Alberik awoke to pain. Pain he'd known before, that of his body changing, reshaping itself to better fit its environment. The planeswalkers bone cracked and his skin burned as his flesh reformed itself, bones snapping and shrinking only to knit back together, and muscle and ligament tore and healed back together, all within less than five seconds. It was.... Agony. There was no other word for it, or any other way to describe it but pure, unadulterated pain. His hips and shoulders thinned, and his genitals shifted, retracting into his body, until "he" became a "she." Alberiks chest swelled slightly, and her skin changed color while her face reshaped itself, both to be more feminine, and for her facial tentacles to take their proper shape to fit her new body.
This plane was.... Unfamiliar, with strange magics filling the air, but also a sense of malice filling it, as though the world itself was hostile. She was in a pine forest, with snow lightly falling around her. There was about a foot of snow beneath her, and she was already extremely cold. While such would not normally bother a planeswalker, Alberik could barely remember anything about herself as the pain finally receded. Some vague desire to find... Something? Something that surely wasn't here in this forest, in the cold.
Pain. Unending, unbearable pain. But it always ends, just as it has dozens of times before, and will probably happen dozens of times in the future...
Alberik slowly pulls himself up... Herself up from the fetal position she had taken during the change, and takes a quick stock of herself and her surroundings. Skin was bluish and oily, somewhat unusual. Face was... quite unusual, and yet, somewhat familiar, for some reason.
Setting that aside for now, she looks around through the trees, then picks a direction mostly at random, and begins walking, huddling the loose-fitting clothing she wore as a male close around her as she went. She mostly kept huddled down to avoid what she could from the wind, but every so often she would look up to get her bearings. This world had a magic to it, but she couldn't seem to access it like she could most others. Taking mental stock, she found she could only access a few of her internal abilities as well. Perhaps there was something new to this plane she would have to discover...
The cold began to seep into Alberiks bones as she walked through the snowy woods, her clothes far too thin and loose to keep in much warmth, and she began to wonder if she would survive the night, which was looking more and more unlikely if she couldn't find some sort of shelter soon. The sun was falling toward the mountains, and it seemed that temperature worked the same here as anywhere else, so when it fell, the already cold air would only become colder. Looking up toward the closest peak, however, Alberik saw what looked like a settlement atop it: a massive stone construction, complete with spires and walls, surrounded by smaller buildings which were too distant for her to deign any real details about them. The mountain was covered in lightly packed pine trees, meaning she couldn't see much of any path, but it was the only bit if civilization that she could see from here, making it her best hope if she wanted to get out of this accursed cold.
Alberik spent a moment staring up at the... Castle? Fortress? Not important, she finally decided. It was warm, or at least should be, and she would deal with any associated problems when they appeared. Such as this cold...
It may be possible to build a temporary shelter and perhaps a fire, but without any tools, it would probably take far too long, she'd freeze to death before she finished.
With few other viable options, Alberik huddled down again and trudged towards the masonry on the mountain.
The trip was cold and long, the journey seeming all the longer for the misery of it. The wind bit into her harshly, and no amount of shivery kept the warmth in Alberiks body as she headed toward the mountain. Once she got onto the slope itself, the wind lessened somewhat, and the trip become just a little bit more bearable. The forest was dense, but lacking underbrush it wasn't too difficult to navigate, and she never lost sight of her goal as she ascended, the cold settling into her bones and sapping her strength. Eventually, she came upon a paved stone road, lined with lanterns that glowed with soft magics, and when snow fell upon it, it seemed to simply disappear rather than obscure the shining white stones that formed the road itself. It went in the same direction in which she wished to go, so Alberik followed it, and the travel became almost easy despite the cold. Finally, she could see her goal up ahead, but just then she heard a voice, loud, masculine and authoritative, call out from the woods to her left; "Halt! Who approaches Gods-Reach?"
Alberik was just starting to breath a sigh of relief when the voice started from seemingly out of no-where. She turned her head off towards the sound, searching with her mind as well as her eyes to find the speaker, even as she answered. "I am a traveler in search of knowledge, and I find myself woefully unprepared to deal with this inclement weather. Please, do you know if this 'Gods-Reach' allows for such, or where else I can find shelter if it does not?"
Spend 5 points on Telepathy, just to try and pinpoint his location, if that's possible.
While her eyes had no luck in spotting the speaker, Alberiks mind reached out and discovered a presence hidden amidst the trees bordering the path, as well as seven others, which surrounded her with four on each side. The voice waited a moment before he responded, the source now sounding uncomfortable; "Gods-Reach is not welcoming to strangers, particularly those not of elven parentage. But...... We will not turn away one in need if they enter with such humility. If you will agree to surrender any weapons on your person, and that you bring no hostility to us from either yourself or any that might be following, you will be granted sanctuary until it is safe to travel, and provided with a more appropriate garb for this weather."
((Crap, I knew I forgot something. I have no inventory short of clothes and a stick. Ah well.))
Alberik stood and listened as the voice spoke. Her eyes had roved over the space to either side of the road, but even knowing where they were, she could not spot them. She did her best not to give it away that she knew she was surrounded, however. The gift of knowledge works both ways, and they may not remain as friendly to someone with her powers. They may be common, or anyone with them may be killed on sight, she had no way of knowing.
At mention of heritage, her hand moves again to her face self-consciously. Apparently these features are known, if not common. That is good to know, at least.
"That seems more than fair, and I thank you for your generosity." She says to the forest once the voice finishes. "I agree to all your terms. I wish no ill will to anyone in or near Gods-Reach, and to my knowledge there is no-one following me who would either. The only weapon I carry is this staff, and I part with it freely." She stops for a moment, purposely turning to the side of the road that didn't hide the speaker, and continued. "Should I continue on and repeat my tale at the gate, or do I get to greet this voice in person?" She asks, a bit of a smile creeping onto her face and into her voice. Should the latter case be true, she'll stop leaning on her staff and set it on the ground.
The voice hesitates for a moment after Alberik finishes, and then says; "Two of us will escort you to the gate, where they will keep your staff until it is time for you to depart. They will see you in. You will be watched, and your movements restricted, but you will be well cared for until you choose to leave, or until our elders see fit to expel you from Gods-Reach. Athlen, Tuyuk, see her to the gate and return here quickly." Two men appear on either side of Alberik, so quickly and silently that she didn't notice them for a second. They were dressed in thick clothes, all dark green to match the dense coniferous trees that lined the path and probably with armor hidden beneath it. Both men had long pointed ears, and had bows strung across their shoulders, as well as a thin, silvery blade held lightly in each of their right hands.
The man to her left had a completely neutral expression on his face, the look probably about the best poker face Alberik had ever seen. He showed no reaction to anything about his very simple and very short assignment. The other man was slightly shorter and thinner than the one on her left, and had a rather sour look on his face as he stared at Alberik. The source of the mans irritation was not obvious, though she believed that she might harbor a guess that it had something to do with her. The taller man said; "We will be off to shelter whenever you are prepared, madam." His voice was patient and even, but mildly condescending, like that of a parent talking to a child.
Alberik does a small double-take upon the appearance of the two elves, but nods and manages a smile. "I am ready to leave now, the rest has been quite rejuvenating. It has almost let me forget how cold I am." She says with a small chuckle before turning back to the treeline. "I thank you again for your assistance. Might I learn your name, so that I may pass word of your compassion to your elders, if I get a chance to?"
Regardless of whether or not she did learn her benefactor's name, she would begin the trek shortly after. It passes in silence for a long while, the woman occasionally passing glances to her two escorts. Eventually she tries making conversation with the taller of the two, though she addresses her speech to the both of them. "Can you two perhaps tell me of this land? I come from very far off, and you two are the first beings I have met since coming here..." She says, letting the sentence hang in the air, hoping one of them will pick it up.
At her request, the voice responds amicably, "I am Captain Erik, of the Falling Leaf. May your travels be swift and without hardship. Perhaps we shall meet in person before you leave."
The two men escort Alberik, apparently unbothered by the silence as they walk, leaving the only sound as the wind softly blowing through the pine trees and snow drifts. When she finally does speak, the elven man who'd worn a sour expression the entire time twists his face into a scowl, but doesn't respond. The other man does speak, but his voice is cold, and devoid of even the slightest hint of emotion; "You are in elven lands. This mountaintop has been the home of our people since before your kind was freed of its fur, and long before the corruption that has so clearly affected you was present in this world. I do not know where you come from, as your accent is unfamiliar to me, but to the North and West are the more civilized human lands, where you have your 'Academy,' as well as many of your cities, such as Therion. To the South is the Pass of Ghosts, where the less pleasant humans come to attempt to wipe out all who do not bow to their undead king. The elders may explain more to you, if they so choose."
As he finishes, they reach a solid wooden gate that had been reinforced with a silvery metal, and had numerous glyphs etched into both the wood and the metal. A door which had been set invisibly into the wall opened to their right, a fire evident behind it and a blond elven woman in dark green garb standing in it. She had her hand on the hilt of a sword, but she looked at Alberik more with waryness than hostility. "Who is this, Tuyuk? The man who'd examined her with nothing but distaste until now shot a glare at Alberik and responded; "A Traveler. Captain Erik has granted her sanctuary within our walls. She has agreed to the code of conduct, and to surrender her weapons. We have escorted her to the gate, and so now we hand her off to you." With that, he and the other man, apparently Athlen, bowed, and disappeared into the snowy woods.
The woman appraises Alberik for a moment, and then releases the handle of her sword and stands aside, beckoning her into the room behind her. "Come then, you must be cold. My name is Sera, of the Falling Leaf. What do they call you?"
Alberik nods along as the less antagonistic one describes the area to her, Managing a short response before they reach the wall and it's large gates. "I see, thank you. This corruption you speak of, I fear it may not be as clear as it seems. whatever caused it..." She starts to explain, then trails off as they arrive.
Staring up at the massive gates, Alberik takes a few steps towards them and reaches a hand out as if to touch the delicate runes across it's surface, but decides better and withdraws her hand again, turning to the gatehouse shortly before Tuyuk finishes his conversation. She bows back as they do, perhaps a little awkwardly, and refrains from speaking a farewell. Seems they'd rather be off in any case, best to leave them be. She thinks to herself, turning to the elf woman. "Very!" She says, then chuckles, passing by into the room. She leans her staff just inside the door and walks away from it towards the fire, already reaching her hands out to warm them above it.
"I've been called many things in my time Sera, but to my dismay, all I can remember at the time is Alberik, so that will have to do. Pleasure to meet you." She says with a kind smile. "Tell me, is 'Falling Leaf" a family name, or some other descriptor? The Captain Erik I met distinguished himself likewise, but not having seen him, I can't tell if you two bear a resemblance..."
As soon as she was within the warm, flame-lit room, Alberik began to shake uncontrollably, and very nearly collapsed onto the floor, though she managed to remain upright on her own until Sera helped her over to a chair that sat next to the fire. Sera allows Alberik to recover for a moment before responding, the elven woman smiling as she said; "Very well, Alberik it is, and it is a pleasure to meet you as well. For an outsider, you have excellent manners."
She pauses for a moment, hesitating before saying; "Calling it a family name is not entirely incorrect, but is not entirely correct either. Sir Erik and I are not related by blood or marriage, but we are of the same family, in that we have both given ourselves to the Falling Leaf. It is..... Similar to what your kind might call a warband. I can explain further if you like, but first...." Sera sighed, pausing for a moment. After several minutes waiting by the fire, either in silence or speaking with Sera, Alberik had warmed up significantly, and her body had stopped shaking, though she still felt very weak. "I do not doubt that you are sincere in your peaceful intentions, but you must understand.... We have been fighting humans from the South for nearly two centuries now, and it has made us very serious about security. So, I have to be very thorough." Her face hardens, and her voice becomes cold and professional as she finishes; "You'll have to remove your clothes, so that I can search you thoroughly."
Alberik had a look of confusion on her face for a moment as she nearly collapsed from the shaking. for a short moment, she thought it was some sort of attack, until she clued in and did her best to relax. Once she had warmed up enough to talk without stuttering, she continued the conversation.
"A chosen family, I see. I'd love to hear more, This place is so far from where I come from, most everything is so different." she responds easily. when the second half is mentioned, she takes a slow and deep breath, then begins to stand. "I understand. That also explains the reception I received from Tuyuk and Athlen. What is this fighting about, if you don't mind me asking?" Once she stands, she begins taking off what few layers of clothes she has, piling them on the chair she had just vacated. She also takes the chance to surreptitiously examine herself as well, half out of curiosity, and half checking for any signs of frostbite.
Sera leans against the wall as she thinks for a moment, frowning, before she begins to explain; "The House of the Falling Leaf is a volunteer force. Every one of us has chosen to relinquish their ties to their families and their right to marry and bear children in order to defend our people. We have soldiers other than the Falling Leaves, of course, but they are not devoted to war as we are. We give ourselves, body, mind and soul, to the defense of our people." Sera pauses to clear her throat before continuing; "If..... If there is a mission on which death is expected, we are the ones who go. Most of us have lost someone to the human invaders, or to the slavers and scavengers who roam the Pass of Ghosts. Some of us have lost everything, so, perhaps it's an easy sacrifice to make for them. We are called the Falling Leaves because, to our people, to live for only twenty years or so is to be little more than a whisper in the wind."
Sera smiles, but Alberik spots a tear flow down her face, which the elf quickly tries to hide. She continues speaking as though it hadn't been present; "Tuyuk is one of us, for almost thirteen years now, I believe. Athlen is only a volunteer, not a Falling Leaf, but many have thought that he will join, as he has no family, and few friends who aren't soldiers." She shakes her head at the question about why they were fighting; "We don't know. The ruler to the South seems to wish to control the entire world, for he has attempted to invade the human lands to the North of here, as well as attempt to wipe us out. We've sent people there, but those that have returned have found themselves hated and feared if their elven heritage was on display. Anyone who is not human seems to be met with intense distrust there, and even then strangers are universally disliked, as the humans of Therion and the Academy have made attempts to send peace envoys as well."
Sera speaks as Alberik disrobes, the planeswalker finding her body to be completely feminine, save perhaps for the tentacles on her face. There were no signs of frostbite, though her flesh was fairly pale, or at least paler than normal. Once she finishes, Sera nods, and moves around her in a circle, appraising her swiftly. After three complete circles, she pauses, and then pats through Alberiks piled clothes quickly, finally saying; "You may put your clothes back on." Once she'd redressed, Sera continued; "My shift is over, so if you'd like, I can take you somewhere where you can get something to eat. I'm sure a hot meal will shake the last of the cold from your bones. Or, if you prefer, I can show you to the guest lodge. You will not be permitted to travel unescorted, as I am sure you were already told, but so long as I am with you the more insular elements should leave you alone."
Alberik remains silent during the explanation, speaking somberly once she had finished. "I see... I don't know what to say, except to thank you, for telling me." She stays silent about the tear she spotted as well, out of respect. Obviously Sera has lost someone she cares about, and it's of little use to dredge something like that up any further than it has been.
She listens without comment for the rest of the explanation, speaking up again afterwards. "I've never understood the need of one person to rule over such a large tract of land. Seems rather unnecessary to me. And I would love a meal, and the company, if you can spare the time. I'd understand if you have other places you need to be, but from what you say, I fear I will find friendly faces few and far between here." She considers asking about a library of some sort, but that should probably wait until tomorrow, at the earliest. Chances are the elders Erik spoke of would like to speak to her before then, as well.
Sera nods, smiling, and says; "Of course. I'll just get my replacement, and we can be on our way." Sera turns and opens a doorway opposite of the one that Alberik had come in through, steps out and turns to her left. She has a brief conversation with someone there, the words muffled by the blizzard that now raged outside, but the elven woman reentered the room soon after, another elf in tow. This one looked as though she was much younger, and her gray-blue eyes were uncertain and almost frightened beneath her long, lustrous dark hair. She examined Alberik contemplatively (and silently) for a moment as Sera collected a few things form the table, and Sera said; "Come. Let's go get something to eat!"
Sera leads her outside into the blizzard, and even though she was, for the moment, still dressed in her own clothing, it was only a short distance. They stepped into a longhouse, the blizzard silencing behind them as they stepped inside and Sera closed the door. The lodge was huge, and had a great many benches and tables. About fifty elves were seated around the room, of both sexes and all dressed much the same as Sera was, sitting in small to large groups and conversing lowly. All of those seated in such a way as to be able to see the door from which they had entered went silent as Alberik entered, staring at her with unhidden scowls, and their fellows soon turned to do much the same once they noticed that their companions had stopped talking. The room remained silent for several tense seconds, and if Alberik glanced at Sera, she would see the elven woman glaring back at the collective room. "Come." The elven womans voice was low and subdued, but she glared challengingly at the rest of the elves as she stepped forward, leading Alberik toward a set of low tables behind which a pair of elves not dressed like soldiers stood. They glanced between each other, but Sera glared irritably at them, and they shrugged. In short order, Sera and Alberik were handed plates of warm food, as well as mugs of hot tea, and the room began to fill with sound as people turned back to their conversations.
Sera beckoned silently with her head for Alberik to follow, turned and headed for a table at which three individuals were seated, all men. She seated herself next to them, and they all went silent as the woman sat down. She glared angrily at them for a moment, until finally one of them turned to Alberik and said; "Be welcome at our table, stranger." His voice and the look on his face were both flat, as though he truly didn't care that Alberik was there at all, but he kept his gaze on her until she sat down.
Alberik nodded and smiled as greeting to Sera's replacement, then nodded to Sera, though she paused a moment before heading out into the weather again. She had just warmed back up, after all.
Once inside the lodge, she raised an eyebrow a bit at the cold reaction she received, though she said nothing all the way until it was time to be seated at the table, and that was a small 'Thank you.' to the man who bade her welcome, however reluctant he may be about it.
For the most part, if the others at the table were going to ignore her, she would leave them be about it, but she was determined to try and keep her rapport with Sera going, at least. "So is Gods-Reach here the only gathering of elves in the area? The way you guard yourselves, it would seem to me you consider the entire surrounding area to be hostile territory. Does that human kingdom to the south send patrols this way often, perhaps?"
The table tenses slightly at Alberiks words. She wouldn't have noticed had she not had her powers, as she could detect such things, because every one of the elves kept a perfect poker face. But, even as the emotional spillage revealed their sudden tension at her words, she noticed other, little things. A slight change in the way they sat, with their backs now slightly arched, and their motions just a tiny bit stiffer, and a minor change in the timbre of their voices. Even Sera was suddenly very tense, though she didn't show it at all. It was the man who'd greeted her who responded to her question; "There are other groups of our people in the area. The Badarians rarely send patrols anywhere near this far North, but their spies and scouts and assassins are always coming in this direction. Sometimes we are forced to kill them. Other times, we capture them, and they give us small pieces of information before they die." His voice was calm and conversational, as though he were discussing the weather rather than acts of war. "The only time we really have to worry is when they send a full force this way. They didn't invade last spring, or the spring before that, and we've seen fewer of their scouts of late, so we can't be sure what they're planning."
"I... See..." Alberik says after a pause, both implications of what she's told apparent to her. "It seems I have chosen a rather poor time to have stumbled upon the area then. Does the weather here improve much, by any chance?"
She takes a glance down at her food, suddenly worried that perhaps the meal was a bad idea. She was about halfway done, she could finish up fairly quickly and head to the guest quarters, should the conversation turn much more sour...
