The Dawn Of Responsibility (and potentially a series if there's enough interest)

[Dannflower Reguba]

October 29th ~ In the 149th year of the Ambassadors ~ Tharrice, Glostenova:
       The taverns are alive tonight. Camp C-7 found a very profitable vein... They've offered to share the wealth of course, basic insurance policy around this part of the land. The pillars of security thin out down South of the main body, so the Diggers have to find some way to keep the rogue thieves away. Despite the livelihood of the town, it seems quite eerie. Then again, where doesn't it feel eerie now? It's been two weeks since the 31st year of the missing Ambassador, and they're about to start counting for the other one too. No where is safe from the grasp of those who's conscience has depleted. I worry not for myself, but for this town and others like it, I can hear the rush of feet even through the blowing snows. I can hear them coming, nobeast is aware of their presence. Not many, mind you, but enough to burn down the framework of this place. I hear them coming, the torch bearers, the evil minded, those who lust for blood..... They shall taste blood tonight........ And it shall be their own!

       He swung his head on its' side suddenly as a knife broke the swirling snows, "How rude." He stood and took a last glance at his parchment while drawing his blade. He looked forward and spoke again, "Ashe Blackflight, to whom it may concern, co-writer for he who is fate, and editor of Hellgates chronicles." The black squirrel cast the writing into his fire as he stepped forward into the howling night.

OOC: IT HAS BEGUN! I'll be gone until Saturday, feel free to start over by Redwall as this recording is old (It could be anywhere from a week to a couple months old). Try and get some interest going, I will have Ashe's character sheet up eventually. 

[Rainshadow]

  Serpo Raturos was a beast of habit.  His habit?  Breaking and entering.  Currently he was inside some poor beast's home, picking the lock of their strongbox.  What was inside, he didn't know.  And he didn't care, either.  His contract was to take what was inside and replace it with a note that said something along the lines of, "That's for what you did to me, you spineless oaf!"  Well, probably not that exactly, but the meaning was the same.

  But never mind that.  The owner of this small house, a searat named Filch, would be home soon, and Serpo needed to be quicker than him.  A fitting name, Filch, the fox thought as the strongbox opened.  Inside he found nothing but a few gold coins and some jewelry of little value.  What was the purpose of him stealing from the rat if this was all that came of it?  Oh well, his pay would still be the same, no matter what he brought back.

  After placing the items in his satchel, the thief closed the metal box and stepped quickly out the door, careful to shut it quietly behind him.  Then he took off in the direction of the mountain of Salamandastron, watching his footing as he made sure he could not be tracked back to his client.  Rats could be very hard to reason with, this he knew for sure.  He had scars to prove this fact.

  OOC:  Hope you don't mind if I start near Salamandastron with Serpo.  I saw in the discussion thread that that area was home to the mercenaries, so I thought it would be more fitting to have him be near there.  If you want, though, I can change his location.  But currently he's just a bit north of the mountain, just a few hours away.

[The Mask]

Flikk Waterwing looked around Marl sadly. So many animals...so manyrats. The idea of brushing past them gave him shivers. Skipper had told him not to be so unfair to them but Flikk was finding it extremely hard, they were just so,so dirty. So now he was sitting by a stall near their boat.

Skipper had said he would only stop in for supplies but he had been gone for an hour. Flikk was just getting up to go and look for Skipper and the rest of his crew when he heard a crash and saw his crew streaming towards the boat from all directions. Most of them being pursued by cloaked figures.

  "Turn the boat round Flikk! Hurry!" Skipper shouted to him. Flikk did this hurriedly. The rest of the Rock and Rudder crew dived into the water and swam up to the boat. Flikk lowered down a rope for them to climb up. " What happened Skip? Where are we going next?"
Skipper ignored his first question and replied " We're off to Salamandastron. The mountain of mercenaries."

[Cornflower MM]

OOC: I AM ALIVE! I've been a very bad slacker, and I apologize. Now, on with the BIC: posting. . . .


BIC: Arya Brushtail looked around, alomst completely lost. She sighed, then the pretty squirrelmaid vaulted up a tree. Aha! There was Redwall, sure enough, east and a touch north of where she was. She set off at a faszt pace, humming cheerfully.

[Wylder Treejumper]

A figure in armor trod up the path from the south. He was clad tip to toes in plate. With his visor in place, he had not a hair showing.  He carried a haversack, a shield slung on his back and a sword at his belt. He opened his haversack. It was nearly empty.

     "Well, Redwall is just up the path," His voice echoed from the helmet. "I'll have to restock supplies there."

        A rat stepped from the forest out into the middle of the path. "You'll do no such thing," He sneered. A few other sword wielding rats, a mouse with a pair of daggers, and four stoats  with spears filed out in front of him.

      The knight dropped his bag, unslung his shield and drew his sword.

      "Just drop yer weapons, Sir Knight, and yer bag, and we might let'cher live!"

       "Fools." The knight's voice grated back. "Did it ever occur to you I might know how to use them?"

       "Even you can't take all ten of us!" spat back a stoat. 'We've go-- Urk!"

       The stoat got no farther. The knight lunged forward and with a flick of the wrist knocked the spear from his grasp and ran him through. He slammed his shield into the stoat on the right, who crumpled in a heap. Before the stoat on the left could react, the backswing of the knights sword smote him and he fell, clutching his stomach.

       "Get 'im, boyos!" shouted the rat in back. However, the remaining brigands showed considerable hesitation to confront the knight.

       "Say hello to your friends at hellgates. Tell them the Justicar Sir Cosram sent you!" The knight stepped forwards.

       Three minutes later, Sir Cosram sat on a rock by the side of the road and wiped the blood off his sword. 

[Cornflower MM]

Arya was still tree-traveling at a pretty good clip, when she noticed that a few trees over, there were no trees. climbing down from the maple she was in, she headed over to take a look. And what do you know? It was a nice little path, heading exactly where she wanted to go.

[Wylder Treejumper]

Sir Cosram continued his journey down the path towards Redwall. Suddenly he stopped and drew his sword. Turning around and scanning the woodlands on either side of the path, he called out, "Who's there? Show yourself!"

[Cornflower MM]

Arya heard someone shout, "Who's there? Show yourself!" So, sccordingly, she stepped out onto the road. "Is that usually the way you say 'Hello'?" She inquired of the armor-covered beast.

[Wylder Treejumper]

"Oh. A squirrel." The voice from the helmet said with distaste. He sheathed his sword. "Well, I doubt you have any intent to kill me, like the last party that stepped out of the woods." He gestured down the path. "And even if you did, I wouldn't be terribly worried," he said dubiously. "So, squirrel, what are you doing round here... and why are you not using the path?"

[Cornflower MM]

"And what, pray tell is wrong with being a squirrel?" Arya politely asked. "And I don't see why it is any of your business, sir."

[Wylder Treejumper]

The knight paused, then clapped a gauntlet to his breastplate with a clang. "My life is my business, squirrel. Chance meetings happen but rarely, and I've already had one attempt on my life today. I'm little in the mood for another."

[Rainshadow]

  Chuckling, Serpo the thief tossed his coin purse into the air before placing it in his satchel, a large grin on his face.  He'd needed a bit more money, and that contract had just made enough for a couple nights at the inn and several visits to the local pub.  Life was good.

 The silver fox made record time in going to his room at the Sleeping Adder Inn, depositing his sack of thieving supplies, changing into his comfortable, everyday clothes, and getting back onto the street, heading in the direction of the Greasy Cabbage, his favourite tavern.  Soon he found himself sitting at the bar, his gloved paw holding a large tankard of Scorpion Sting as he listened to a conversation behind him.

 "Y'know, Ref, I 'ere there be lotsa int'restin' folks by that abbey in Mossflower."

 "Aye," Ref replied, "lotsa int'restin' folks wiff lotsa gold.  Least, that's wot I 'eard from Riptooth.  An' valuable items, too.  A big, fancy tapestry, a fancy sword, fancy clothes, not to mention the big abbey itself.  You ever seen Redwall, Bolt?"

 Bolt laughed.  "Nah, most beasts there don't take kindly to thievin' creatures.  I don't think they like us."

 "A horrible prejudice," Serpo commented, turning on his stool to face the stoat and the weasel.  They seemed a bit surprised that he had been eavesdropping, but neither said anything.  "Now, what sort of valuable items are you speaking of, Ref?"  He looked at the stoat, who didn't say anything.  "Bolt?" he asked, glancing at the weasel.

 "Who're you?" Ref asked, finding his voice.

 The fox smiled.  It was good to know that his reputation hadn't reached the ears of everybeast in the city.  "Just a fox with a hunger for a bit of gold.  Seems you two want some as well.  Perhaps we could reach an agreement?  You tell me what sort of treasures this abbey has to offer, and I bring some back to share."

 "Why should we trust you?" Bolt inquired, shifting his footpaws to a position that would support his weight should he begin to stand.  Serpo noted that his grimy paw was slowly searching for the rusty cutlass thrust into his belt.

 Raising his paws in submission, the thief said, "Now, now, gentlebeasts, I mean you no harm.  I just thought that you might want gold to buy, oh, some new weapons, new clothing, food... females."

 Bolt and Ref glanced at each other and started to relax.

 "There, that's better.  Now, what sort of treasures are we talking about?  Jewelry?  Precious stones?"

 Both nodded in unison.  "Yeah," the stoat said hungrily, "lots o' stuff like that.  An' the best food you'll ever taste, too.  I 'eard that they 'ave feasts everyday, an' that everybeast's covered in gold chains an' dangly earrings an' the finest silk in the land."

 Again the fox smiled, nodding his head slowly.  "This sounds like quite a fine abbey, friends.  Would you happen to know where it's found?"

 "It's far northeast of 'ere, by the path leadin' through Mossflower woods.  Giant redstone abbey.  I 'ear it's the beautifullest place in the 'istory o' beautiful places.  I can't wait to see it!"  Bolt grinned, showing hideous black fangs.

 "Oh?" Serpo asked.  "What makes you think you'll be seeing it?"

 "Well," said Ref, "you did just say we was goin' to the abbey to get gold, right?"

 Standing, the silver beast shook his head, a sad smile on his face.  "I'm sorry, my good sirs, but I'm afraid I work alone."  Then, with one swift move, he unsheathed the scimitar at his side and slashed across the stoat's chest, then turned to the weasel, who was struggling with the cutlass in his belt.  A swipe across his shoulder ended his troubles quickly.

 Facing the stoat again, Serpo the thief took his ratty shirt, ripped a strip off, and wiped his blade before returning it to its scabbard.  Then, turning to the unfazed barkeep, he apologized.  "Sorry for the mess, those two were just painful to listen to."

 The fat rat just chuckled and shook his head.  "I ain't bothered, Mr. Raturos.  To'ally understand.  I'll 'ave somebeast clean it up later on.  Oh, an' that drink's on the house."  He pointed to the tankard of Scorpion Sting sitting on the counter.

 Nodding his thanks, Serpo downed the drink in one gulp and left, making his way speedily to the Sleeping Adder.  He would need all of his supplies if he was to go to Redwall Abbey.

 OOC:  So sorry for such a long post!  I didn't realize how long it was till I'd already finished.  

[Morgazath]

 Sunlight dappled the leafy foliage. Wind gently whispered the trees, making them dance to it's gentle song. Suddenly, a gray streak flew the treetops, and all was still. Ketsove Dorofic rushed through the trees at high speeds which would be impossible for any other species to attain.

He launched himself off a branch, grabbed another branch close by, and continued to race through the trees. Ketsove's destination was Redwall Abbey. Rumored to be the most beautiful place you could possibly imagine with food and treasures not even fit for the most richest king.

Ketsove needed to replenish his supplies, but also wanted to see Redwall, since he was already in the area. Ketsove was indeed a mercenary, but not a thief. Meaning he never stole to replenish his supplies.

The trees were starting to thin and Ketsove could see Redwall from a distance. Not wanting to cause hostility with a maddened rush over the walls, he leaped off his leafy road, did a backflip in the air, and nimbly landed on his feet, not knowing that there were two other beasts close by.

[Cornflower MM]

The knight paused, then clapped a gauntlet to his breastplate with a clang. "My life is my business, squirrel. Chance meetings happen but rarely, and I've already had one attempt on my life today. I'm little in the mood for another."

"Well, go have your pity party somewhere else, would you?" Arya asked, then she started off up the road, her bushy tail waving indignantly behind her.

[Wylder Treejumper]

"Unfortunately, we appear to be heading in the same direction." The knight pointed at the distant spire of the bell tower. "You don't happen to be going to Redwall, do you?"