The Scorn

"The future, right," he responds a bit sarcastically. Being old enough to have seen artillery of all sorts rise in popularity among raiders, Elokian wasn't convinced they were as great as Theneras claimed. But so long as he could destroy those they targeted, he'd help his crew member acquire the arsenal of his dreams. "I've still got some business to attend to here in Lysara, but once that's done we'll be moving on. I'm thinking south this time, away from Taravell after making the rounds in Sinaria. Merchants are always getting active right before the waters begin to cool."

He chuckled, his mind already racing with the possibilities of unleashing his arsenal. "Maybe we'll stumble upon some booty among the wrecks." These days life was an adventure and given his experience with Sinarians, he was looking forward to blowing a few of their holes nice and wide.

Theneras began to pace, his energy palpable as he gestured animatedly. "I mean, think about it - wide open sea, unknown dangers lurking beneath the waves, and us - you -" Theneras clapped his arm around Elokian's shoulders as he gestured across the horizon, "armed to the teeth with the finest artillery the world has ever seen." He paused, turning to Elokian with that same mischievous look in his eye as Theneras released the Captain and instead folded his arms in, excitement written across his face.

She pouted, a very serious and thoughtful pout. "Or we can be more simple... Something nice but still somehow foreboding. So, maybe warren. Like a rabbit's warren." She smiled. "Wanderer's Warren... The Wild Warren." Was alliteration overused somewhere too? She moved her foot to gently push at his leg. "Am I overthinking it?" He was likely one of the only people Val'shira would outwardly ask for advice - words to humble the rarely humbled, sentiments to bring a stubborn elve back from doing whatever she wanted - thoughts or actions of her's that could either spiral her into anxiety or into trouble with someone. Val was introspective enough to know how difficult she could be, but rarely admitted it and even rarer did she seek help. People didn't need to know how fragile her ego actually was.

He reveled in the fact that Val'shira was the one person he could truly be himself around. There was no need for the constant flirtations and charm he used as a shield with everyone else. With her, he could be genuine, and that was a rare and precious thing. So, when she had groaned at his joke, he had simply grinned, unrepentant. "You know you love it," he had teased, giving her a gentle nudge.

When it came to the name of their haunted house, Theneras had been determined to find something fitting, something that captured the essence of their unique and mischievous partnership. "Wanderer's Warren is cute, Val, but we're not going for cute. We need something that sends a shiver down the spine. Something like... Shadowmoor Manor of Horrible Death and Mayhem." He had leaned in, his eyes gleaming with excitement and challenge. "We're not building a cozy den here, we're creating a place of thrills and chills. We gotta make it fun."

where: eterna docks

notes: reunion baby

The scent of saltwater and fish filled the air as Froy wandered the bustling docks of Eterna, his thoughts drifting as he took in the familiar sights. Ships of all sizes were moored along the piers, their sails flapping in the breeze, the creaking of wood and the call of seagulls blending into a cacophony of sound the druid tried to replicate on his tin whistle.

As he walked, Aldaron trotted beside him, his massive antlers drawing more than a few curious glances from the sailors and merchants. Froy was used to it by now—having a giant red elk as a companion tended to attract attention.

His steps slowed as he caught sight of a familiar figure further down the pier, standing near one of the docked ships. Even from this distance, Froy recognized the easy grace in the man’s movements. Theneras.

A slow grin spread across Froy’s face as memories of their time together flooded back—navigating by the stars, learning how to swear like a true pirate, and those stolen moments of closeness during quiet nights at sea. It had been nearly seven years since he’d seen the silver elvhen, but Froy could never forget him.

Feeling a mischievous impulse stir within him, Froy raised a hand, summoning a small gust of wind to swirl around Theneras, gently tugging at the scarf around his neck and ruffling his hair before turning into a playful gust that tousled him further.

“You always did have trouble figuring out the current’s pattern,” Froy called out, his laughter light as he approached.

"There's a face I never thought I'd fucking see again." Theneras ran a hand through his wet hair in time with the gust of wind that Froy had conjured. It raised the small hairs on the nape of Theneras's neck and gave him goosebumps - but the breeze was nice too. When he'd heard about Iskaldrik his thoughts had gone toward Froy, the druid was more than he appeared and while he'd expected the young Jarl to survive, he hadn't thought he'd see him again.

A gust brushed over his chest and Theneras couldn't help the shit-eating grin that lifted at the edges of his lips. "I'm better at the point-and-shoot approach, see- I get distracted too easily. Leave me alone for too long and I'll end up staring at what's right in front of me instead of whatever's on the horizon." He stepped in and Theneras looked past Froy for a moment to the Tower that loomed over the bay, he'd stopped by a couple of times that the Captain had allowed, "I'm trying to learn Mermish you know," Theneras imitated few oceanic noises for what he imagined was a very lewd comment about Froy's ass, "I haven't gotten too far yet. It's a lot of tongue work, I need more practice."

“I’m surprised there aren’t darkspawn of the depths, no Kraken or giant octopus to pull you under? Must be nice.” She cocked an eyebrow at the gun that was the same size of his body and her lips twitched in amusement. “Are you going to fight then or is there another war that I don’t know about?” A beat and she wasn’t one to place herself in the middle of other’s affairs. “God, there’s most likely many. Y’know the wicked don’t rest.”

Val'shira was in the midst of grinning in amusement before Theneras took out the dynamite. "Are you serious? Did you bring that up from underground?" She scoffed. "Dynamite in the labyrinth only." Val snatched it from his hand and waved it in his face. "What are we going to do if you blow up our hard work?" They'd made the entrance, the house portion of their labyrinth, carved into the bottom of a one of the many mountains of the Feywilds. She imagined both of them being dumb enough to end up with a literal mountain falling over them. "We haven't even had a chance to name it all yet." A furnished house, the beginnings of what would be an underground labyrinth connected to it... it was very uncreative to continue just calling it a labyrinth, just like any other of its kind.

This was a construct in the feywilds. If they were lucky, the magic and nature of the wilds would contribute to all they were doing in it's own way and keep this place going... long after they were gone. She'd like if it was a part of her legacy. Mira got Elune's Veil, she got this. Val'shira took Theneras' dynamite to the stairs and sat down, leaning back against the stone with the dynamite in hand. "Kill my unnamed baby and I'll chop off your balls."

"I was joking but I'll take it, anything for a show." The mountain looked stable enough but Theneras had a habit of not thinking things all the way through. He didn't know what he could contribute that'd be at the other's level but he liked a challenge, and any chance to get his mind working. She plucked the dynamite though and put her back to him for a moment, Theneras was Theneras, so he looked and bit his lip before clearing his throat. Grinning.

"Jokes on you, I'm into that shit." Theneras grinned, tone light before he sat down next to her and plucked the dynamite from her hands before he pocketed it again into his jacket. Theneras rubbed his hands together as he tried to think of a good name, there were about eighty-seven-thousand fancy elven words for how special things were. So many, maybe too many. Kind of got monotonous after a while and it made naming anything new kind of tough. "What about Doom House; Residence of Unbridled Horrors?" Subtly wasn't his strong suit.

When he rebuilt he made it clear that continued membership in his armada required strength, skill, and a healthy dose of fear for what he'd do should they disappoint him. Theneras never had, which was why he gave the elvhen free reign to implement his wild ideas. Since Elokian welcomed him on board, the scale of destruction he's been able to enact has only increased.

"Blow me down! This beaut would tear through ships and men alike with ease. I've been thinking about ways to increase our firepower and you may have just cracked the case..."

Elokian stares out at the churning water left in the aftermath of the gun's hail of bullets with a bemused smirk on his face. "I expect we'll need it if we'll be disturbing these waters for a while. The last thing I want is to make a small impact. I'll make sure we go for a supply run soon." Of course, supply run simply meant sailing out into open water and plundering resources from other armadas, but he didn't need to specify that to someone as trigger-happy as Theneras. "Excellent pull, we'll make sure this new baby of yours gets her first taste of blood soon."

"Guns, Captain! I keep telling you that guns are the magic of the future." Theneras said as he cupped Elokian's face and gave him a few enthusiastic shakes. Who needed spells when you could unload a few rounds and get a better effect. While witches and whatever else were busy tying together their weaves, Theneras was packing shells and blowing off his load wherever he could. "Where do we sail to next?"

Dark eyes watched as the reinforcement troupes began their march from Eterna to Avernia, she wished she felt more removed than she was, that she could turn away as they marched towards their deaths. Instead, she continued watch, eventually they would be far away and she would go to the homes they left behind and take, once their bodies were claimed by the mud, their properties would be surrendered over to the crown and they didn't need any more riches. Better it land in her hands and those that went wanting.

She heard through the rumors that circled the Queendom that the Elven were responding to the call and the bitter sting of her heart couldn't help but wonder if things had turned out differently, if her elven parents were never taken prisoner to the mines, would she be more willing to help? As it was, there was no one or nothing else that she would die for. "Smart ones run away from Darkspawn, not towards. May there be mercy upon their souls." She drops the butt of her smoke and crushes it underneath heel.

"It's not all bad," Theneras commented as he lugged the Gattling gun that was the size of his body over his shoulder and settled beside the stranger. He lit one of his own before he offered the pack toward the broody-looking Iskaran. "Better load up on supplies while you can, they're going to be shipping things off soon enough." Theneras said as he took a long drag and exhaled into the air above him. There was the thought that he hoped a very specific someone wasn't doing anything stupid right now. "You know darkspawn hate the ocean? Good time to hitch a ride somewhere."

The entrance of the underground labyrinth, which was quite a large house attached to a rocky outcrop, was all done. Rooms made, ideas for the rooms drawn up. They even dug away the area that would begin the underground portion of this little project. But they weren't going to let just anyone wander around in here. The Feywilds were known to be mischievous and hard to navigate - why should their little hideout and experiment be any less? In fact, it should be harder. Because if anyone was stupid enough to enter an empty house in the middle of the feywilds, then they were just asking for trouble. Theneras had the right ideas, and his enthusiasm made her laugh. It was time to start the spells and trap-work.

Val'shira's laughter faded as she started to think. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the room. "Okay. Well, we'll need something to hide the traps even better... make the room look both dreamy and ominous. Something sweet and welcoming but, in the context of the feywilds... also a warning." She was pacing now, imagining things in her head before she stopped and gasped. "Oh, oh, move it!" Val started shoving Theneras back with her, forcing him to the corner of the room with a wide smile, practically bouncing on her heels with excitement. She turned around, manipulating the light in the room to create the colors and illusions that she wanted Theneras to imagine... (this.) "Clouds... clouds everywhere. Freaking clouds. Water, but not like a pool, more a wispy, distracting misty illusion at your feet... And if you touch a fake fish that happens to pass by?" She gestured pointedly at Theneras, grinning wide and welcoming him to interject with the obvious.

Theneras was already smiling - ever smiling, really - but he grinned when Val'shira's face broke open and her eyes went wide.

There was the telltale shimmer of Val's arcana as the room transformed, subtly, at first, and then it seemed to envelop itself like curtains of crafted light were being pulled over each of the surfaces. Wrapped tight until there was nothing but what Val wished for him to see. It never failed to amaze, but if she wished for him to take the fish bait, then Theneras supposed he would. "Then... said fish turns into a fishman with glowing green eyes, slimy scales, and razor-sharp teeth?" His eyes went wide as he pulled out a stick of dynamite from one of his many pockets. Had that been there the whole time? "And it'll shoot rainbows out of its eyes, then I'll make it explode and real fish guts can go everywhere."

"A go-go?" he walked a bit closer to Theneras, looking at the toy that the other had created. He didn't find it terribly impressive, but Robin liked to boost the other's ego, "You're going to have thieves everywhere madly in love, I think. You know they like doing things with their hands. What else can it do?"

GIUSEPPE MAGGIO