time since nothing interrupts you and you're fresh from a decent night's rest.

The furies help you when you bend the arrow. You can feel it. And they snap it back straight when you release it.

OOC: Barely a success for woodcrafting, but a success nonetheless! 1@1 Woodcrafting.

"I understand Gnaeus. Thank you for giving me the chance to help in the fight.

I smile when I finally manage to use woodcraft, and continue to practice it on the way. All the while, thinking about the Marat and the odd behavior when I shot the wolf. But for now I decide I'll learn it eventually and focus in my practice with the arrow.

Just going along with the ride, hoping we meet with the high lord soon. I'm relatively confident I'll be found innocent and I'm eager to no longer be a prisoner and potentially find a sponsor for the fury school Gnaues mentioned. I could potentially leverage my willingness to join the legion after graduating in order it get a sponsor. Which is convenient since I plan to join the legion after learning anyway.

But overall just passing time practicing while waiting to arrive for my trial.

You keep at it with the wood furies in the arrow on the way to Phrygia. As you pay attention, you notice that the wood furies feel different than the fire furies did before. While the fire furies were about energy and motion, the wood furies are about flexibility and steadiness. It's like speaking a different language when you manipulate them.

On your way to Phrygia, you notice that the weather starts to cool down, and in the daylight, you see a large city in the distance with walls of similar height to Riva. Beyond that, you see walls that must be even larger start to rise on your approach, stretching as far as you can see to the left along the land, but ending eventually to the right.

When asked, Gnaeus explains that the Sea of Ice to the east stopped the building of the wall any farther, and that Icemen sometimes harry the northern region near Phrygia.

But soon, you arrive in Phrygia, which is a city very similar to Riva but more orderly, and with a larger population within the city. Unlike in Riva, Legion soldiers move through the streets as stalwart guards and patrol the walls constantly. People go about their business under the protection of Phrygia's powerful walls, many fishmongers and some selling fruit and harvests that have just come in.

You see notable blacksmiths along the busy streets as well, until you reach a hill and an inner-wall that's smaller than the exterior walls. Inside, there's a large castle near the middle. The guards let your group through, and Gnaeus asks for your arrow back. Inside the inner wall, you see several large houses with vast space around them. Men and woman in togas and stolas come outside to see your small procession, gossiping to one another. Eventually, you reach the castle in the center, where you're stopped yet again by Legion soldiers who allow your group passage.

Eventually, in the stoic and spartan hall, you come upon a man and woman sitting side by side in stone chairs. They both look to be in their mid-twenties. The woman radiates beauty and the man is handsome with a sword resting in its sheathe by his throne. He calls down to your group, and asks, "Captian Gnaeus, have you come to present the Butcher of Phrygia?" He glares daggers at you, and you feel your heart start to race from fear.

His wife next to him is unreadable.

"No, my lord. This man is named Mike," he presents the collar that you had on you before. "One of my men found this on him after we slew the Butcher, who vanished in the valiant firecrafting of a freerider who joined us in Riva. This man, though, has shown his loyalty when he helped defend us against a raiding party of Marat along the road. We believe that the slave collar has robbed him of his memories. He knows nothing of furycraft other than what he has learned these last two days, and asks many questions of Carnea and her people."

The High Lord considers him and you, and says, "Leave us. I must pass my judgment." His voice leads you to feel that he doesn't believe you, and the fear rises in your chest. You feel that he will surely kill you.

The High Lady touches his arm briefly before he shakes his head, and she steps out to the side. The High Lord's eyes still haven't left you once, but Gnaeus snaps you out of your fear with a firm grip on your shoulder. "Mike, stay true and speak truth. You will be fine."

Then, you notice that the fear returns in a huge wave after he leaves, and you notice the torches lit all around to light the hallway. You begin to sweat.

Once the hall is cleared, the High Lord speaks to you for the first time. "Tell me what you know of the Butcher and his murders. Plead your innocence or beg for mercy." His hard voice seems so much colder than it did with Gnaeus, though his tone hasn't changed. He speaks with the voice of a much older man as well, but with the strength his apparent youth grants him.

I tremble when the high lord accuses me of being the butcher, knowing it will be cleared up but scared all the same. Gnaeus's words help a lot to ground me and I thank him for them. Once the High Lord asks me to explain, I'll start into the following.



"I know little of the butchers murders, not being present for any of them, save if any men fell in battle when taking him down, which I also did not see as I was face down on the ground per Gnaeus's direction. What I know of the butcher is that he is an unstable man and that I was able to locate him by a strange force, which disappeared after he was killed. I'm not sure what it was, as I'm not prone to accepting the explanation of a man responsible for murders the way I infer he is. He believes himself to be jaunted out of reality, and as such has no remorse with people as he doesn't consider them real. He uses a gun to throw metal and I do not believe knows any furycraft. As to my part, I only met the butcher briefly before Gnaeus arrived. What i remember of reality however seems unlikely, which is why Gnaeus and the others believe the slave collar I had on robbed me of my memories. On the road here I attempted to be of as little hassle and as much help as possible to Gnaues and his men. Spending most of the time trying to learn furycrafting in a hope of remembering what has happened. When the Marat ambushed us, I assisted a watercrafter heal Gnaeus from a life threatening wound and then providing archery support, pinning down one of the Marat archers and injuring one of their wolves, which led to their retreat with no casualties on our side. If you are to find me innocent I hope to find a sponsor and attend the Academy, after graduating which I intend to join the legion or find another position to make myself useful to everyone. "

And I make sure to slow myself down occasionally, because I speed up too much when nervous or scared.

The deep fear ebbs when you get rolling, but you can still feel it inside, wracking at your nerves constantly.

Still, you manage to speak through it, and tell your side of things to the High Lord. He doesn't blink the entire time that you speak. When you finally finish, he continues to watch you. Then, he speaks. "You are innocent of the Butcher's crimes, and according to Gnaeus's account he has already paid for them and a Rivan firecrafter has earned our thanks in Phrygia."

"You will be paid five half eagles for your service to Phrygia and your efforts in protecting Phrygian legionaires on the road. As to the Academy, there are few enough nobles who sponsor unknowns to attend the Academy, and none who will give their gold to support a man your age who is unremarkable at furycraft. Refrain from soliciting any Phrygian nobles unless you have something significant to show."