The Vinyard (closed)

[Strangebuddy]

The city seemed to wake with the sun. As the golden ball of light rose above the horizon, the first fishing ships cast off into the sea, their occupants still groggy but enthusiastic for the day ahead. As the first rays touched the beach to the south, a pair of embarassed lovers hurriedly searched for the clothes they had cast off in a moment of passion the night before. By the time the lovers had managed to find enough of their belongings to be considered half-naked, the light had reached the Eastern gate, where a dozen or so youths dressed in silk togas and plain sandals spilled out, carrying pamphlets in their right arms and garlands made of tropical flowers in their left. As the youths headed towards the ships and cracked smiles that practically beamed with naïve excitement, the light traveled past the arched gateway that was inscribed with the scene of a great feast, and into the city itself.

The first figured it touched was an elderly man in an ashen cloak who had seen fit to braid his beard and wrap the tips in many colorful ribbons. The man was carefully examining the measuring tape he was laying down from a nearby waste bin. As the end of the measuring tape was laid down a full foot from the gate, the man frowned.
“How is this possible?”
The sun rose higher until it freed itself of the sea. As its light illuminated more of the city, some of the city’s more colorful characters slipped away to hide in the shadows. In a side street of the market, whose smokestacks were beginning to billow forth with thick clouds that carried the smell of fresh pastries and heated steal, a group of halflings in outlandish garb rapped on a sewer grate four times, before it slid away so the colorful group could leap inside and avoid the attention of a passing woman in leather armor who scanned the area before continuing through the market place, occasionally stopping to make notes on stalls whose fresh canopies and unmarked timbers indicated they were new.

The sun soon worked itself up enough that the rest of the city, save for one important landmark, was touched by its radiance. Citizens started to emerge from their homes. There was little uniformity in their dress or race: a minotaur in a three-piece suit bellowed a “good morning” and fired off a wink at a comely skogsra in a long gown that had been altered to allow her branches to grow freely from her back. The skogsra blushed, causing one of the blooming flowers on her back to turn inward and produce a large cherry, which she plucked off and tossed back to her neighbor, who gave a fiendish smile before placing the fruit in his mouth, only to display a knotted stem on the end of his tongue.

The light finally reached the Western gate, signaling two youthful but muscular guards to begin turning the cranks on the side of the gate to raise the portcullis, allowing the only land-based entrance into the high-walled city of granite and marble to open to the waiting merchants and curious travelers.

As the travelers entered, they were approached by more of the toga-wearing youths that were at the pier. The youths quickly strung their flower necklaces around the travelers and thrust pamphlets into their hands, sometimes adding a kiss or embrace to their gifts. On the Eastern piers, more necklaces and pamphlets were distributed and hands were offered to passengers who were wrestling with heavy loads as they descended gangplanks. The only things the youths had in common were their uniforms, their gifts, and their practiced message:

“Welcome to Grell, city of beauty and passion! Do you need a guide?”

Before the travelers could even respond, they all stared in awe at the city, now fully bathed in light. Covered bridges made of marble ran over streams of crystal clear water that fed an enormous fountain in the South of the city which played home to a truly epic display of 90 achingly beautiful women made of bronze, with each one holding a cornucopia full of food in one hand, with a goblet in the other, with the bronze cups pouring over with more of the clear water. From the fountain, the travelers let their gaze wander to the botanical gardens that stood next to it. Even from opposite ends of the city, the travelers could smell the scents of a thousand different breeds of flowers and the taste of a countless assortment of fresh fruit quickly found its way onto their tongues.

The travelers could be forgiven for not noticing the north side of Grell, where the only landmark that remained untouched by the sunlight stood. While not enshrined in darkness, the castle seemed to avoid the brunt of its radiance, as though it was trying to avoid staying sticking out. None of the travelers gave it a second thought, save for a group of tourists that had entered the city some months ago. They peered at the large structure, trying to look beyond its plain, box-like design and plain, thick oaken doors that seemed to be its only defense.

As these persons frowned, they looked out the windows of their rooms at the new arrivals and beyond to the Eastern Sea and Western woods.

“Will someone come today?” They wondered, “Will someone help us triumph over this city?”

 

[KattDclaw]

Obsydia Jaeger appeared in a dramatic flash of arcane energy and wind. A small vortex of ethereal energy appeared just outside the west gate of Grell, creating a small, isolated gust of wind followed by a crackle and hiss. The scent of ozone was prelude to the arrival of the half-elf sorceress herself, who unfortunately appears several feet above the ground. In her delicate grasp she clutched a thick scroll, held outstretched before her by both ends. Even as she appeared the arcane words were upon her lips, her voice strong and proud as she sang those eldritch words in a practiced tempo.

That was until she found herself hovering several feet above the ground itself. Hazel eyes flashed in the morning sun as they widened in surprise and an undeniable squeal cut her dramatic cadence off short. She promptly found herself deposited onto the hard earth, the air rushing from her lungs as she gave a loud “Oofhm!”. Certain tantalizing bits of flesh jiggled and jostled temptingly from the sudden movement, unfortunately it was more entertaining to watch than experience. A dull ache shot straight up from her rump and into the base of her skull. She might have focused on the pain, if the scroll in her hands hadn't suddenly burst into flame and start to crumble to ashes within the blink of an eye.

“Blasted scroll!” She yelped and waved her hands about her side, the ash fluttering about her from the sudden movement. “That is the last time I buy them on clearance! Damn gnomes and their 'deals'!”

Her tone was far from gentle, a shrill anger caused it to crackle and waiver but somehow it was endearing in a fashion. It was only then that Syd realized that she was sitting in a puddle of mud (or at least she hoped it was mud and had more than her fair share of eyes locked quizzically upon her. People too numerous to count were strolling by as they made their way through a massive gate of the city of Grell, going about on their business, but not without a double take at the flashy entrance of the stunning half-elf as they passed.

“Totally meant to do that. Nothing to see here folks, keep moving!” Syd promptly repsonded once she realized she was making a scene. With a grunt she pushed up to her feet, her hands sliding down to her mud covered rump to give it a gentle pat. She was covered with dust, ash, and mud, yet somehow managed to still look ravishing in her skimpy attire. Those long, slender digits brushed once more over the tails of her robe, giving them a shuffle before they started to move in an intentional fashion. She spoke once again, though it was a soft hush of a tone in a curious and spidery language. As her hands moved over herself the grim of her little misadventure lifted up briefly from her skin and clothing before disappearing altogether. The cantrip did just the trick to leave her feeling neat and clean, if only it could do the same for her bruised ego.

Obsydia Jaeger was a beautiful woman by any right. She was an exotic blend of human and elven features, a unique creature of mixed heritage that seemed to have inherited the best of both worlds. By elven standards she was short, a solid five foot six inches (the heels of her open-toed boots added a few inches though). She was sleek and svelte, with a tapered waist, wide hips and an impressive bustline that no full elf could manage. All in all her body was sinfully shaped and sculpted, which was made all the more obvious by her scant attire. A aqua blue robe embroidered with gold did little to cover her, cut low to reveal the emerald top underneath and offer a tempting display of cleavage. It flared out at her navel and left her lower frame completely exposed. The only thing that kept her decent was a black thong and knee high boots, the same aqua hue with matching green straps.

Her face was a blend of strong human features coupled with the more elegant undertones of elven. Her ears were left pronounced than a true elf, yet undeniably upswept with rounded tips. Her eyes were large and round, hazel in hue and gleaming with life. Her lips were full and plush, just as expressive as those alluring eyes. Her hair was windswept and a brilliant crimson in hue, long and lush, falling well past her waist before fading to teal at the tips. It was held back at her temples by braids, which swept back and connected at the base of her skull.

Syd let her hands come to rest upon the thick green belt cinched about the flare of her hips, her right settling upon the small pouches that dangled from it. Her hazel gaze lingered upon a particularly handsome young man as he strode by at the front of a caravan, she couldn't help but return the smile and offer a none too subtle wink to up the ante. It was about that time that her surroundings started to dawn upon her. She noticed the guards standing about, the general structure of the gate, even the land about the city. Slowly the realization dawned upon her, it drained that sultry, confident look away as quickly as a seasick sailor emptying the contents of his stomach. She blinked twice before she glanced up at the impressive arch of the west gate, majestic and proud in its design yet entirely foreign.

“Where in the Infinite Hells did I teleport too?!” She resounded in a crackling tone of disbelief. This wasn't where she hand intended to go, nothing about this looked like the tropical island of Dywehst. Nothing about this place looked familiar one bit, Syd spent several long moments taking in the scenery with her hands upon her hips and a frown upon that beautiful face. She mentally bashed herself for purchasing those clearance scrolls, just look what saving a few gold got her into now? She wasn't even sure if she was on the right continent! There was only one thing that she could do, well, actually several but the only logical idea that came to mind was finding out just where she was. Confidence returned with a blink of her eye and a shake of her head. She gave her crimson mane a shake, throwing it over her proud, slender shoulder with a whip of her head. Her hips cocked and she placed one foot in front of the other, moving with a purposeful stride forward. She flashed that charming smile, her charisma and beauty catching more than a few off guard. She could stun them when she needed to, invoke lust and desire with the bat of an eyelash and even make a grown man piss his breeches with the most subtle of sneers.

Syd merged with the steady stream of pilgrims as they filed into the gate, her confident swagger attracting a few eyes. Her lips pursed as she emerged within the city properly, taking in the sights and sounds with a hint of awe. While she had no idea where she was, it was an impressive place to be. Beautiful and curious, her eyes drew towards that blocky structure that seemed to shun the brilliant rays of the morning sun. Yet before she could give it much attention the practiced chant of greeting caught her upswept ears. The name Grell caught her attention first, followed by the monikers of beauty and passion. Well, those could describe her as well, they could just as well be her middle name! Syd caught sight of the chanter, a youth in a flowing toga and a curious smile. They strung garlands of flowers about people's necks, offering pamphlets and more. Syd strode confidently towards the closest youth, a comely lad who she locked eyes with instantly. She flashed that smile and bowed her head, accepting the gift before she retorted in kind.

“Grell, was it? And yes...I certainly need a guide!” She said in a merry tone, lilting and alluring. Her eyes drifted towards the pamphlet curiously, though quickly returned to the youth as she awaited a proper answer. It wasn't every day she found a tour guide so easily. Who knew what to expect? Syd certainly had no ideas, but she was more than eager to find out.

 

[Strangebuddy]

As Syd first appeared outside of the gates of Grell, the youths were quickly getting snatched up by the crowd. By the time the luscious half-elf had straightened herself from her fall and erased the evidence, only three of the young adults were left. Still, even as the crowd swelled into a mob, the three of them maintained their good cheer and ravenous smiles and eagerly threaded through the crowd, distributing their botanical ornaments and warm welcomes to every merchant, tourist, and wary traveler they came across. By the time Syd had reached the gate, the entire initial rush had been greeted in some manner.

“Well, I think there’s only about a hundred or two left.” A young orc whispered to his fellows before embracing an older woman who let out a squeal of delight before politely declining his offer to be her guide.

“Good,” a spry catfolk replied as she quickly ran over to a group of merchants who were trying to slip by without receiving their welcome gifts, “because we’ve only got a few dozen blessings left…we’ll have to start getting creative.” She added, giving one of the merchants, a goblin in loose fitting caravan wear, a sly wink that accompanied a beckon with her tail that she aimed at his partners.

The last of the three, a human with feathery brown hair and olive-toned skin, only chuckled and continued his work, flashing a warm smile to a pair of tourists whose untarnished wedding bands told the youth that they were here on their honeymoon. He gave them the standard gifts but made sure to brush his finger over a sketched image of a pool of water whose pristine waters were enclosed within a cave.

“Make sure to try out the baths you two.” He said, holding back a chuckle as the blushing bride tried to avoid making eye contact with him, “tell the attendants that that The Queen’s Children have given you their blessing and they’ll set you up with a private grotto.”

“But how do we,” The groom started, getting flustered at seeing his new bride fawn over the younger man, “oh.”
Where the young man had stroked his finger, a series of directions had scrawled themselves into existence.

“I suggest you two go straight there, the attendants will make sure your bags get to your room.”

“But we don’t have a reservation,” The bride started, casting her eyes downward, “We only had enough money to stay here one day…we were just planning to camp on the beach.”

The groom, an older half-orc with a broken tusk, reached out to take his younger goblin-bride’s hand. He started to grit his teeth in frustration at the young male, only to stare in confusion as a sly smile broke over the face of their greeter.

“Ah, I see your husband has decided to keep things a surprise, very wise,” The youth extended his right arm and flicked his hand like a whip, producing two, paper-thin strips of gold that had been inscribed with the same image of a feast as on the East gate of the city, “Here you are sir, I hope a week’s stay at the Elysian fields with all amenities and expenses covered by The Queen’s Children is enough to provide your bride with the honeymoon you wrote us about.”

The Half-Orc took the passes but stood, mouth-agape, “But I never…”

The toga-wearing youth clapped him on the shoulder, “Don’t be so modest sir, it took great courage to share the amount of love and passion you share for your lovely wife and you’ll find that the citizens of Grell respect and admire passion,” he gave the groom a wink, “Besides, I think you have more important things to think about, like your blushing bride.”

The youth turned away before the goblin leapt off the ground and tackled her husband with a deep embrace and a flurry of lust-filled kisses. As he returned to the crowd, his friends returned, having heard the same whispers:

“Just popped out of nowhere…fell right on her arse.”

“Cleaned herself right up though, like magic.”

“Did you see her clothes?”

“Gorgeous…beautiful…hotter than the pits of hell and twice as tempting.”

The three youths smiled as they saw Syd amongst the crowd towards them. As they continued to distribute flowers, pretending to not pay attention to the sorcerer, they straightened their togas. The human who had assisted the poor married couple took time to straighten the golden-chord around his waist and made sure to rise up to his full height of 6’0. He saw Syd close the distance between them and his smile briefly traded itself for a look of dumbfoundedness.

The youth had seen beautiful women before but Syd was of a type of beauty he had never encountered before. His eyes were instantly drawn to her legs, whose delicious thighs were on full display. His eyes couldn’t help but admire her confidence and boldness. It was rare to see anyone show as much skin in public as Syd was right now. He glanced up at her thong and imagined for a moment what it must the view would be like from behind the shapely half-elf.

He let his eyes wander up to her face, admiring every curve and inch of exposed flesh that she was willing to display along the way. The youth was lost staring at her face, every ounce of his focus being used to divine her intentions. While he may have been captivated by her beauty, the youth still had a duty to perform. When Syd came to accept her gifts, the youth changed to his old self, smiling as he strung a necklace of flowers around her neck. He noted that the necklace was made of tropical flowers, all of whose roots and stems tied together.

“Welcome to Grell, city of beauty and passion, do you need a guide?” He asked, his practiced greeting allowing him to mask his attempts to study the comely sorceress.

“Grell, was it? And yes...I certainly need a guide!”

The question surprised him; while there were plenty of curiosity seekers, almost no one came to Grell without at least knowing about the city. However, that was another fact the youth placed in the back of his mind without even shifting a single muscle in his face.The youth smiled and let his arms go around her back to pull her into a tight embrace. While his muscles were certainly defined, the young man kept the embrace from being crushing,

“Yes ma’am, Grell, a city where the all are welcome if they have passion in their hearts,” The youth placed a chaste kiss upon her right cheek, his body craving more but his professionalism keeping him from pursuing anything further…for the moment, at least. He released her and stepped back with a bow, “My name is Fenric and I will be your guide.”

Fenric decided to try and use the few clues he had been given to excite a response. As he let his jade-green eyes settle upon her face, he spoke:

“I realize that we may not be the tropical resort you planned to visit but I assure you ma’am, whatever accident sent you here was a fortuitous one.” He waited to see how she would respond, “Now tell me, what is your pleasure?”

 

[KattDclaw]

Syd came face to face with one of the toga wearing youths. He was a incredibly comely young lad with a charming smile and lovely voice. Syd couldn't help but give him the once over, those hazel orbs flickering without restraint from head to toe before returning to his face. He was cute, that was for sure, she wondered just what lay under that loose fitting garment and just how well he really filled it out. Syd herself was a creature of chaos, some claimed she had the blood of dragons running through her veins, or at the very least the elemental furies. She was a potent spellcaster, one that drew her incredible power from her sheer force of will and personality. She wasn't some stodgy wizard who'd prefer reading a musty tome to engaging in personable conversations. Intellect wasn't her strong point, but she certainly made up for it in personality and stunning good looks. And at the end of the day if that didn't work, well, that's where blasting things with fireballs came into play.

She wasn't quite yet to the fireball blasting just yet. The last thing she wanted to do was mar that pretty face of this young man; Syd could easily think of several other things she would rather to do to it. She nibbled her bottom lip in a subconscious gesture are her mind drifted towards those naughty, naughty thoughts. So easily distracted, it was a blessing that his lines were so well-rehearsed and leading. She caught the name, a brilliant glimmer appeared in those eyes and she allowed her ravishing smile to spread out over her plush lips shortly after.

It all happened rather quickly of course, all too soon she was engulfed in a hug of all things. Syd all but squeaked in surprise, her arms brought up before her a vain attempt at a defensive gesture. It left her hands between them as Fenric gave her a full embrace. Her fluting laughter, a little awkward chortle came soon after as she settled into the hug. Her hands turned till her palms pressed flush against him, not to push the young man away, but to press against his chest and take measure of those sleek, yet defined muscles. He was clearly in control of himself, the hug was strong yet not crushing, Syd noted such as her fingertips trailed over his pectoral muscles in that brief, intimate moment.

“Fenric, hm?” She said his name in a slow, purposeful manner, as if she were mulling it over in her mind or at the very least committing it to memory. Or perhaps it was simply practice in saying the name sensually. Her cheek felt hot from where he had placed that little kiss. Hm, had the temperature risen since she entered the city? Syd let out a cooling breath and waved her right hand idly before her face.

“I got plenty of passion, Sweetie.” She retorted in a teasing fashion, if only to shift the moment elsewhere. Hazel meet jade and lingered intently as Syd stood close by, her hand still waving before her flushed and ravishing visage. She listened to his sweet words, only taking them in at face value. The way he spoke just made her tingle, the tone reassuring and so pleasant.

It took her a good ten seconds to realize just what he had said. By then she was already talking, the words were passing her lips without much thought at all:

“I wouldn't call it fortuitous. At least not yet...if you kno-wait!” The easy going, flirty look upon Syd's face quickly evaporated. Crimson brows furrowed above an accusing gaze and her fanning hand quickly stopped before it pointed a finger at Fenric.

“How did you know my destination? I didn't say it...” She trailed off, even as her hand pointing at him splayed out its fingers. She whispered a soft word of arcane, drawing out the natural radiance of magic to her hazel gaze. The use of magic generated its own auras, all of which were invisible to the normal eye. The simple spell that Syd cast brought them to the foreground, lingering magic would radiate their effects in varying hues depending on the school involved. This of course didn't include instantaneous castings, she honestly had nothing to go on but gut feeling at this point. It was a reflex, much like pelting a ogre with a scorching ray as it charged at you with club poised above its head. There was more to this handsome lad now, though Syd wasn't sure if the intent was for ill or not. She had a feeling she'd soon find out.

 

[Strangebuddy]

Fenric couldn't help but notice the way the gorgeous half-elf let her fingers subtly touch his muscles in a way that reminded him of a livestock judge testing a future piece of meat. Not that the lad minded: if anything, he was somewhat flattered. The young man took great pride in his appearance, both so he would be seen as an inviting guide to lead newcomers around the city, as well as someone who could attract the attention of the fairer sex…and the woman before him was very fair indeed.

Besides, it was only fair as far as Fenric was concerned. While giving a stranger an embrace and a kiss on the cheek was far from taboo, the young man was enjoying the brief moment of intimacy it allowed. There were beautiful women who visited Grell. There were also confident and seductive women who entered the town’s gates. Rarely however did women come into Grell with such plentiful amounts of both, like Syd did. As the youth drank in every seductive curve and flirtatious act Syd tossed his way, he found it more and more difficult to focus on his task and let his mind wander to thoughts of where the day might lead the two of them.

…Which was why the young man was more than a little taken aback when Syd’s flirtatious approach and melodious laughter vanished and was exchanged with an accusing finger and a look that threatened to set him ablaze with its suspicion. Fenric tried to remain calm, extending a hand towards her shoulder but it was difficult to keep his trademark grin up as he tried to keep eye contact with the sorceress’ fierce gaze.

“I know you didn't,” Fenric started, releasing a small chuckle, “all I did was…”

The young man stopped as he watched Syd spread her fingers and saw her lush lips move to issue forth a brief incantation. He wasn't the only one; as though an alarm bell had just rung, the city’s native residents snapped their heads around to look at the sorceress with a look of caution and fear. The two guards at the gate moved their hands down to unbuckle their swords as they stepped from their posts towards Syd.

“Relax, everyone,” a soft voice stated from Syd’s right side, “She’s merely seeing if any magic is being used, nothing wrong with that.” The voice spoke with painfully perfect diction, issuing her “Ts” as though she was doling out strikes with a ruler and stretching every syllable out, as though she was savoring the taste of each word on her tongue, “It is her right as a guessst.”

The figure, who had appeared as though she had always been where she was now standing, let a hand reach back to flick a stray strand of her flaxen hair back over her shoulder. Like the other guards, she wore leather armor, though hers was in the style of a black, riveted brigandine that she wore over a silk, sleeveless tunic. It’s skirt hung down to her knees, with her thighs covered by white, silken leggings. She carried no sword, but a small buckler that held the emblem of the great fest on its face was held in her left arm. The woman must have been of some rank, as a purple cape had been attached to her armor by gold fasteners.

As she spoke, the spell took effect, and auras began to rise in front of the lovely sorceress. However, the toga-wearing youth in front of her, who was now giving a sigh of relief, produced no aura from his body…though a light green aura surrounded the flowers and pamphlets that he and his fellows were distributing.

The source of the voice nodded, “Some mere enhancements, nothing more miss. Fenric, would you care to explain?”

“Of course sis-Captain Fawkes,” Fenric said, his natural smile returning, “You see miss, me and my friends distribute these gifts to help get a read on guests. While it may look like we’re just handing them out at random, the flowers are enchanted so we feel compelled to give a guest the type of flowers that would be from their homeland or their intended destination.”

Fenric was now fully back to his usual form and let his finger run along the ring of flowers around Syd’s neck, “When I saw that I had handed you tropical flowers, I assumed you were either from a tropical location, or had intended to go to a tropical resort. I paired that information with the fact you were unfamiliar with Grell, so I merely assumed that you had arrived her on accident…I may have heard whispers of a gorgeous sorceress who might have had a less than graceful entrance.” He added with a playful wink.

The captain rolled her eyes and continued, “The pamphlets also respond to my brother and his friends thoughts, in case they want to leave directions, in case you are concerned of their enhancement.”

“I’m sorry if my brother startled you, ma’am,” The captain said, letting her pale as snow, slightly lanky body give a full bow…which was quite a sight as she lowered herself from her full height of 6’7. When she raised back up, she let a lukewarm smile cross her thin lips, “I also apologize for my fellow citizens, I’m afraid they are unfamiliar with all but the simplest of spells, like the ones that are used by groups like my brother’s…they also are apparently overconfident and under witted if they were planning on tangling with you.” She let a quiet, humming laughter, utter from behind her lips before she rose back up and looked down at Syd with her eyes, the left eye being a pale yellow and the right one being a bright violet.

“Is there anything else me or my brother can explain for you my dear, or shall I leave you to Fenric’s capable hands?” She extended a soft right hand, which was surprisingly smooth and soft for the hand of a city guard, “I am Gail Fawkes, captain of Grell’s guards and you are…?”