Welcome to Surrender Dawn. Before starting your journey, make sure that you read everything that's on the Beginner's Guide Board:
First, make sure that you get to know the rules by which we manage our site and community.
For this, visit the Guide to Rules.
After that, it's fundamental to read all that there is to know about the world your character will be inserted into.
In order to do so, go to the Guide to Lore.
Lastly, please take a close look at all the mechanics that dictate our roleplay and its characters.
You can do this by checking out the Guide to Mechanics.
When you've done all of the above, you'll most likely be ready to start creating your character:
Create your Application Thread on the Character Creation Board.
To do so, follow the instructions on the Character Application Template Thread.
Once you're done, just copy the link of the thread and head over to the Grading Center.
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We hope you enjoy your time with us! Happy Roleplaying!
Updates
11/11/19: Open for Beta Testing! Feel free to explore the site and start creating your characters! If you have any doubt feel free to contact a member of the Staff Team.
Gray Harbor was the place to be at the Wharf. It was where the connections happened and where people found who they were looking for. While foreign products were pretty rare due to how dangerous the seas were, it was the type of place one could expect to find all kinds of rare and difficult to find things. A lot of money exchanged hands and a lot of people found enjoyment here. Whether it was from calming nerves, making money, shopping, or just a good day's work. It was exactly the kind of place one could go if they needed to find something within the Wharf. And today that was exactly where Synelle was headed. She had taken a break from her real job to investigate a mystery of sorts. She had done her information-gathering phase and now she was searching for some people that might have information. Her job as a courier really helped her when it came to finding others and that was going to be useful for this investigation.
Missing children was nothing to joke around about. She knew a lot of them and she basically was one herself. Though, it was more sold than going missing in her case. Needless to say, she was searching the Gray Harbor. For who, well that was the fun part. Some distance away was a group of three boys. They were in their late teens and were definitely troublemakers. And if anyone asked them, they'd proudly announce themselves as pirates. There wasn't much truth to it, but it was their goal to become something of the sort. They wanted to ride the seas and get out from under the weight of Vantalux and all the recent problems that popped up. But the usually loud and proud boys were visibly shaken. They were quiet and seem to shame away from other people. It was as if they had seen a ghost or something! At the moment, they were huddled around a small table in the corner of some bar. It was their usual haunt, so no one was going to bother them too much.
It was mostly because the locals knew them as troublemakers. But for right now, all three were hunched over the table and murmuring into their barely drank cups. Something was definitely wrong with them and they were trying to not be found by someone or something. But Synelle was still quite a ways off from them. She was going to have to search around for a bit before she got to the bar they were at. Of course, there were others in and around the bar. Others that didn't know their situation and could find them interesting, whether it was to help or question them. Synelle wasn't the only one investigating after all. But this sunny afternoon was going to make for some interesting discoveries and some even more interesting partnerships. Because in the end, when the harbor had a problem and no one was around to claim responsibility, it's probably the pirates.
According to what few locals were willing to talk to him; Gray Harbor was more than just the best place to find fresh fish this time of day. Zera had arrived in town not long ago and already word had begun to spread there-was a new noble in town. A rarity these days in the more destitute parts of the world, nobles were like seeing a purebred cat rather than a mutt on the boardwalk. The patriarch of House Leigh was already well aware of the type of people that made their business in the harbor. Even so, that was where he intended to go. Avoiding it was pointless in the long run; no matter how much he wanted to avoid conflict. So here he was on the main path through the busiest part of town and not a soul missed his passing.
Zera was beyond large, towering over even the tallest dockworker and banded with muscles to match his frame, his hands were more like spades or shovels than the tools of a humanoid. Yet it was not his great bulk that made it difficult for people to look away, no, it was his eyes that caused some to stop and stare. "The Lord with Blue Eyes" is what they called him, ice blue, like glaciers from the north, and they glowed in lesser light. The presence of the cursed Vel no doubt, but his visage was more than enough to chase away even the bravest souls. That was, until the man opened his mouth.
It was down one of the busier streets, after passing through the crowd with less effort than he expected, the oblivious Lord of House Leigh made his way into one of the more brightly lit taverns, following his stomach more than following sense. He threw the door open with a bit more force than was necessary, drawing attention to himself and giving an awkward smile and bow before shutting the door with more appropriate tact. He made his way from the door across the sparkling wood floor, the sea salt giving it a strangely beautiful look, and stopped at the counter-bypassing the gathered boys and only giving them the faintest glance of acknowledgment.
"Good day my friend!" He said boisterously, his vibrant personality bursting from the seams and out through that dazzling smile of his. He placed his hands on his knees and sat nodding to the owner. "Something delicious please, easy to carry if you don't mind! I have coin!"
It took a few moments for the owner to realize that the strange, jolly, and frightening looking man before him was nothing more than a paying customer. Without a second thought, though, he rushed into the back to begin preparing a meal. It took all of ten minutes for the man to come back out with slices of fried fish wrapped in paper. Delighted, Zera slapped more than he arguably should have paid on the counter and got to his feet, shaking the man's hand and taking a bite of his meal. It was sweet, savory, with that texture that only healty fish could provide. What a delight! He let out a raucous laugh; "BAHAHA! I should come here more often!" He belly laughed, giving a cheery wave.
"Till we meet again!" He offered and made his way to the door, throwing it open and greeting the busy street with a smile. He popped another slice of fish into his mouth and turned his head in time to see a young woman walking down the street, her eyes moving in a way to take in everything in her surroundings. While everyone else kept their eyes forward, she appeared to be looking for something, and it looked serious. Without a thought of danger or self-preservation in his mind Zera turned to march in her direction. "Hello there! Looking for something?"
The man's domineering appearance was hard to miss. He gained the eye of everyone around him for many different reasons. Some found him attractive, some saw a target, but most just stayed away. Standing out was exactly the safest thing to do, especially where there was work to be done. Dockworkers and merchants alike kept to their tasks but kept the man in mind. He was, after all, not form around here. An oddity and someone worth remembering. That said, when he entered the tavern he definitely frightened a few. See, the three boys that fancied themselves pirates in making were on edge. They were looking out for anyone or anything that was after them. And when they saw the huge man enter the tavern they couldn't help but assume that he was some kind of enforcer or something sent to deal with them. They hushed up in their corner and kept their heads down in an effort to avoid his gaze. And while he had no interest in them, the young boys couldn't help but feel like they dodged a bullet when he simply ate and left.
The tension was extremely high between them. But they felt as though if they made a scene and left in a hurry that they would catch his eye. Those few minutes felt like hours until he was gone. And the moment he was a few steps away from the tavern, the boys rushed out of the place and into a nearby alley. The other patrons saw them flee and just assumed they were up to their usual mischief. Meanwhile, down the street, the fateful encounter would take place. Seemingly wide-eyed Synelle could easily see the large man in the crowd. It was hard not to. She wasn't intimidated but interested. It reminded her of her leader after all. And while she set herself to watch what he was doing out of the corner of her eye, it seemed that he approached her. She made sure to keep an eye out for those around her, even as she spoke, since she didn't want her targets to slip by her. The dark-skinned girl stood in front of the man confidently. Both of her hands rested clasped together in front of her, giving the girl a more innocent and prim posture than she actually was. While she wouldn't call it deception, that was pretty much what it was. She was a courier and a mercenary, so playing like she was innocent and incapable was the opposite of the truth. She looked up at the man with a smile and nodded. With the attention he drew, maybe he saw what she was looking for.
"I am actually!" She said, throwing a tone of relief into her voice to make sure she sounded appreciative. She raised up one of her arms and held it a few inches above her head. Her palmed faced downward and moved back and forth a bit as if she was measuring something. "I'm looking for a few young men, about yay high." She glanced up at her hand before looking back at the large man. "There's three of them. They witnessed something I need to ask them about." Of course, it wasn't the best descriptor, but it was what she could explain easily. More importantly, she wanted to rope him into helping her, which he seemed so willing to do. "I know you might be busy so it's asking for a lot, but it would be a tremendous help if you could assist me a little bit." There, the offer was made, with nothing in return. She would deal with it if it came up but taking advantage of his helpful nature seemed like the best bet for now.
It was a strange way to live, a life that he did not wish on a soul but oddly loved never the less. Zera was larger than life in more way than one, huge, looming, and powerful. Even so, while he made his way in the direction of the woman who he had noticed just a moment before he munched away at the hand held meal with a childlike smile on his face. Ice blue eyes sparkled with delight at the taste and texture and his heart soared at one of the simple pleasures of being alive. After all; that was what it all boiled to, being thankful that your heart kept beating and that your thoughts kept turning, right? He placed a hand on his hip while she spoke, munching quietly on his food.
Young men? Three of them? The memory teased in the back of his mind for a few moments while she continued to speak. They were witnesses to something, a crime perhaps? If so they would have seemed withdrawn probably, especially if they were as young as she let on. Young men, withdrawn, three, his mind coiled back a few more moments until he saw himself stepping boisterously back into the tavern. His eyes twinkled a bit at the image of himself delicately shutting the door after throwing it open so roughly. It was amusing in retrospect. He chortled a bit before returning to the moment; they'd been in the corner of that very tavern looking as if they had seen a ghost. His face fell a little when he remembered their expressions even as his gentle expression remained.
"Would you mind telling me what they might have seen?" He said pleasantly, the snack in his right hand forgotten. His eyes still twinkled and his smile remained, but mentally he was on the defensive. "I could lead you to them, but I would very much like to be there when you talk to the young men. They looked terrified." Zera said gently without an ounce of warning in his tone. In fact, he let out a boisterous laugh and slapped his thigh, taking another bite of his meal before gesturing down the street. "We can talk while we walk, mm? I am never too busy for the people of the Wharf." He suggested, beginning to walk back to the tavern with the woman.
While he walked he scanned their surroundings. It was not like she had made herself out to be dangerous, but if he could conceal his own inner dangerousness, she was not immune to his suspicions. He placed a hand on the small hemp sack that hung from a belt on his hip, absently playing with the tie that held the cloth in place. It was a little hard to hide a lantern made of vanta metal without something like this, he made it look like a large purse though. He scratched his nose thoughtfully and moved his hand away from the device, he wouldn't need it. What he did need was a way to figure out how to help these boys. Was she after them to hurt them for what they had seen, or had they seen something that really needed to be investigated? Should he perhaps hear her out and then contact the city guard? There were enforcers present and it wasn't his duty to-yes it was. It was his duty. He had been given opportunities in life, wealth, power, strength. If he didn't use it for others, who would?
A smile quickly grew on Synelle's face as the man thought about her description and seemed to be coming to some sort of conclusion. She didn't know the guy at all, so the specifics of his mannerisms and personality were foreign to her. But he looked like he really wanted to help and had possibly seen something. It was completely possible that she could shorten her search by a whole lot if he had seen them. Even just having the search area narrowed really meant a whole lot to her. So when he pondered, she grew visibly more excited. She didn't want to hide that from him. In fact, she hoped that him seeing how eager she was would jog his memory even more. Of course, it could backfire and cause him to be more suspicious of her, but SYnelle put credence in her ability to be nice and seem honest. Truthfully, she was being completely honest here. She just kept her information giving low because she didn't know exactly who she was dealing with just yet.
Thankfully, the guy wanted to help and had seen who she described. Now, it was completely possible that the guys he saw were a different trio of similarly aged and frightened boys. There was no doubt that there could be another set something. But something was better than nothing for her. She would solve things once she got into them. But before he told her anything, he wanted elaboration. So Synelle gave the mad a nod. It seemed fair enough. And she felt she could give him a satisfactory enough answer to get them going toward where he saw them. She put a hand to her chin and clasped it between the underside of her thumb and the side of her index finger. She played like it was information that she couldn't just give out readily, mostly to give the impression that once she told him that it wouldn't be a good idea to tell anyone else. Again, it was devious, but it was how Synelle operated.
"They kind of witnessed the aftermath of a murder." She explained in a hushed voice. She even went as far as to hold the hand that was on her chin to the side of her mouth to block her voice from others. "I need to find them to ask them about it." She added. She debated whether or not to make it seem urgent, but she wanted him to come to that conclusion on his own. It would be more convincing that way. And just as he suggested it she would walk alongside him as she spoke. "Down in the Fishing Hamlet, they don't have a lot of help with the issues they run into. They reside on the other side of the rock formation after all. So the city isn't always the most helpful. But something pretty grisly is happening within the tunnels and I'm investigating it." There were more details, of course, but she hoped that was enough to satisfy his curiosity for now. The rest wasn't relevant until they found the boys were found. "And thank you for being so helpful! Not a lot of people would be so kind. Where are you from?"
She kept her voice hushed, logical given the subject matter of the conversation. Her tone showed a distinct hestitance to give away information. Whether that was to draw him in or an actual effort to control information was something he would have to figure out on his own. Moments passed with the two of them walking down the street when she finally spoke up about the situation. So they had been witnesses to a murder? Certainly that made sense, Zera could remember the boys faces-they weren't exactly looking for trouble. So she wanted to ask them about it? How did he know she was not party to the murder? A frown crossed his features and he pushed the consideration out of his mind. If he thought that way about everyone he'd never trust a soul again. He needed to give the benefit of the doubt.
The woman went on to explain the reason as to why she was investigating and not the Enforcers. That had been his next question. It was not that he did not want to help, far from it! He wanted to know what he was getting those boys into. Now though, he had a feeling he understood the situation well enough to grant her more than just the benefit of the doubt. He graced her with one of his best smiles and shook his head. "Hardly, just doing what is right as a resident of the Wharf," Zera insisted, nodding toward the tavern where the three boys had shacked up in the face of the dangers that were after them. He pushed the door open and let her inside, pointing toward the table where they had been sitting. "They were there,"
Zera glanced toward those in the tavern and cleared his throat. "Friends! We are looking for the three boys that were just yonder, did any see where they might have gone?" He asked, nodding in the direction of the table. "They may have information they do not even realize they have. It's very important to help get someone dangerous off the streets, Please, if you know something, say something," Zera said with all the earnestness he could muster. Unfortunately for him, the patrons showed very little interest in immediately reacting to him. In fact, one even looked over at the woman next to him and made a grouchy face, nodding toward Zera.
"What's that busybody doing here?" She grunted, not caring that Zera could hear every word. "No one wants that outsider, thinks he can clean the city up cause he just moved in, tripe if you ask me. Get him out of here,"
Synelle smiled as she watched her words have a positive effect on the situation. If there was one thing that Snelle was, it was a talker. She grew up having to manipulate another person to survive. Being able to speak and dance around a subject in order to not suffer neglect was a powerful motivator for her. And while it ended up poorly in the end, it wasn't for Synelle's lack of finesse, but the extreme hatred that came from the other side of it. Either way, Synelle was just happy that this large man was being so helpful and ready to get things done. Her jubilation was obvious too. She had a pep in her step and walked with vigor. There was something about having a large man at her side that made her feel better. Likely because he reminded her of her leader. Maybe this man was something of the sort as well?
And sure enough, they reached the tavern that the man saw the boys in not too long ago. It was the largest lead she had so far, so Synelle made sure to capitalize on it as much as she could. She Stepped forward to look around as soon as they entered. They weren't still there. They moved on to another place it seemed. Did they know she was coming? Was someone else after them? She had yet to even meet the boys face to face and they wouldn't be pursued by anyone other than the person that they saw right? It was confusing and even more important that she tracked them down. While the large man spoke with the patron, Synelle walked over to the table the boys were at.
There were a few important things to note. The first was that no one else was seated there yet. She didn't know how busy or empty the tavern usually was, but a corner table had to be high tavern real estate right? There was also their drinks. They were barely touched. Not even a few sips. They were gone in a hurry and too stressed to enjoy some drinks. They were really spooked about what they saw. Synelle put a finger to her chin as she looked around the table for more clues when one of the servers came over to start cleaning out. Maybe she knew more? "Excuse me. Do you know who it was that was seated here?" She questioned. The woman seemed upset, most likely because of the wasting drinks sitting on the table. It was a gamble to bother her, but it could also work in Synelle's favor. The woman likely didn't harbor any kindness for them for letting good product go to waste.
Meanwhile, with the large man, he was getting quite a bit of uncooperation from those in the tavern. Both because they didn't like outsiders and because they weren't fond of the boys that were in there. They were trouble makers after all. They were basically giving him the run around to make fun of him and not actually give him any answers. It was what one would expect from a group of drunks. But it wasn't all bad or worthless. They weren't tight-lipped at all, just uncooperative. So while they didn't answer his questions directly, they did mention a few things. Namely about how they liked to hang out in the tunnels, how they liked to sit on the edge of the mostly unused piers, and how they stayed away from Enforcers. But the biggest clue they let slip by was that one of them lived near a metallurgy refinery. It was a small one that mostly refined and removed impurities from very small amounts of metals to be used for jewelry. And since this was the Wharf and not Vantalux, those places weren't exactly common. The closest one would probably do.
The interview was going a bit poorly. It was to his immense relief that these people were drunks for the most part. It meant that he had a lot less work to do when it came to getting them to talk. The patrons showed little courtesy to him, which was understandable given that he had a bit of a reputation already in the wharf. House Leigh had moved in and suddenly taken responsibility for trying to improve the lives of those present. It was a bit insulting when one looked at it that way, Zera knew that, but there was no other way of handling it. Things were bad in the Wharf, and Zera was going to do everything he could to help-whether they liked him for it or not.
The mountain of a man prodded and pushed alongside his new female companion. She was... pretty, but very small. Something about her presence made him feel on edge for no reason in particular while in other ways she struck him as reliable. It was an odd, almost dangerous combination that he imagined she took advantage of in more ways than one. A wry smile was drawing across his face as the thought dawned on him that he might be the prey of one of her traps himself when one of the patrons finally let slip about the metalworks. There weren't many of those around here, even to Zera's knowledge and it looked like that information also sank in with the woman who accompanied him.
He exchanged looks with her; "I would say we got what we needed!" He said, clapping his palms on the counter and turning around. He didn't let his guard drop until they were well out of the building. He knew better than that at least. While he had plenty of faith in people and loved them dearly, he also knew that a drunk was a drunk and they did things that they would regret later. He exhaled when he made it out the door, looking to the coastal end of the town from where he stood. The road carried on for a while before winding to the left, making its way toward the docks proper.
"Something feels..." He hesitated, "Off..." He murmured to himself, his hand instinctively dropping to the pouch that hung at his hip. He resisted the urge to touch it and instead turned to the young woman. "As you might have heard I'm a bit new around here," He said with as much jolly good will as he could impress upon the words. He placed his hands on his hips and his massive arms flexed unintentionally. "If you wouldn't mind leading the way, it would be very helpful!"
With her information in hand, she looked to Zera and smiled. Despite the actions of the patrons he seemed unwavered. They were definitely being bothersome, but the man powered through them like the tank that he was. It was actually kind of adorable. She couldn't help but chuckle a little, and held her hand up to her mouth slightly closed as she did. She followed him out and nodded to him as they exited. You did really well!" She complimented. "I don't think I would have been able to bear it." She added, to express her appreciation of his unrelenting actions. Sure, she could have just fine, but Synelle wasn't going to miss the chance to throw a compliment his way. And while it was so that she could get him to trust her more and think her her as a more innocent person, she did genuinely mean it. The best deceptions were the ones based on truth after all. That said, they had a direction to go in now!
She looked around outside and at the street as they left before looking up at Zera. She tilted her head to the side a bit before speaking with a hint of confusion in her voice. "And where would I be going?" She asked. Did she know where the refinery was? Only vaguely. She could find out if she asked around. But Synelle was new in town. She had been to the Wharf before, but never on an extended stay. She spent the majority of her time traveling and camping, so knowing her way around the city was mostly temporary knowledge. Synelle usually had instructions or guides when she was delivering, so she didn't know to know a location without some kind of help. In this case, however, she was depending on other completely. And Zera was her go to at the moment.
Of course, having her lead wasn't the other thing he mentioned. he was growing suspicious. And suspicion was something Synelle needed to stave off. So naturally, she wanted to address that right away. She was going to keep the information she gave out low, but if it eased his concerns she could speak a little more. After all, he was helping her and he deserved that. Synelle placed both her hands in front of her body and held them together. She started to walk forward just to get him to start moving. Hopefully in conversing with him she could get him to naturally lead as well. Misdirection in a beneficial sense. "Is something bothering you?" She asked politely. People didn't say something like that without being troubled, so her concern was only natural. At least that was how he was going to play it. "If you have something on your mind, feel free to let me know. You are taking time out of her day to help me after all." Pleasantries went a long way and Synelle knew that well. It was how she survived her childhood, as much good as that did her.
