Clan RP: Adventurers: Defenders and Spellbinders

Defenders (part 1) | The Growth of a Clan | The Birth of Spellbinders | Defenders (part 2)

Defenders - Gares
At last it was done, the stack of papers sent to him by Wylset were finally finished, every single one with his signature of approval written upon it. It was a long time coming he thought as he leaned back on his chair, finally the clan would grow bigger and stronger once more. Defenders… yes... it had such a nice ring to it and definitely suited the path that council wanted the new section of the clan to move towards. To defend and protect their fellow clan members in battle as well as in the many adventures that would follow. He smiled for the first time in a long, long time; he was not one to parade his emotions for all to see, but this was something that really brought joy to his heart. The new leader of the clan, Wylset, definitely had his mind in the right place, a good choice to lead the clan in this new phase.
He thought back to the time long long ago when it had been just 4 friends and allies gathering together to take on the world, and what a mix they had been! The Lapine sisters Urmela and Collenia, the clever sorcerer Mortiris and of course himself had all banded together to form what was now called the Adventurers. To think that out of all of them he was the last one to still be fully involved with the clan. When Mortiris had come to him with the idea to help others in the ways of the world he had found it appealing. He had accomplished pretty much all he had set out to do before and this was a new horizon to explore. He had grown strong and powerful in the years before; having achieved a status of power, knowledge, and wealth that few among the world could match. Perhaps that is why Mortiris had come to him in the first place, his name was known throughout the land. When the idea was pitched to him he had gladly leapt at a new opportunity, a new horizon for him to try his knowledge and skills on. They had worked hard in those first few days constantly traveling and teaching the young, and collecting those who after having learnt from them joined them in their noble quest to teach and educate those less fortunate.
They had grown into excellent members of not only the clan but also the world in which they lived in. Both Wylset and Qethia had grown with this clan and now with their young visionary insight they led the clan in its continued growth. Afterall in order for something to grow and change new fresh ideas needed to be brought in, and it was good to have younger members take the reins. He wondered though what had happened to his fellow founders. Mortiris had disappeared long ago a good leader he had been although they did have their squabbles here and there. When you have powerful personalities within the group some conflict was to be expected. He had got up and left one day saying he had some new mysteries of the world to study and had not been back since. Gares did miss having him around after all it was he who had come up with the concept of this great clan.
Collenia had been the next to get up and go in her own journey, perhaps they had gone to find more about themselves and grow through their own struggles, to come back to the clan stronger than ever. He missed her terribly, and he did think about her quite a bit of the time after all he did love her. He had let her go though knowing that she would eventually come back to him, she needed this journey, a time to grow and find herself like he had done long ago. Not many people he knew had had the long years of experience he did, unlike the others he had already achieved a status so high that there was not much else to accomplish for him personally.
Urmela thankfully was not altogether gone, she still did come back to the clan every once in a while with stories of adventure that kindled a light in the young clan members eyes. Many had learned much from her in the clan, even the current leaders, and they had much respect for her and her thoughts. Indeed he himself respected Urmelas knowledge and admitted in some areas she surpassed his own. He was glad the younger members still had access to such a fountain of wealth even if it was in a lesser degree than before.
Gares stood up and walked towards the window glancing down at the darkness of the courtyard. The old days were now over he nodded to himself and in this new era; he definitely approved of where the clan was headed. The new days to come would be great strides for the Adventurers clan and he was glad he would be here to see it all with his own eyes. He could not wait for these new days... he would not miss them for the world.

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The Growth of a Clan - Wylset
Wylset sat behind his desk, staring at the huge mound of documents he'd have to get through. "Sigh", He thought, "It seemed like such a good idea to take that holiday. Sure, Clan business can wait. Sure it can. Ah well." Setting his mind to ease, he started focusing on the more enjoyable task of checking the roster list for those seeking promotion.
He spotted a few names that had been submitted, and gave them some thought. "Excellent," He murmured to himself. Some remarkable progress had been taking place in not a few of his clan members. Wylset picked up his quill and steadied his hand over his inkpot, trying desperately not to be his usual, messy self. After all, it just wouldn't do to smudge his signature of approval.
The quill was just leaving the pot, filled with ink, when a door slammed nearby. Startled by the explosion of noise, Wylset's quill and inkpot went their separate ways. Unfortunately those ways included his desk, his papers, and even some on his already none-too clean working robe.
"I don't understand it," Wylset heard the shouting through his door, "I booked those times for the training rooms SPECIFICALLY to train a class on the proper usage of Dragonfire. I POSTED it on the training schedule, right outside the door. What's the point of posting something if no-one's going to read it?"
Wylset heard another voice, just as upset, in response. "We were just using a small part of the training area. I didn't think anyone would be bothered by my exercise in the art of dirt in combat. What's the problem with a little dirt, Qethia? Afraid your young spellcasters are going to see how REAL combat works?"
"Gares" Thought Wylset. "Here we go again."
This time Wylset could definitely identify Qethia's voice in response. He was pretty sure everyone in Camaar could identify her voice as well.
"Fine, but if you took one moment to consider how tough it is to gather your Will while coughing on dust, you MAY just understand how AGGRAVATED I AM!"
Wylset decided that before there was any physical damage to the halls of the council rooms, he'd better get involved - post haste.
Opening his office door, Wylset could see that his arrival was none too late. Qethia, in mid argument, was waving her finger at Gares. Gares, never one to shrink from a confrontation, was standing his ground.
"Ok guys, would you mind stepping into my office, so we can discuss this a little more calmly?" asked Wylset.
Qethia turned to Wylset and said "Oh, hello Your Magusty. I didn't realize you were here." She turned her attention back to Gares. "After you," She said through clenched teeth.
Gares, seeing that Qethia wasn't going to be pacified without some kind of intervention, went into the office and sat down. Qethia took another one of the chairs opposite Wylset's desk, and waited for him to get seated.
"Well," began Wylset, "by the rather explosive conversation I was able to hear, you guys really have a problem that we need to sort out. Would one of you care to explain to me what's causing all this ruckus?" Both sat stiffly in their chairs, neither one wanting to give an inch. "Come on guys," joked Wylset, "it's not all THAT bad is it?"
Qethia, having calmed down just enough to answer began. "Wylset, it's getting crazy in our training area. We've got sorcerers who can't practice their offensives, and priests who are having trouble just concentrating enough to fulfill their daily prayer rituals. We've got to do something about the warriors and their noisy, intrusive training."
Gares leapt to the defence of his charges. "Well, it's not just the Sorcerers and priests who have problems. Last week I had to replace 3 different swords in the training area, as their hilts had been completely melted when one of our clan member's Will got the better of them, and their magic fried the whole lot!"
Wylset waited for his fellow council members to let their steam out. He knew that each one was right, but he didn't quite know how to solve the issue at hand. Qethia had taken on the training of the spell users, while Gares, just as enthusiastically, had gravitated towards those who use their might.
An idea started forming in the back of his mind. The others in the room watched him spin around his chair to the pile of papers behind him. "Hrm," They heard him mutter, "hrm, hrm, hrm." Both Qethia and Gares knew their leader to be, well, distracted at times, so they waited for him to finish whatever it was he was doing. Minutes ticked by as they sat, waiting for Wylset to become UN-distracted. Qethia caught Gares's eye, and mouthed the word "befuddled." Gares chuckled quietly.
Finally, with a self-satisified grin, Wylset turned back to his clan mates. "Sorry about that, I needed to check something there. Qethia, you require a place of piece and quiet for your people to train. Gares, you need your people to be able to be as loud and ferocious as possible." Both clan mates nodded their agreement.
"Well," said Wylset, "here it is. Our finances show that we can build another training area beside the one we have. If my guess is correct, the labourers that we used last time will be available as soon as the road committee in Camaar finishes, which is scheduled for next week." Wylset held up the dispatch he'd been sent about the roads. "I'm sure, if we got right on it, they'll be happy to take on our project."
"We've got enough in our clan bank account to take care of it?" asked Gares. Wylset nodded, and showed him the latest financial report.
"We'll be fine, clan fees have been accumulating for awhile," Wylset replied, "I've still got a few projects that I'm interested in pursuing, they're no where near as time pressing as this seems to be. If anything, it'll help prevent the clan council from resorting to blows in the council hallways." Wylset smiled, knowing that no matter how tough it got, a clan mate was still a clan mate.
Qethia took the lead on the next question. "Ok, but I was thinking. Bards just, well, doesn't do our sorcerers and priests justice. They've spent all their time practicing and honing their spells, and to be honest, the name Bards just doesn't work very well for them."
Gares joined in with "She's right, you know. Bards was good enough, but I think my trainees would like a different name as well."
"Ok," said Wylset, "since this is going to be an issue that everyone in the clan can participate in, I'm going to post a sign in the front of our clan hall. Everyone who'd like to toss a name into the hat for our new sections can do so. We'll give it a few days, and see what our clan mates come up with."
With that, the meeting fell into a less orgainized state, with Qethia telling not a few amusing stories about spells going wrong, and Gares countering with tales of watching his trainees fumble with their weapons, all the while learning.
True to his word, Wylset put up his sign and waited for suggestions. Checking it every day, he noted with pleasure the names that had been put up. Names such as "Explorers", "Treasure Hunters", "Scholars", and "Templars" were read with enthusiasm. Other names such as "Blasters" and "Sluggers" were met with mirth.
After a few days, Wylset called all those in the clan hall to a meeting. Once everyone was assembled, Wylset strode to the lectern at the front of the Clan Meeting Hall. "Ladies and gentleman," he began, "Thanks for taking some time to come here today. We have enough people here to form a naming committee. From the list of names that are being passed out, I'd like each and every one of you to vote on your favourite names for each of the two new sections of the clan."
A murmur of excitement went through the hall, as everyone started voicing their support for some names, and their objections to others. One at a time, each clan member present strode forward, and placed their votes into the box on the Council's table. Wylset gave each of his clan mates a smile, assuring them that he appreciated their efforts.
All of the votes had been cast, and the counting began. Qethia and Gares officiated, counting and marking each ballot they pulled from the box. Some nervous chatter went throughout the hall, as each clan member hoped their votes would be the names decided upon.
After a few minutes, and some quiet but fervoured whispering, Gares announced, "Well, we have a name for one, but we have a tie for the other."
A shocked murmur went through the hall, and not a few giggles. "The name decided for the sorcerers and priests will be 'Spellbinders'. For the other, we have a tie between 'Explorers' and 'Defenders'. Give us a few moments and we'll figure out what to do next.
Gares turned to Qethia and Wylset. "Um, ok, now what?" He asked.
Qethia straightened in her chair and said "Wylset, would you have any problem with us giving Gares the final vote on the other section? He's going to lead it, so I think it's a good first decision by their leader."
Wylset nodded, adding, "Excellent suggestion, you're right, after all, he's the one at the head of it."
Gares nodded, and sat back in his chair. Threading his fingers together, and placing them back on his head, he began to ponder each of the names. Wylset and Qethia were close enough to almost 'hear' the pro and con argument in his head.
A smile crept on to Gares's face, and he leaned forward, placing his hands on the table. He looked through the votes, and held one up. 'Defenders' was written in bold script. The choice was made.
A cheer went through the clan meeting hall, as each clan member knew that their ever-progressing training would lead them into one of the two newly formed sections of the clan:
Spellbinders for those of the Will and the Word and Defenders for those who used steel to settle their differences.

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Birth of the Spellbinders - Aran
Written on Qethia’s behalf
With a sigh, Qethia sat back in her chair and closed her eyes. It had all seemed so simple at first. Start a new subclan, why not? Now, as she looked at her desk, she winced at the amount of paperwork that was still in front of her.
Qethia steadied herself and pulled the top parchment from the pile. It was the final version of the floor plans for the new training rooms.
The amount of time and work it had taken to get something as simple as a building permit arranged. In the end, Wylset had to go to the Earl of Camaar and threaten to move the entire clan to Sendar, where it was much easier to get that arranged, if he didn't sign the permit. That did the trick though, because the clan contributed greatly to the local economy.
For Camaar, the future looked even brighter. With the new subclans coming, there would be an influx of new knowledge as the Spellbinders would finally have opportunities to study and train even more advanced forms of magic. The overall safety in town would also increase, because of the higher training level of the Defenders, who didn't just guard the clan members, but offered their services to the city too. For a safe city meant more safety for the clan too.
After putting her seal of approval on the plans, Qethia moved the floor plans to an even larger pile of documents, which contained all the stuff she had already handled. Pulling the next sheet from the stack, she winced after glancing at it. Not another complaint letter. Can't Maewin ever stop her incessant whining?
The only one actually complaining was Maewin. While the construction workers that worked on the new training facilities did frequent her establishment, the regulars had all but left because of the noise of that same construction, which was mostly taking part right behind her tavern. The frequent thuds of poles being beaten into the ground even disturbed the dice game being held in the dark backroom of her establishment. The vibrations would sometimes cause the dice to flip over at the last moment, causing great unrest.
After shredding the letter to tiny pieces and setting them alight using a small incendiary spell, Qethia turned her attention back to the stack. The next few letters actually all handled with the same issue.
With the expanse of the clan hall came also the ideas on how to use the new facilities. Suggestions had been offered that outsiders should be contacted to ask them if they were interested in giving guest lectures about some of the more rare forms of magic. Shortly after a decision had been made to do this, messengers left Camaar in every direction to contact sorcerers, priests and rangers in all the lands of the West. A few weeks later, there had been so many enthusiastic responses that the calendar for these guest lectures was already booked solid for the rest of the year.
Similarly, after the word had leaked that these lectures would take place, letter after letter had poured in from people who, although they weren't a member of the clan, requested permission to attend one or more of the training sessions planned with some of the more famous guest teachers.
Along with the responses had come a surprising message. Aran was actually visiting in the Ulgo Caverns when word arrived there about the new subclan being formed and the ideas of guest teachers. The messenger that had gone there came back with more than just well wishes. The Gorim himself, after extensive talks, had agreed to venture out of the Caverns for the first time in years to come to Camaar to bless the new training facilities.
Qethia grabbed her quill and quickly wrote a note to the housekeeping staff to make sure the curtains in the room the Gorim would use during his stay were of the heaviest and darkest quality, to ensure he would not have to suffer needlessly from the bright lights of the outside world.
After making sure that note would reach the head housekeeper in good order, Qethia breathed a sigh of relief. The pile of paperwork in front of her had dwindled to just a few inches high. Maybe she could actually finish it all before she had to make another inspection tour of the new constructions.
This following note was accompanied by a large tube. After reading the note, Qethia opened the tube to find a large schematic display of a door. Written in tiny, nearly unreadable, scribbles underneath was an explanation on how this door would be able to withstand the largest of magical forces without ever bursting. Yet another design of the strange sorcerer that lived out in the forest near Camaar.
Among the suggestions for the training rooms had also been a request to add a laboratory where new spells and magical objects could be developed. After Kerowa had jokingly suggested to add reinforced doors to the lab, so they wouldn't be blown out at the first slight 'mistake' when trying out a new spell, research had been done on how to make the laboratory safer, both for people inside as for the rest of the clan. It would do no good to have the upper floors of the clan hall destroyed the first time a spell misfired.
The last set of letters were all catalogues of books available from many of the larger libraries in the Western Kingdoms. Many had suggested that the best way to preserve knowledge would be to expand the - already extensive - Adventurers' Library. Requests for books had gone out and efforts were already on the way to copy some of the rarest books to prevent the wisdom contained in them from being lost.
Great care had to be taken there too. Not just anybody could perform this tedious job. Some of the tomes were so old that it was hard to read them and one tiny error during copying could have disastrous consequences when the instructions were performed wrongly. Other volumes and scrolls contained hidden spells in the text which could cause significant damage to an unsuspecting mind.
Making a careful selection of books that could be tackled next, Qethia wrote a few quick notes to the respective libraries, requesting loan of those specific books. Next she marked the books on the large lists, before putting the lists away in a box, which she sealed and put away so Aran could have a look at them when he came back. The more dangerous works would have to wait.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Qethia sat back, enjoying a moments' peace. While she was reflecting on the past few months, a great sense of satisfaction came over here. It had been a lot of work, but the subclan was nearly ready. The work crews were putting the finishing touches on the blast doors, it was the last task to be completed. They had told her the design would have to be approved by her, but they were going to start putting them in place already anyway, since they couldn't wait for all the paperwork to be handled. They had assured her there would be no problem with them, all she had to do was sign the documents.
A soft knock interrupted her musings. Startled she looked up, only to realise it was just somebody announcing their presence at her door.
"Come in," she called out.
"Lady Qethia," the entering messenger said, "everybody has gathered in the meeting chambers. We're all ready for the opening ceremony to start. Gares and Wylset are waiting for you at the entrance to the council rooms. Do you need some assistance getting ready?"
"No need, you just tell Gares and Wylset I'll be out in a minute. I only need to grab my cloak and staff."
After grabbing her gear, Qethia followed the two other council members to the meeting hall. A new era was about to begin.

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Defenders - Gares
Gares had woken up the next day early in the morning, totally refreshed and ready to go forward with the new phase of the plan. They had stayed up late last night, Qethia, Wylset and himself signing approval papers for the expenses that these new additions to the clan would take. They had also spent quite a length of time hammering the details of the revamping of the ex-bards sub-clan, as well as the new one that was to be the Defenders section. Even the names had taken a while for them to decide on having had a tie between the Explorers and Defenders name for the new sub-clan. The ultimate choice had been given to him by Wylset and Qethia and frankly it had taken him some time to decide. He had liked both names but had ultimately chosen Defenders because he believed it was the better name to represent what the new section was going to be all about. Qethia as the leader of sub-clan bards had chosen a new name for her section and he definitely found the name to be the right choice. The name Spellbinders did suit them well; with her as their leader they had nothing to worry about. She had a very good head on her shoulders and he had no doubt at all she knew what she was doing. The Equipment to be used by each subclan was something that they still needed to discuss, they had come up with many different concepts as well as materials but they had gotten most of it down. The small details of the equipment were still in question though and this was something they would discuss today, hopefully coming to some agreement.

He was quite pleased with the headway they had made so far, having a council to discuss ideas with did lead to a much better final product than having someone ruling with an iron fist making all the choices. He had seen too many of those in his time, and he had grown quite a dislike for those who wanted to rule by themselves.. yes a council was a much better choice. The desire for absolute power was a horrible thing, he had seen many a good friend become warped by it and he had no care for it himself.
They had been flooded with applications as soon as the announcement was made and they were busy chosing who would belong each subclans and what role they would play. This was the tedious part of the undertaking but was all worth it in the end, and he had no doubt the other council members agreed with him. Each new Defender member would have his own unique shinning badge set upon his breast that would show the pride of his clan. It would symbolize protection and a shield, to defend those who stood near and dear to your heart, to shield the less fortunate from harms way, to help them stand on their own two feet.
He finished readying himself for the day, powerful armor and weaponry forged by many years of adventure adorned his body, always at the ready. He was feared by all for good reason, he was after all the swordmaster of Algaria, and very, very few could match his skill. He headed towards the door and grasped the handle firmly ready to lead his clan and brothers to new glory as a member of Adventurer’s great council. Today was going to be a good day indeed.
He grinned in delight at the new path the clan was taking, and wished his companions who helped create the clan would be there to share it with him. He twisted the handle and threw the door of his room open, stepping into the hallways of the Adventurers hall and the new era that awaited him and his clan brethren.

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