An Exile's Path [open no combat pls]

((OOC Previous info about why he is so beat up! https://rpreguh.rpg-board.net/t140-mining-blues-mission-closed#309 ))

It was a dry day in the northern part of mertuil as usual. Rakust has been traveling for days with his paycheck buying all of the bread and water he could to traverse the desert. From the tips of the Dragon's Maw of Hammerstad, to the the markets of Mertuil, he had hoped one of his helper drones would fetch a pretty price to those who did not have the capabilities of golemancy as common as the dwarves. Traveling on top of his rocky golem Rocky, and running along day and night on top of his armless golem. He had them ripped off in a previous job and now carried them within the stumps of what remains of his arms. He had hoped to make enough to repair the damage to rocky and his power armor. Hell even his control rod might even work a pretty penny, after all runeweapons are a rarity and a powerful one at that.

He swiveled the last waterskin he had, barely a swig left in it, using the other hand to hold balance on Rocky. a haunch of bread remained in his pockets, squished and crumbled. It would only be a days worth of sustenance. Looking up, using the skin as a shadow to the blinding sun, he could see the tips of the jewel of the desert breaking the mirror-flat surface of the desert. He was just hours away from his new life. Or so he hoped. He swigged the last of his water, celebrating his arrival. And he held on tighter in excitement. At the very least he could find a better job paying more than coppers for bread.

When he arrived he ached getting down. It was not a smooth ride, and not a moment he spent resting properly. It was like riding horseback while asleep for like a week. 

He took a moment to strech his body a moment, noticing the break in his leg armor as he went about. It was going to be a cumbersome job to wear it, so he sat down and pulled them apart and off. As he told Rocky to shut down until he required him again, the workers came off his armor and started to assist him in disassembling them and carrying them for him, quick and strong in their appendages, an attempt to steal these would not end well with a Golem right behind him. After he got the metaphoric sand out of his boots, he would start to look for the markets with the spiders holding the gear below their bodies. It was not hard to find, as the infrastructure was centered around it. Just following any major road lead to the central markets, as the other way was a dead end to the deserts.

Where to start? Where would he sell? How much COULD he sell for? He would need to get started and fast before the noon rush was over.

shade was in hammerstad for a brief time collecting information on his murder he found a dwarf in well made suit of armor said he once new the man. He was to be one of the most benevolent and kind men it the city but changed over the years instead of working and being a well respected man.To being nothing more than a common criminal and started a string of robbery's. In about a ten year period of time he became one of the most infamous outlaws in the world and all his power started when he came to hammerstad for the first time. He also had a homestead in mertuil it was his child hood home.  Shade told the man thank you for the information and told his story well what he remembered of it and told the man he would be back one day as he took his leave to mertuil.

Acis was walking on the road to meritul cussing at the bird that flew into his wing. Causing him to fall and hurting his wing so that he couldn’t fly. He hated walking long distances it takes forever to get anywhere. He never understood how people got along without being able to fly, As he walked along the path his sword was starting getting heavy, and all he could think about was a glass of water, and how could it would taste as it hit the back of his throat. He knew he wouldn’t have to walk much farther the city was just up ahead he could barely see it.
As he walked up to the gate he asked one of the guards were he could get a drink from. After the guard told him were and how to get their He was off.  He was on his way to the market. When he got there, there were people everywhere of all different kinds and races. He quickly went to closet stand that sold drinks. If someone had seen they might have thought that he had smelled it out.  He quickly went up and ordered a glass of water luckily it was free like in most places. When he asked for a refill the lady at the counter said she would have to charge him only the first glass is free. Acis looked at the lady with a cold stare like he could cut her head off with his sword, as he turns and walks away. He figured that he should look around and see what’s around after all he might be able to find some work while he is here anyway.
As Acis was looking around he happens to see a dwarf with a bunch of little insect looking drones carrying pieces of armor. Acis figured that he had gotten into a fight and was hurt during the fight. He had saw other dwarfs do this when he would go and see them and the few times he went underground into the city’s.

Acis goes up to the dwarf and says “hay, the names Acis what happened to your armor.”

There was all sorts of people, of all sorts of races. Selling just as much to inventory. He was baffled to where to start, Luckily people avoided him. The common people gave his strange contraptions much room to maneuver around. He could feel the stares of being the outcast. They didn't like something weird and outside, and they made him regret even coming here. He lowered his head, not bothering to try and look around to shop. No one even seemed Interested.

“hay, the names Acis what happened to your armor.”

A voice said from behind him. He spun around, making the spider minions slip and stutter as they tried to correct the sudden change of course. There stood a Giant man with intimidating wings looking directly at him. The look was no stare. It was pure curiosity. He shifted his eyes away, grabbing his finger and tried to speak,

"Um, eh... I-I um... B-broke eet."

His voice trailed off almost unheard.

as shade walks into town he realize that this is such a busy place it will not it be hard to find information here. But he grew weary of  his journey and just wanted to relax so he decide to walk around and see the sites as he entered the market place he seen the most strangest site he ever seen in his  unlife. A giant man standing over a dwarf the man had wings shade was so interested that he actually propped on the side of a building and started watching them.

The dwarf spun around has his drones smacked against each other straitening out. He grabbed his finger and kind of looked away and said "Um, eh... I-I um... B-broke eet." Acis kind of didn’t know what to say to the guy. He got the feeling that the dwarf was afraid he was going to hurt him or something, so Acis kind of stepped back so that their was a little more room between them. Now their was around three feet between them instead of the foot and a half their was. Acis then looked down on him and said “its ok I’m a friends with the dwarfs in hammerstad I’ve been in the city’s under the mountains. I was just wondering if you needed any help.” Acis shifts his weight to his leg in back try and show that he means no threat.

*The man stepped back, Holding his hands out as if he was defending himself. He hunkered down, as if he was trying to be friendly. He shifted his eyes back to the Giant. To which he said to him

“its ok I’m a friends with the dwarfs in hammerstad I’ve been in the city’s under the mountains. I was just wondering if you needed any help.”

"I ah! um eh... T-trying t-t-ta find... um, ssssomeone to f-fix d-da arm..."

His voice trailed off again, He looked at one of his drones, and pointed subtly at acis this time one of the spiders, It clicked and chittered, and moved to Acis. It picked up the cargo underneath with two spindly arms and moved it to the Dragonkin. It was the broken leg armor. Crushed and useless. Even if he stole it, It had no monetary value past the weight of scrap metal.

Ard was lost in a memory as he walked through the markets of Mertuil he remembered coming here on his travel with the old man. He hated the deserts too hot and dry for his tastes he was more accustomed to the forest where shade is plenty and water was willing to be found.  He really had no reason for coming here none but the memories of his travels. It was here in this forsaken spot of sand that he first learned that he had any magical ability at all. As a child he had looked at the market stalls in awe and wonder as he shuffled close to his master trying to keep up with his lope. He was caught by an object a wooden dagger carved and decorated he wanted it badly but knew there was no use for such a thing. As he followed along still thinking about the dagger and how bad he wanted it he felt a slight chill run through his body the next thing he knew it was there in his hands the exact  toy he had coveted. His master turned in a quick jolt ready to reprimand him but when he saw the astonishment on Ard's face he understood then. Ard remembered this clear as day the first time he had felt that tingle that power in himself.
    Not paying attention to where he was going Ard ran into man next to ne of the stalls the man just stared at him then brushed by him in a hurry and kept moving. Snapping out of the memory Ard wanted to apologize to the man but when he turned he saw him stalking off in a suspicious manner. Realization came then and as he started after the man Ard began patting himself down and realized his coin pouch was missing.
   wading through the crowds at the market Ard pushed his hood back and began to yell "Thief!" as he followed the man. Bringing his staff to bear he stepped into a spot where not too many people were standing and gathered himself. he focused his mind like his master had taught him all those years ago bring the energy in him into one spot then focusing it into a small point at the end of his staff, this had become second nature to him now but the nostalgia of each spell was still there.
       Pointing the staff at the offender he took a deep breath aimed and sent a small focused blast of energy at the back of the thief's knees it hit him with more power than Ard had expected and sent him tumbling forward right between a conversation being carried out by a Dragonkin and a dwarf. The thief lay there incapacitated as Ard advanced to the odd couple Saying " My apologies friends I did not mean to interrupt your conversation but I seemed to have misplaced my purse into this man's pocket".

while shade was standing next to the building he hears a commotion as a man runs past him then is hit by unseen force and sent flying across the street right past the peculiar partly metal dwarf, right after a man in a dark robe with strange markings ran past in the same direction. Out of curiosity shade thought it might be worth the trouble to stroll that way and look at the action. Stopping short of the man in the cloak and the dwarf he began to scan the surroundings just out of curiosity, his eyes found a small boy no more than a child taking advantage of the distraction the man and the alleged thief had provided. the boy was slinking around behind the scene near a stall that sold fresh fruit, he was sneaking closer and slowly extending his mal-nourished arm towards a particularly nice piece of the fruit. when his fingers had touched the beautiful specimen the stalls owner stepped forth and wrenched the boys arm up and away, hastily clearing a spot on the table the merchant laid the boys arm down and held him there as he drew a long menacing dagger from his belt. When the dagger caught the glint of the desert sun something in shades demeanor changed rapidly and out of instinct he charged the merchant at almost ten yards he thought he might be late by only fractions of a second later he was there with the merchants arm in his grasp. Quickly he degrappled the boy from the merchants hold and disarmed the merchant with a movement blindingly fast.The boy and the merchant both astonished at the undertaking stood frozen in place. Shade casually handed the boy the fruit he had wanted and set a coin on the table. The boy ran away quickly and shade still looking into the merchants shocked eyes planted the dagger into the table and turned back to the crowd. Now as he looked around he saw that most of the gazes in the area were no longer focused on the cloaked figure and the thief but on him, mixed emotions filled the crowds features from amazement to encouragement to resent, all in his direction he simply lowered his gaze and remained in place as the crowd went back to there business.

as the dwarf said "I ah! um eh... T-trying t-t-ta find... um, ssssomeone to f-fix d-da arm..."  and had turned and pointed to his bug drone, but before the drone could get their holding the pice of armor for his arm a man came flying through the market and landing pretty rough right between the dwarf and acis. Acis looked at the dwarf with kind of a smile and said "i love it when humans try and fly it makes me laugh cause they always end up hurting them self's." then no sooner he had said that a dark skinned elf came walking up carrying a staff with him. acis had heard of them before but never actually meet one he was intrigued by the man he wanted to say that they was dark elf's. as the elf approached he said " My apologies friends I did not mean to interrupt your conversation but I seemed to have misplaced my purse into this man's pocket". as acis heard this he could not contain him self and said "so you tried to give him lessons on how to fly in order earn your money back." he said while still trying not to laugh, and being completely oblivious to everything else.

(I meant to trail off saying armor not arm but whatevs...XD)

The spider drone was busy getting the arm out from under it when suddenly he heard someone from the mists of the crowd yell thief. Rakust looked right in the voice's direction just in time for there to sound a loud boom. A man went flying in Rakust direction. Instinctively, The dwarf raised his copper corroded arms up as if to ward himself of the imposing Collision. The man yelled and screamed as he flew and each time he took a hard hit to the floor. One of his spider drones, the one trying to give Acis the arm, ended up getting trampled in a ball of tumbling bodies. But fortunately, the damage was nothing more than paint scratches and it managed to get back to its feet, not before some leg twitching and scampering around.

Rakust shut his eyes and looked away as the man rolled towards him, but quite actually never made it to his feet. He waited for what seemed like an unnaturally long time for the man to hit him, but it never came. All he heard were screams in the Market stalls as people started to notice how a small boy was almost maimed by a greedy merchant, but was saved by a good Samaritan. He then heard a voice call out to him.

"My apologies friends I did not mean to interrupt your conversation but I seemed to have misplaced my purse into this man's pocket".

He opened his eyes and took a good look at the man, large, although not so large as Acis. He had those distinct pointy ears, of those elves his race once held battle with before. They were renown for their magic, and he had it showing prominently here. Long cloak, magical tattoos all over him, and easiest of all, he was pointing a staff in their direction.

He lowered his arms slowly as Acis Started speaking, "i love it when humans try and fly it makes me laugh cause they always end up hurting them self's."

He looked at the man, grabbing his hands again, "A-I ah. Are... Y-y-you okay --ser. D-d did you... um do that... t-to him?

The man only told him to bugger off as he scrambled to get to his feet. Rakust's other two Drones were moving in to make a small wall between him and the thief. Chittering and clicking loudly as they did so, trying to be as intimidating as possible.

Ard saw the dwarf begin to stammer as his offender was regaining his feet in a futile effort to escape. As Ard came to halt in front of the unlikely couple the Dragonkin responded to his quip saying "so you tried to give him lessons on how to fly in order earn your money back."  Smiling and still stepping between them Ard replied "well it was the least I could have done the man had found the money fair and square so I had to earn honestly". As he stepped between them he reached his staff out and swatted the still staggering thief squarely on the head with his staff knocking him back to ground. Now standing over the thief Ard let his magic build and run into the runes on his body causing his eyes to glow and the pale light to emanate from around him. the thief recoiled in shock as Ard bent and retrieved his coin purse from the man. While having his magic about him Ard caught a glimpse of a form charging past the scene he had created. Dropping the energy away he turned in time to see a pale figure face to face with a large merchant, the merchant had been trying to punish a small boy who had tried to steal something from the stall. The pale figure had disarmed the merchant with speed that was astonishing and held his gaze to insure that the point was gained. Ard gingerly stepped back towards the pale man as the crowds began to regain their normal pace and attentions, the pale figure was standing looking at the ground. As he got closer he spoke the figure who had performed the act of kindness "Kindness is hard to come by, a lot of people go hungry in these streets but hunger and greed are different beasts aren't they traveler"? "Our current actions prove this to be true, My offender was greedy and taken by his greed while your charge just need something to eat".

Respectably he held his hand out to the stranger in greeting saying "My name is Ardicus Patrinell, friend"

shade looked up to see the man in the black robe coming up to him. He held the mans gaze not knowing if he was friend or foe the stop and said.  "Kindness is hard to come by, a lot of people go hungry in these streets but hunger and greed are different beasts aren't they traveler"? "Our current actions prove this to be true, My offender was greedy and taken by his greed while your charge just need something to eat."   Then held his  hand out and introduced him self as Ardicus Patrinell, astonished at the mans  respect and  without hesitation
he grabbed  the mans hand and said. "I am shade nice to meet and you are right its hard to find kindness anywhere but when you do find it worth doing ." 

as the mage struck the thief on the head stepping in between acis and the dwarf acis just had a thought he still didn't know the dwarfs name. then the mage turns away to talk to a pale guy carrying a sword. he hears the mage talking to him about people being hungry and things. he hears the mage introduce himself as Ardicus Patrinell and the pale guy return the favor saying his name was shade as they shake hands. 
thinking that shade was a weird name seeing how the guy wasn't that big so he probably didn't put out that much shade. then snapping back into reality acis asked the dwarf if he wouldn't mind coming and getting a drink as he walked over to the mage and the pale guy that was really making acis curious asking them if they wouldn't mind going to get a drink.
at this time the market area wasn't as crowded as when acis first got here. he figured that it was starting to wind down for the most part and thought why not ask them. he always has liked drinking with dwarfs and the dark elf is something he has always wanted to hang out with and the pale guy was just interesting he was bound to determine why he was called shade. it really didn't make any sense and was bothering him. he could just feel it like something was off about that guy.

Ardicus smiled as he approached the thief, who was just to his feet just to smacked back down by the end of his staff. He walked almost on top of him, reaching down and giving him a rundown with his hands to find the pouch that was stolen, speaking all the while "well it was the least I could have done the man had found the money fair and square so I had to earn honestly". After justice was done, he raised his staff and started to magically glow. Rakust had a chill of goosebumps as Mana filled the general area. Even his drones and his armor started to react, the mana batteries glowing ever slightly with tendril wisps of energy flowing from the batteries within to the tip of the staff.

He then noticed something off to the side, and as quickly as it came, the glowing and the gathering of energy and the tendrils of mana dissipated. The spiders twitched and stumbled slightly, slightly in shock of the sudden drain of energy. Looking in his direction, he saw a pale man holding back a wielded knife of a merchant. There was a little misshapen boy holding a piece of fruit.

Ardicus moved to the man with an open hand,
"Kindness is hard to come by, a lot of people go hungry in these streets but hunger and greed are different beasts aren't they traveler? Our current actions prove this to be true, My offender was greedy and taken by his greed while your charge just need something to eat. My name is Ardicus Patrinell, friend"

Rakust told the name to himself, ever so shyly and unaudibly. And whatched what he did to the man. It turned out to be just a simple greeting and handshake. This new stranger said, "I am shade nice to meet and you are right its hard to find kindness anywhere but when you do find it worth doing ."

At this point Acis started to speak up. Asking Rakust if he would like to get a drink. Gods that would have been great. But however, there was a job he needed to do. And he replied back to him. "err... uh.. n-n-no. I-uh-I Need to... Fix.... those. He pointed to the drone holding the arm up, it was clear to see the massive hole in the water tanks, rendering the whole set useless.

"A-A-Ardicus, u-um... Y-y-you lllllook l-like you would... um... know who would... ah... eh. Fix.. stuff?" He said, barely audible to the mage. He had figured an intellectual mage would know people and spells that could mend them in that manner.

Ard Patrinell shook the mans hand who introduced himself as shade. Behind him he heard a small voice stammering and made out his name being said in the jumble. He turned in time to hear the peculiar metal dwarf saying

 "A-A-Ardicus, u-um... Y-y-you lllllook l-like you would... um... know who would... ah... eh. Fix.. stuff?"
 Ard turned and looked towards the dwarf taking the three steps that separated him and the dwarf, bending down to take a knee to be at eye level with this interesting being. Ard took a second to replay what the dwarf had said and pieced together that he was looking for someone whop could fix his metal limbs. As a matter of fact the only person who Ard has ever met in Mertuil while traveling with his master was an old dwarf named Jorn Falduum. Jorn was an artificer of great respect from the Hammerstad mountains. He moved here to retire and on his travels with his master Ard had been to visit the old dwarf many times. Standing up and smiling Ard says " I'll tell you what my newfound friends I wish to by you all drinks, You master dwarf and Dragonkin for interrupting your conversation with my flying lessons and you sir shade for respect".  "I only have one errand to run before we can take to the bars, I must visit an old friend and I believe sir dwarf that you could use his skills as well he is dwarf but also a steam engineer and an artificer who may be able to help you with that busted limb". Smiling cheerfully at the small group of misfits he has encountered he invites them to join him and sets out in the direction of Jorn's workshops.

as ard told them about the dwarf artificer and took off Acis thought what the hell and started to run after him. He figured that it could be kinda cool to see some of the stuff the dwarf might have, so he followed Ard as he ran. He was easily able to keep up with the mage finding that he was fairly slow in comparison, but it didn't matter as long as they got to were they was going. besides he was in company with a dwarf as well and most of the time they couldn't run very fast either so this would be a slow run one way or another or they would leave the dwarf. which made acis then wounder if the mage had thought so as well and just was't running as fast as he could.

shade stared at the man and said  "then  were off" as he followed the  rather odd group of adventures. He knew that one was a dwarf but the other two seemed odd one had wings yet he dose not fly and the other glowed like some of the fairy folk. That lived in the great forest but he looked human enough but one thing he knew for certain that it would be an interesting evening. For some reason or another they wanted to know him were as other people wanted to stone him. so all in all  its a good day so far 
as he pulled out a small coin and started twirling it through his fingers. For the first time in ten years he smiled.

Ard walked slowly towards Rakust and stooped down to his knees, looking at him at eye level. He told him of an old dwarf of the name Jorn Falduum. Rakust eyes lit up. He remembered the name from his Father, Delrak Ebonbeard. It was his mentor's mentor and thus he would be seeing the master of the master of Golemancy. That was it! He was told that he shamed the Dwarven society, and now it made sense. He became a surface dweller such as him. Surely, he would help the son of his apprentice. 

" I'll tell you what my newfound friends I wish to by you all drinks, You master dwarf and Dragonkin for interrupting your conversation with my flying lessons and you sir shade for respect".  "I only have one errand to run before we can take to the bars, I must visit an old friend and I believe sir dwarf that you could use his skills as well he is dwarf but also a steam engineer and an artificer who may be able to help you with that busted limb"

Both Acis and Shade agreed to the notion, especially Rakust who raised his hands in a victorious manner and said "Alright! Rocky lets go!" And with that the spider drones moved to attach the armor back to his limbs.  Once it was complete, they climbed ontop of the apparatuses and retracted their limbs and attaching themselves to the armor, looking nothing more than studs on there. Then screams and thuds could be heard from behind them. A giant two ton rock golem was jogging towards them. People scampered about, trying not to get trampled by the merciless construct. When it arrived, it was carrying its arms in the stubs of its elbows. It knelt down and Rakust clambered on top of it. And at this point, the dwarf was dwarfing the party. "alright Rocky, follow them!" he said without hesitation with a point to the elf.

Acis watched as ard opened to door to the house and seeing inside of it their was nothing their except for an empty room. with another door on they other side of it. Acis wasn't one for waiting and decided that maybe it was best if he went on and kept going his way like he normally did. Acis told everyone that it was nice to meet them but he needed to be off now. has he left they others standing in the room. he thought to himself that it was time to go he had spent enough time here and was in need of some action.

As shade went ghost form and walked through the wall he told Acis farewell as he went inside with the others. To see the  ard picking himself up where he was struck in the back of the head by a really burly dwarf shade could feel his teeth rattle after the blow. but even still ard picked himself up and hugged the dwarf and introduced everyone to him shade stood there as they talked back and forth about try to help the dwarf with the really bad beat up golem  then shade chuckled out loud just a little as he thought that he really thought the dwarf never came up to the surface but yet two sits in front of him rite here and they both tinker with golems amazing. shade sits back and watches the other men talk business and took every thing in.

Rakust felt safe ontop of his near eight foot golem, even if it was missing proper arms. The comfort of the golem was like that of a child trying to speak with a stranger, waiting for the father to give consent. He told the golem to follow ard with nary a stutter. The golem followed bounding and stomping away almost merrily, with this interesting party of adventurers. They went through this street and that. Rakust saw many people who now came up to his golem's knees. He wondered how that was how he looked to others. It scared him to think that he was that puny compared to everyone else. However, on the golem, he felt as if the tables were turned.

He was lost in thought when his golem stopped abruptly, and shook backwards. He lurched forward and back as his momentum struggled to keep up. The dwarf looked down and they have arrived at a small shack. The quality of the house was much more shoddy than the rest of the norm, but Rakust did not know much of the outside culture to understand that this would appear abandoned to the rest of the group. He knew Dwarven Culture and ONLY dwarven culture.

The mage was feeling around the top of the door. From up here, he could see a small latch near a corner. As he switched it, Rakust could hear the small clicks and whirrs, if only faintly of mechanical cogs and gears doing their magic. This building was much too small for the Golem so as he clambered down, the team moved in. He could hear some talking behind him as he climbed. Once on the ground, he told his golem to stay. And It stood there, only waiting for the next order.

Rakust turned around just in time to see Ard hit the floor. Behind him was a dwarf holding a stick where he once stood. He laughed as he spoke “You wizards and mages all think no one can hear you even when we can lad".

Rakust moved into the room, donning his broken armor. "err.. Um j-j-jorn i I i take it? Wha why d-did you, um hit. Ard?"

He stuttered to the other dwarf.