Croxx in Serenity

[Torvald Croxx]

Hana'Var's people fight among themselves, ripping the world nation apart. The Croxx have been hunted for centuries by a neighboring group of vampires. At least once the vampires almost succeed in completely wiping out the Croxx line, but they rose again stronger than they were before and started fighting back. The king does nothing about the dispute as both sides still do their duty to him and because the vampires are more prosperous than the Croxx. The vampires eat anyone who tries to trade with the Croxx, thus the economy of Kaherdin suffers while that of Marrok thrives. Virsat and Gae'Laka, the other two counties of the nation do not get involved. They neither aide nor hinder the Croxx or the Jar'Ha. The Croxx have tried to convince them that if the Jar'Ha ever win and the Croxx are killed, then it's only a matter of time before the vampires would turn on the rest of the nation.

Torvald and his cousins, Vedric and Angel, have come to the city of Serenity on the planet of Abasha for supplies. Any ships that would dare to try and bring them the supplies would be killed by the vampires and the supplies lost to the other side. To prevent that, the Croxx are in habbit of sending out small groups of hunters to go and collect supplies that can not be made on Hana'Var. One special thing Serenity has that Hana'Var does not, is pixie fire grenades. Little marble size orbs that explode in firey death upon impact. They are very useful against vampires, but also very dangerous to handle so only the Croxx themselves go to pick up the little orbs.

Torvald and Vedric have both been on this mission several times in the past. It's busy work given to younger hunters and family members to make them feel like they're contributing. At least that's how Torvald used to see, now he actually welcomes the chance to get off Hana'Var. He loves to travel and new places always feel like a new adventure to him. It's not just a place with buildings, it's a living thriving city with new things to see and new people to meet every time they come. He's excited that he can be with Angel during her first trip to the city.

This is actually one of the few places the Croxx can go other than their own home. There is a very old gate said to be put in place by Galeon Croxx himself when he first moved to Hana'Var and out of the vampire ravaged nation of Anyesca. The gate leads back to an old ruin of Anyesca that is said to have been used in the escape from the vampires a thousand years ago. Serenity sits on old ruins of Anyesca that are not far from the secret gate the Croxx use. T

hey have to be careful of it's use however, if the Jar'Ha found out they'd next on this side of the gate to kill any Croxx that tried to leave Hana'Var. Most the other gates the Croxx family once used were destroyed by the Jar'Ha during a time in Hana'Var history when the Jar'Ha had actually taken over Croxx lands, before the first Mykail Croxx had risen up against them and taken the lands back.

Torvald emerges out of the old ruins through a small crevasse that would be big enough for a horse, but too small for a wagon. All the supplies they get will have to be carried by hand. He pauses to smell the air, full of different scents and a slightly different sensation than from the air on Hana'Var. Something bumps heavily into his back, giving him a push. He lets out a little off as he stumbles forward a step and then turns to look at Flinn, Vedric's fire drake. “Did you have to bring that thing?” Flinn snorts at Torvald's tone and little whiffs of smoke rise from his nostrils.

Vedric comes out of the crevasse behind the drake, as there wasn't room to ride him through it. Vedric grins at Torvald, but as he speaks he turns around to lend Angel a hand in climbing out of the crevasse with his other hand on the broken stone to steady himself. “I couldn't just leave him behind, he'd be sad.” He gives a mock pout on his face to Torvald and then winks playfully to Angel.

[Angelicia]

The air was new to her. Scents of spices she had never before smelt, or had the pleasure of smelling. As she stepped through the gate she stumbles a little. When she should be watching where it was she was going then the sights and sounds of this new region. Torvald’s hand had extended to her just in time that she didn’t topple over and land face down upon the ground. Her green eyes darted about slowly as she took everything in. It was very different here. Angelica felt her heart race with excitement. She wanted to discover everything there was to discover in this new place. She was young and her attention span needed some reeling in. She was everywhere in a matter of seconds if her focus was lost. That was the society side of Angelica Celestine Croxx. When it came to her training. She was skilled. For one so young she had many brothers to teach her the finer things when it came to protecting herself and her family. She was good with a sword; in fact she was very good with two, a pair of twin blades. A most cherished gift from her eldest brother when she first joined the hunters. Upon his death she had his initials etched into the hilt, and a gem placed upon the flat edge, in honor of him.

She passed her gaze over Torvald to Vedric as the two discuss Her brother’s firedrake. Angelica smiled and extended her toward Flinn. Her left hand moved across the pouch upon her hip. Searching within until she found one of Flinn’s treats. She would give it to him and scratch him under his chin as she continued pass. “We should continue as quickly as possible. We don’t want anyone to see the three of us and a fire drake standing amongst these ruins do we?”

She smiled to her brother thinking herself right. Whether she was correct or not, Vedric would never allow her to know. She was a good hunter, coming into her own like most do. She rose through the ranks much quicker then most of the men. Some would have thought it was because she was a Croxx. But it was because she was a Croxx that she pushed herself harder. Wanting to prove to those about her that she was capable and able. With a Reluctant father who wanted her to marry and extend the bloodline, and a worrisome mother that just wanted a daughter, Angelica had many obstacles to face, the first one being herself.

They had come to Serenity on an errand to get supplies that was all that she knew. “How dull.” She said in regards to their task, “Can we at least look about Serenity a little while we’re here?”

[Torvald Croxx]

Flinn coos in his growling drake voice as he noms down the treat and then gets petted under his chin. His eyes close and his head sways side to side with the action to show how much he likes it. Drakes are highly intelligent, not enough to form a society or speak or anything, but more so than most horses.

Torvald wanted to say something smart or maybe something scolding about bringing the fire drake, but Angel's actions and words softened whatever thoughts wanted to cloud his heart. She was right though, standing around in the middle of nowhere with a fire drake looks a little suspicious. He doubts they'd be able to pass themselves off as scholars studying the ruins. The silver hair on his and his cousin's heads don't help them blend in any either. Torvald is only half dressed as the hunter he is. He wears lose fitting pants and a shirt to match, but his boots and jerkin are still good quality hide, like you'd expect in leather armor. His sword is already peace tied. It's the law in Serenity, but the guards normally are too busy to check if you don't cause trouble, and then sometimes even if you do, you can pay them to look the other way. Torvald has experience with paying guards to look the other way when he gets himself into trouble and then gets himself back out again.

Torvald pulls up the hood of the simple brown wool coat he wears to hide the silver of his head. He moves to stand next to Angel and looks to the walls of the city in the distance with it's few farms spread out around it. They are only about an hour walk from the gates of the city. “Of course we can. It's not like everything we need is in the same shop anyway. We'll have to do some looking around to fill our list.”

“Somehow I don't think what you're looking at will be in the shops, Torvald. Unless behind the counter.” Vedric replies as he takes the reigns of Flinn and prepares to head into the city. Vedric too has his hood up on his cloak. Angel has the choice, as her hair color doesn't scream, Look-at-me-I'm-a-Croxx. but the boys don't have that luxury.

[Torvald Croxx]

Torvald starts to laugh at what Vedric says, but then gets a funny look on his face. He sniffs the air again. “You guys smell that?”

Vedric follows suit and then gives Torvald a dubious look. “I smell Aynum in bloom.” He then looks to his sister to explain. “That's the really sweet smell in the air, he likes to take them back to Hana'Var and woo girls since we don't have that flower on our home.”

“Works every time. But I could have sworn under that I smelled burnt flesh.” He gives them both a worried look. Very near the crevasse is a small farm that sometimes provides horses or a wagon if needed. This farm is on the other side of the ruin and currently out of their view.

[Thaun Maloic]

“Hey! You there. Identify yourselves!” The voice comes from above the trio. When they look up they'll see a man standing on top of the ruins and looking down on them. He comes from the direction of the farm that gives the Croxx aide.

The man is pretty broad, wider and more muscled than most hunters who need to be quicker on their feet. This man obviously went with strength over speed which is a good indication he is a local and grew up in a city full of duelist rather than a land fighting to survive vampires. His skin is lightly brown with a touch of bronze, as someone from a more tropical climate may have. His hair is light brown, but also looks touched by the sun, like it may be darker if he didn't live on a beach. Serenity is temperate, but not tropical, which then makes the man not look local at all. His blue eyes are piercing as if he expects the trio to be up to no good, almost as if he's just caught them doing something wrong.

Technically fall has come by calendar standards, but it is not yet cold in Serenity. This man is taking advantage of that in his manner of dress. He wears a sleeveless shirt with a bit of a collar in a deep redish orange. His pants match his shirt, but he wears shin guards over the pants and his boots are of stone drake hide, making them stronger than most leather and very expensive. He has in his right hand a large claymore, the type without a basket. A tall shield graces his left arm. Though he has his sword drawn he is not pointing it at the trio yet, but standing with the point aimed down, still puts it toward the trio who are on lower ground than he. He wears a simple breastplate of with the engraving of a cilpel on it. A cilpel is a strange creature from the southern areas of Abasha. It flies around on land, but looks more like a jellyfish with a round head and many little arms that sway and move under the head. In the case of the cilpel the arms aren't all tentacles like a jellyfish however but are actually prehensile and can grasp and hold things. They do also have prehensile tentacles which are highly poisonous and very deadly. The cilpel on Thaun's armor bears two of it's tentacles out to either side of it, it is the family crest of the Maloic.

He does not wear the uniform of a Talon Knight, but he does wear a blue cape such as the city guard wear when in uniform. Angel would not know this, being as it's her first time to the city, but depending on how much attention the other men have been paying on past trips they might know that duelist sometimes take on freelance guard work when the guards are overtaxed. Such freelancers wear the Talon Knight cape when working, but not the uniform. His shield too is that of a Talon Knight's uniform. Anyone can put on a blue cape and claim to be speaking for the law of the city. Thaun thinks the shield gives him a little more credibility.

Thaun is completely unharmed and has no traces of blood or even sweat from fighting, so the smell of burnt flesh neither came from him nor seems to be caused by him toward another. He seems completely nonchalant about being outnumbered four to one. He counts the fire drake among them as in a fight such a beast would be formidable. His manner suggests he's either a powerful wizard or not alone.

[Angelicia]

Angelica followed after her brother and glanced to Torvald. She had seen on a number of occasions the way that Torvald had treated the young girls about the city and within the castle. On a few occasions she had the displeasure of lying to a girl or her cousins where abouts, only to have the girl leave heart broken and Torvald to attach himself to the girl’s friend that evening. She was far to young to understand the affairs of the heart, and by witnessing Torvald’s adventures she wanted nothing to do with them. Of course she was a girl and subject to changing her mind like the wind. Something her eldest brother often chimed her for.

She continued to scratch Flinn’s neck. Smiling as she stepped passing him and at her cousin. She would shake her head at the teasing that offend went on between the cousins. She chuckled as she stepped over a pile of rumble. Her green eyes drifted toward the distance city. She could not see it in it entirety, but she knew where it stood. They were not hunters without decent skills. She sniffed the air, just as Vedric had to point out the scented flowers, while Torvald was bent on disturb their calm with talk of something else burning. “Burnt flesh, really Torvald?” She turned her head sharply to her cousin. Her red locks flaring about her shoulders. She was the only one not dressed with her hood drawn. There was little reason for anyone to suspect she was a Croxx, while her brother’s hair as well as her cousins, were silver. A distinct trade mark, so to speak of the Croxx bloodline, a hard trait to hide other then under a hood or cowl.

A third voice not belonging to any of them called Angelica’s attention to the tops of the ruins. A man stood upon the tops of the ruins looking over them. His curious gaze studying them. Angelica could tell he was sizing them up. He was larger then the others and possibly even more threaten. Though Angelica would never admit that to her brother or Cousin. She would look to Vedric’s back since he was ahead of her. Torvald was to her left. She took note of his stance and took upon the same. Her shoulders rolling back, her hands relaxed at her side, yet close to the hilts of her blades, should she need them.

They could very well tell this man everything. Explain why they were here and possibly ask for his help. But it wasn’t her place to say a thing. This was her first time here. So there was much that she was not aware of. There was even more that she didn’t know. And at the moment she didn’t wish to get them into further trouble, if trouble was what they were in.

[Torvald Croxx]

“Just travelers heading to the city.” Vedric responds.

They have never been greeted in such a manner and Torvald finds it very odd. Something is wrong. Torvald wants to say something or ask something but before his thoughts can be formed a noise from within the ruins catches his attention. Something is moving around in there. Something that is either small or something that is lightweight and agile.

A child bursts out from his hiding place and runs straight for Vedric, the boy stops and looks up at Vedric's face beneath his hood with a little gasp, then he instead runs for Torvald. The boy looks as if he slept in the ruins and was awakened by the voices and the noises. His hair looks as if it some magical dye job is fading and through the blotches of the fake black bright silver is showing, dirty silver, but silver nonetheless. “Uncle Torvald!” The boy wraps himself around Torvald and starts to cry pitifully. It's clear the boy will not be able to answer any questions they may have right away.

Torvald looks down at the boy, one of his hands falling to the kid's back out of a reflex to comfort. He looks concerned and surprised, but Angel might notice there is also recognition in his face. He does indeed know this boy. He's one of the secret heirs Croxx sometimes like to hide in case they're ever wiped out again. If the Croxx line goes missing all the hidden heirs are supposed to rise up and take the lands back. Torvald doubts most of them would actually leave their lives to start hunting vampires if it came to it.

Torvald looks from the boy to Angel and Vedric, who are standing so close together that one looks gets them both. Then he looks up at Thaun. Right now Thaun knows more about what's going on then they do. I did smell burning flesh. I hope it was the vampires

“What happened here?” Vedric asks of Thaun. If vampires found the farm they could easily find the gate.

“The. . The farm?” The question is asked of Thaun as well, but when asked the boy wrapped around Torvald's leg only starts crying more. The child looks to only be around ten. He's a little small for his age and is actually more around twelve.

[Thaun Maloic]

Thaun frowns at the trio. He wants to believe they're travelers, they look like they're traveling and they appear to be heading toward the city. But if they knew those at the farm why did they come around this side of the ruins rather than straight to the farm? To keep the drake from scaring the livestock?

His eyes now look very sad for the boy. Someone once said that his piercing blue eyes resemble the ocean more when they're sad, as if they get full of water they hold back. He doesn't give it much thought and does not concern himself with how he may be appearing to others at this moment. He aims his head back over his shoulder to speak to a companion they can not see, but keeps his eyes on the four humans and drake below. “Rhade! Found the boy. He's alive!” The last little phrase is said with a bit of surprised, which should clue the others in on the fate of the rest of the farm. They'd been hunting the body of a child because it was the only one not accounted for yet. The farm is dead and burnt.

[Angelicia]

Angelica kept her green orbs locked upon the man that hovered above them. How did he get up there? Why was he there? She was curious as to what was going on here. Her leather-clad hands curled under into tight fists, only to relax again. Allowing her brother to speak for them. It was the wisest decision for Vedric was well versed. Torvald was a good speaker as well, but he was much like Angelica, at times they became too passionate about their causes and their tongues tend to waggle a little too much. Which then leads to trouble, and fights ensue.

Her gaze narrowed, and her ears pricked up. Hoping to learn of what was happening. It was obvious that there was something occurring just beyond the ridge. Her curious nature wanting to break free of the group, scale the ridge and look beyond. The farm that Vedric had told her about must be experiencing some unwanted trouble. Perhaps they could set things right. That was the Croxx way. Standing behind Vedric, her arms crossed in front as she listened to what the man had to say.

Angelica’s attention shifted when she caught sight of movement to the right of where they stood. She turned her full attention to the far end of the ruins to see if there was further movement. It was then a boy darted forth. Angelica’s right hand eased away from the hilt of her blade when she heard the boy call Torvald uncle. Her green eyes turned to her cousin with a questioning look. She would then turn away knowing that this was information she was not privy to. It maddened her to know there were things that she did not know, and would not know. Oh the Croxx Code. It made her grumble under her breath.

Her attention was quickly drawn back to Vedric. Forgetting Torvald and the boy for the moment. She was curious about the farm as well. Though this was her first trek to Serenity. She did not think it right that anyone suffer under any hand. The smell that Torvald had mentioned seemed to grow stronger as they stood there. When the man called out to someone behind him Angelica’s gaze lifted and tried to look beyond. What were they doing here? What was going on? What had happened that they would be looking for the boy, and that he would be alive? Were those at the farm all dead? Her curious nature itching at her to take action, as her right hand moved to the hilt of one of her blades.

“Tells us what has happened here?”

[Torvald Croxx]

Torvald does not wait for an answer. Something is wrong. He picks up Dolin without stopping to think about it first and quickly makes his way toward the farm, bounding up the rubble of the ruins with the ease of a hunter.

“Wait!” Vedric starts to call, but Torvald does not hesitate. He has to see what has happened to his friends here. Only the boy is family, but his mother and her current husband were still friends. The boy had a little sister as well, also not family to Torvald, but she was family to at least one Croxx and that's all that matters.

[Thaun Maloic]

Thaun does not try to stop Torvald. The boy has made it clear this group of travelers are not the ones that harmed those at the farm. Instead he looks to Angel upon her words, words that will reach her even as Torvald is passing him. “We're not sure yet. But there's nothing left.” He gives a little shake of his head and frowns sadly for the lose of lives.

[Angelicia]

Angelica turned her head sharply in Torvald’s direction as he quickly darts off through the ruins. “Torvald!” She called out, knowing it foolish for him to do such a thing. Sure Vedric and herself were there, as well as the stranger and whomever it was he was with. They could out number a small group of bandits, or troop, but anything larger they would need aid. And being out here with only the gate to retreat through. Well that just wasn’t an option.

Her green eyes turned to Thaun as he spoke. Furrowing her brow at his words. How could he not know what had happened to the farm. Angelica was much like her cousin and within seconds she was rushing after him and the boy. She would draw one of her blade from her side as she cleared the top of the ruins. She was level with Thaun at this point, but she paid him no mind. She rushed after her cousin. Vedric would follow after his hasty sibling and cousin. Though he would pause before Thaun perhaps to inquire as to what it might have been that attacked the farm.

Angelica figured it to be a raiding party. If that was the case then they very well might still be here. She rushed as quickly as she could to catch Torvald. She was barely breathless when she came upon him and the boy. “Torvald, this is foolish.” She told him, knowing full well she had done the same as he.

[Torvald Croxx]

Torvald stops in what must have once been some sort of central area. Farms don't have courtyards, but there is the burnt husk of what was once a house one one side and the burnt husk of what was once a barn on another. All around are what is left of some livestock and fences. Some of the fence is even unburnt and there are patches of green grass and some leaves in some of the trees still which seems odd in contrast to the damage. The smell of ash is strong in the air now that they're in the farm. The wind has been blowing away from them and was carrying the scent of all the destruction the other direction.

The boy in Torvald's arms looks up and around and he too looks shocked. They don't know it yet, but this is the first he's seen the destruction in the daylight.

“What did this?” Torvald asks quietly.

“Vampires.” The boy responds.

[Rhade Dupree]

Near where the others come to a stop Rhade is standing in what might have once been a pen for animals. He stands next to two new fresh mounds, both about six feet long. At the far end of the mounds are stakes sticking out of the ground with white and green ribbons tied around the tops of them. He holds no shovel and there is not one near him, but as he turns to look at them he slips something slender and only about a foot long into one of his boots. Could have been a dagger, but he put it in the boot on the far side from them and it does not stick out to show itself. He didn't seem to hide it on purpose, but his action was one that showed it was something he's done so often he no longer thinks about the action when it's made.

Rhade has short blond hair that seems unbrushed, yet almost appears as if it's so on purpose, much like Thaun's own brown hair. He too is larger than most hunters, having the build of someone who spends most their time training with heavy weapons and armor or using such weapons and armor. He wears a short sleeve linen shirt of a light orange-yellow with a simple brown jerkin over it. His soft green pants are also simple and loose fitting and his boots too seem unspectacular. He either cares not to show wealth, or he's a peasant. He wears the same blue cloak of a Talon Knight as his cousin, but his is fastened to the side with a metal replica of the Dupree crest. His sword strap and the large two handed sword that hangs from it on his back are the most expensive items he wears, but it's the Dupree seal that is worth the most on a black market. They are not easy to get as one can only obtain one by taking it from a Dupree. There are tricks to tell a real one from a fake.

“Oh good you found the boy.” He starts to smile, but then his smile fades back into concern again as he looks around them for something that seems to be missing. “The girl wasn't with him?”

[Thaun Maloic]

Thaun could not answer any question Vedric might have had for him, other than to say he was indeed freelancing for the Talon Knights and had come in response to a call about neighbors seeing smoke. When they had come, one of the neighbors was here and told them about those that lived here and that's is why they knew a little boy and a little girl were missing. Thaun knows this hits close to home for Rhade fore, he has a little boy and a little girl and for him too the boy is the older one. His children are much younger though and live in the city.

Thaun had found them on the other side of the ruins because he was searching for the children while Rhade buried the bodies. He walks toward the others along with Vedric, but his sword is now sheathed. Thaun wears his sword at his side, as it's not quite as large as Rhade's. A sword the size of his cousins can't be worn at the side with any type of ease and if one tries they'll find it throws them off balance. Thaun's shield balances him back out.

Thaun looks at the mounds and then gives Rhade a funny look. He had just left his cousin, no way he could have buried them both and put up markers in that short amount of time unless he'd used magic. Rhade doesn't look like the magic using sort. Thaun does not call attention to this, as the others don't know how long they got here and won't know it's odd anyway.