Post by Spawn on Oct 28, 2007 18:24:06 GMT
Yeah, we'll be updating it weekly probably, do read it and give opinions and ways to improve 
As the sun climbed it way into the sky and revealed the world of Itona, people started waking up from their slumber. Groggily they opened their eyes and climbed out of bed, to start a fresh new day. Of course this prospect was more appealing to some then others.
To some the idea of a new day, meant a day filled with grueling work, just to be able to throw enough money together to keep a grasp onto their old, deformed homes. They slaved away all day long, just to get enough money to feed their starving families. They were plagued with sickness and famine, for these people, a fresh new day was not an enjoyable phenomenon, it was a cruel nightmare, one that they could only escape by falling back into their, hopefully, never ending dreams.
Yet to others, to people who lived in the Capital City, the start of a day was something to be relished, they still had to work hard, still had to go out and earn a living, yet they lived in a place filled with spectacular beauty. Buildings that rose up into the heavens, a city that was immaculately clean and there was nothing in the City that didn’t sparkle with brilliance. The city was always busy, people would travel for miles just to visit the markets, in which anything and everything was sold. The most mundane items were practically given away, and the most awe-inspiring items were sold, both at the same place. People, who had never been to the market or seen the city before, were guaranteed to lose their breath and to spend the rest of the day trying to regain it.
Just as people who had never seen the slums before were certainly going to have to try and catch their breath upon viewing them, they were going to see weak, skinny people trying just to keep living for another day. Everyone who lived in them were plagued with disease, they were never going to get better, and looking into their eyes, a fool could see that they knew this fact.
Of course, the world was not split into the Capital City and slums, all over the world were large, bubbling cites, filled with life, none of them ever matched Capital City though, some were poorer then others, and some brimmed with wealth. And in turn, all over the world were slums, filled with sick, dying people, living in their own filth and squalor.
Some of the days in Itona were grey and dull, often with light showers, the land covered in a dull grey mist, with low hanging clouds, that seemed to suck the light and happiness out of the air, especially around the slums. It didn’t matter so much in the Capital City though, they lived in a place of great wonder, and the fog wasn’t able to penetrate as easily as it should have. However, there were also days of great sunshine and heat, days that made the citizens of Itona glad to be up and about, unless they were citizens of the slums. The heat caused a distinct aroma around the slums, an aroma that no living man would willingly put up with, unless they had to.
It was to one such day that Hawk Quickblade, rich commoner and leader of the Shadows of the Night, the assassin’s guild, awoke. Levering himself off his sleeping pallet, he made his way across his sleeping quarters, over to an ornate silver backed mirror. He studied his appearance, his shoulder length brown hair was matted and unkempt, and a beard was starting to grow upon his tanned face. Leisurely, he made his way into the separate room he used for washing and grooming, and, with the aid of a small mirror, a knife, and some water Hawk Quickblade began to shave.
Once he was done he inspected himself in the mirror again, his emerald eyes stared back at him, they sparkled in the glow of the sun. A large gash travelled across the right side of his neck, he sighed as he inspected it, the scar didn’t seem to be healing, Hawk doubted it ever would. An air of sadness seemed to linger underneath his shimmering eyes. He was a muscular man, yet he looked thin and nimble. Finally he tied his long flowing hair behind him in a neat ponytail and went to get changed. Hawk always dressed in similar attire, he had a number of pairs of black leggings that he wore, and he wore them today as well. They were made of a strange material no one could put their finger on, they were snug yet not too tight, not constricting or a hindrance to movement. Next he threw on a white top, this too was quite tight, showing off his muscular physique. In Hawks line of work, it was never good to have loose bits of cloth draping everywhere. Before he left he wrapped himself in a black cloak, making sure his hood was easily accessible. This cloak was partly for warmth and partly so he couldn’t be identified when he was in a place he shouldn’t be, however he never wore it on an actual job.
Hawk left the room and headed downstairs to find some breakfast, his stomach rumbling viciously. He hadn’t eaten a proper meal in about 3 days, having been on a long job, it paid well though, so Hawk dealt with the problems he faced. On his way down, he heard some strange things, there were one or two panicked servants talking about disappearances, Odd thought Hawk to himself, it’s seldom that anything goes wrong in this city. Yet he shrugged, the disappearances didn’t affect him directly. Its probably just children getting lost in between the towering buildings anyway he reasoned to himself, yet still a slight shiver run down his back
The noise of the dining area greeted him as he got to the bottom of the stairs; the room was a massive place, filled with great paintings and decorations, it was one of the bigger, and richer, taverns in the city. Hawk pushed the door that joined the staircase to the dining area open, and strolled through it casually, a couple of people glanced at him, but he paid no attention. He walked purposely through the crowd, offering greetings to people he recognized as he went. The room was busy today, almost every table was full, everybody was sitting and chatting loudly, Hawk even heard a couple of people who hadn’t eaten there before exclaim how wonderful the food was. Paintings of famous kings and queens lined the walls and a great chandelier hung steadily above the noisy guests, who were seated at well-polished tables, scattered throughout the tavern.
A few people glanced at Hawk as he made his way through the crowd up to the bar. Hawk had noticed that the barkeep had put on weight recently, he looked a lot podgier then he had before. Hawk studied the rest of the barkeeps appearance. His black greasy hair was becoming thinner, as surely as his stomach was becoming larger. He had rat like eyes that seemed to bulge out of his sweaty face, they constantly flicked around the room, as if he was looking out for someone. He was cleaning glasses as Hawk reached the bar.
“Ah, what can I get you?” he cried out, his voice deep and booming, filling the entire room.
“Just the usual, please.” replied Hawk smiling slightly, as he dug his hand into his pocket and withdrew several silver coins, which the barkeep pocketed with glee. After a couple of minutes the barman came bustling back, carrying a plate of sizzling bacon and fruit.
Eventually Hawk settled himself in the corner of the room, the shadows almost engulfing him, as he quietly and quickly ate his breakfast. His eyes slowly scanned the room; a panicked looking man was speaking to the barkeep. Hawk sat up slightly as the barkeep pointed a flabby finger towards him and the man he was talking to hustled over in Hawks direction, it seemed it was Hawk he was looking for. He was a skinny person, looks as though he’s gone days without food Hawk thought to himself. The strangers’ blonde hair was dirty and knotted; his clothes were creased and hung off his body limply.
“You’re him, right? You…do jobs for people?” panted the man, quite quietly, not wanting to be overheard. Hawk listened. The strangers voice was shaky as tears welled in his light blue eyes. Hawk surveyed him briefly before replying.
“I am,” he said finally
“Then help me! You’re meant to do that…help people for money, well money isn’t an issue, I’ll pay you whatever you want!” said the man becoming even more agitated.
“What is it you want me to do?” asked Hawk casually, he didn’t want to insult this stranger, as it sounded like Hawk could make a tidy sum with this job.
“My daughter, she went missing, a couple of nights ago, we’ve looked everywhere for her.” Moaned the man sinking into the seat opposite Hawk.
“What does she look like?” asked Hawk slowly, he’d already decided to take the job, the man seemed desperate and he wanted to help.
“She has brown hair, and light blue eyes…like mine,” said the man, he seemed to calm down a bit now that Hawk was asking questions.
“What time did she go missing?”
“I don’t know specifically, we sent her out to get some food from the market, she never came back…this was two days ago.” The man kept adding on parts to his sentences, as if he had too many thoughts swirling in his head, and he kept forgetting to say them out loud. Hawk eyed him up and down once more, before saying
“I’ll take the job.”
“Ah thank you…thank you,” stammered the man. He seemed quite surprised that Hawk had agreed to help, as if he had already given up hope for his daughter, and was only asking Hawk for help as a very last try. However, as soon as Hawk agreed to help, the light of hope lit up in his eyes once more, and he shook Hawks hand repeatedly.
“Calm down, take a seat” offered Hawk, waving a hand at one of the few empty chairs around his corner table.
“Now,” continued Hawk, as the man took a seat. “What is your name?”
“Reese Blackhammer” replied Reese. “I’m a local blacksmith.”
“Ok, good, now, how and where can I get in contact with you when I find information on your daughter?”
“Down in Smith Alley, I’m the first Blacksmith you run into,” replied Reese, who had calmed down a lot already, and was able to form full sentences again without stammering.
“Ok, I am going to charge you 1000 gold coins for this job Reese Blackhammer. Can you afford that?”
“Oh yes.” replied Reese quickly. “I can afford that”
“Good.” Said Hawk casually, “I would have hated to have had to turn you down due to money problems. I will collect my payment once I succeed, now, go back to your wife and comfort her, and get on with your life, I will do what I can”
“Thank you sir” replied Reese with a small smile of hope, as he stood up and moved away from the table, “Thank you very much.”
Hawk watched Reese Blackhammer leave, and sighed. He wasn’t going to get more than one night sleep in a week again, and this bothered him. I need to sleep thought Hawk I need to sleep to keep my wits about me, and my reflexes sharp. He shook his head, no point fretting about myself he continued I’ve got to find this little girl. This job intrigued him; maybe he would be able to find out more about these other disappearances as well, while he was at it. He pushed his now empty plate away from him, and stood up from his corner table. Wrapping his coat around him, he headed for the tavern door, and pushing it open, left out onto the street. He looked up at the tavern’s sign as he left. The sign read The Kings Inn with a picture of a jolly looking monarch with a pint of ale in his hand. Hawk smiled, that image never failed to amuse him.
As the sun climbed it way into the sky and revealed the world of Itona, people started waking up from their slumber. Groggily they opened their eyes and climbed out of bed, to start a fresh new day. Of course this prospect was more appealing to some then others.
To some the idea of a new day, meant a day filled with grueling work, just to be able to throw enough money together to keep a grasp onto their old, deformed homes. They slaved away all day long, just to get enough money to feed their starving families. They were plagued with sickness and famine, for these people, a fresh new day was not an enjoyable phenomenon, it was a cruel nightmare, one that they could only escape by falling back into their, hopefully, never ending dreams.
Yet to others, to people who lived in the Capital City, the start of a day was something to be relished, they still had to work hard, still had to go out and earn a living, yet they lived in a place filled with spectacular beauty. Buildings that rose up into the heavens, a city that was immaculately clean and there was nothing in the City that didn’t sparkle with brilliance. The city was always busy, people would travel for miles just to visit the markets, in which anything and everything was sold. The most mundane items were practically given away, and the most awe-inspiring items were sold, both at the same place. People, who had never been to the market or seen the city before, were guaranteed to lose their breath and to spend the rest of the day trying to regain it.
Just as people who had never seen the slums before were certainly going to have to try and catch their breath upon viewing them, they were going to see weak, skinny people trying just to keep living for another day. Everyone who lived in them were plagued with disease, they were never going to get better, and looking into their eyes, a fool could see that they knew this fact.
Of course, the world was not split into the Capital City and slums, all over the world were large, bubbling cites, filled with life, none of them ever matched Capital City though, some were poorer then others, and some brimmed with wealth. And in turn, all over the world were slums, filled with sick, dying people, living in their own filth and squalor.
Some of the days in Itona were grey and dull, often with light showers, the land covered in a dull grey mist, with low hanging clouds, that seemed to suck the light and happiness out of the air, especially around the slums. It didn’t matter so much in the Capital City though, they lived in a place of great wonder, and the fog wasn’t able to penetrate as easily as it should have. However, there were also days of great sunshine and heat, days that made the citizens of Itona glad to be up and about, unless they were citizens of the slums. The heat caused a distinct aroma around the slums, an aroma that no living man would willingly put up with, unless they had to.
It was to one such day that Hawk Quickblade, rich commoner and leader of the Shadows of the Night, the assassin’s guild, awoke. Levering himself off his sleeping pallet, he made his way across his sleeping quarters, over to an ornate silver backed mirror. He studied his appearance, his shoulder length brown hair was matted and unkempt, and a beard was starting to grow upon his tanned face. Leisurely, he made his way into the separate room he used for washing and grooming, and, with the aid of a small mirror, a knife, and some water Hawk Quickblade began to shave.
Once he was done he inspected himself in the mirror again, his emerald eyes stared back at him, they sparkled in the glow of the sun. A large gash travelled across the right side of his neck, he sighed as he inspected it, the scar didn’t seem to be healing, Hawk doubted it ever would. An air of sadness seemed to linger underneath his shimmering eyes. He was a muscular man, yet he looked thin and nimble. Finally he tied his long flowing hair behind him in a neat ponytail and went to get changed. Hawk always dressed in similar attire, he had a number of pairs of black leggings that he wore, and he wore them today as well. They were made of a strange material no one could put their finger on, they were snug yet not too tight, not constricting or a hindrance to movement. Next he threw on a white top, this too was quite tight, showing off his muscular physique. In Hawks line of work, it was never good to have loose bits of cloth draping everywhere. Before he left he wrapped himself in a black cloak, making sure his hood was easily accessible. This cloak was partly for warmth and partly so he couldn’t be identified when he was in a place he shouldn’t be, however he never wore it on an actual job.
Hawk left the room and headed downstairs to find some breakfast, his stomach rumbling viciously. He hadn’t eaten a proper meal in about 3 days, having been on a long job, it paid well though, so Hawk dealt with the problems he faced. On his way down, he heard some strange things, there were one or two panicked servants talking about disappearances, Odd thought Hawk to himself, it’s seldom that anything goes wrong in this city. Yet he shrugged, the disappearances didn’t affect him directly. Its probably just children getting lost in between the towering buildings anyway he reasoned to himself, yet still a slight shiver run down his back
The noise of the dining area greeted him as he got to the bottom of the stairs; the room was a massive place, filled with great paintings and decorations, it was one of the bigger, and richer, taverns in the city. Hawk pushed the door that joined the staircase to the dining area open, and strolled through it casually, a couple of people glanced at him, but he paid no attention. He walked purposely through the crowd, offering greetings to people he recognized as he went. The room was busy today, almost every table was full, everybody was sitting and chatting loudly, Hawk even heard a couple of people who hadn’t eaten there before exclaim how wonderful the food was. Paintings of famous kings and queens lined the walls and a great chandelier hung steadily above the noisy guests, who were seated at well-polished tables, scattered throughout the tavern.
A few people glanced at Hawk as he made his way through the crowd up to the bar. Hawk had noticed that the barkeep had put on weight recently, he looked a lot podgier then he had before. Hawk studied the rest of the barkeeps appearance. His black greasy hair was becoming thinner, as surely as his stomach was becoming larger. He had rat like eyes that seemed to bulge out of his sweaty face, they constantly flicked around the room, as if he was looking out for someone. He was cleaning glasses as Hawk reached the bar.
“Ah, what can I get you?” he cried out, his voice deep and booming, filling the entire room.
“Just the usual, please.” replied Hawk smiling slightly, as he dug his hand into his pocket and withdrew several silver coins, which the barkeep pocketed with glee. After a couple of minutes the barman came bustling back, carrying a plate of sizzling bacon and fruit.
Eventually Hawk settled himself in the corner of the room, the shadows almost engulfing him, as he quietly and quickly ate his breakfast. His eyes slowly scanned the room; a panicked looking man was speaking to the barkeep. Hawk sat up slightly as the barkeep pointed a flabby finger towards him and the man he was talking to hustled over in Hawks direction, it seemed it was Hawk he was looking for. He was a skinny person, looks as though he’s gone days without food Hawk thought to himself. The strangers’ blonde hair was dirty and knotted; his clothes were creased and hung off his body limply.
“You’re him, right? You…do jobs for people?” panted the man, quite quietly, not wanting to be overheard. Hawk listened. The strangers voice was shaky as tears welled in his light blue eyes. Hawk surveyed him briefly before replying.
“I am,” he said finally
“Then help me! You’re meant to do that…help people for money, well money isn’t an issue, I’ll pay you whatever you want!” said the man becoming even more agitated.
“What is it you want me to do?” asked Hawk casually, he didn’t want to insult this stranger, as it sounded like Hawk could make a tidy sum with this job.
“My daughter, she went missing, a couple of nights ago, we’ve looked everywhere for her.” Moaned the man sinking into the seat opposite Hawk.
“What does she look like?” asked Hawk slowly, he’d already decided to take the job, the man seemed desperate and he wanted to help.
“She has brown hair, and light blue eyes…like mine,” said the man, he seemed to calm down a bit now that Hawk was asking questions.
“What time did she go missing?”
“I don’t know specifically, we sent her out to get some food from the market, she never came back…this was two days ago.” The man kept adding on parts to his sentences, as if he had too many thoughts swirling in his head, and he kept forgetting to say them out loud. Hawk eyed him up and down once more, before saying
“I’ll take the job.”
“Ah thank you…thank you,” stammered the man. He seemed quite surprised that Hawk had agreed to help, as if he had already given up hope for his daughter, and was only asking Hawk for help as a very last try. However, as soon as Hawk agreed to help, the light of hope lit up in his eyes once more, and he shook Hawks hand repeatedly.
“Calm down, take a seat” offered Hawk, waving a hand at one of the few empty chairs around his corner table.
“Now,” continued Hawk, as the man took a seat. “What is your name?”
“Reese Blackhammer” replied Reese. “I’m a local blacksmith.”
“Ok, good, now, how and where can I get in contact with you when I find information on your daughter?”
“Down in Smith Alley, I’m the first Blacksmith you run into,” replied Reese, who had calmed down a lot already, and was able to form full sentences again without stammering.
“Ok, I am going to charge you 1000 gold coins for this job Reese Blackhammer. Can you afford that?”
“Oh yes.” replied Reese quickly. “I can afford that”
“Good.” Said Hawk casually, “I would have hated to have had to turn you down due to money problems. I will collect my payment once I succeed, now, go back to your wife and comfort her, and get on with your life, I will do what I can”
“Thank you sir” replied Reese with a small smile of hope, as he stood up and moved away from the table, “Thank you very much.”
Hawk watched Reese Blackhammer leave, and sighed. He wasn’t going to get more than one night sleep in a week again, and this bothered him. I need to sleep thought Hawk I need to sleep to keep my wits about me, and my reflexes sharp. He shook his head, no point fretting about myself he continued I’ve got to find this little girl. This job intrigued him; maybe he would be able to find out more about these other disappearances as well, while he was at it. He pushed his now empty plate away from him, and stood up from his corner table. Wrapping his coat around him, he headed for the tavern door, and pushing it open, left out onto the street. He looked up at the tavern’s sign as he left. The sign read The Kings Inn with a picture of a jolly looking monarch with a pint of ale in his hand. Hawk smiled, that image never failed to amuse him.
