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Log: Elora Danan And The Archaeological Society, Part One

Page history last edited by wastevens@... 14 years, 8 months ago

Run By: Dokuganryu (3xp)

Players: Elora Danan

Synopsis: Elora is picked up by the Archaeological Society and given sponsorship for her Test! Stay tuned for more of the exciting adventures of Elora Danan!

  

It's not long a wait with Waldon before the airship descends to pick him up. It's a simple thing - little more than a flying keel attached to a hull - but it bears the same patch as Waldon's shirt, and the paintjob is a simple, blank white. It lands, and Waldon hurries aboard, gesturing for Elora to 'come on! We need to leave as fast as possible!'.

  

Elora Danan gets onto the ship after Waldon, looking around. "Is this your ship, or property of the Society?"

  

"Society property...I'm far too new to have my own ship." Waldon pushes his fingers together, sitting down on a nearby bench. "Only important people get their own ships at their beck and call. Everyone else just has to hope someone was asked to help them." He laughs. "I got a little lucky - my, um, my friend is kind of high-up in the Society, and so I get a little pass when-"

"WALDON!" Someone snaps, "Who's this?"

"Uh..." Waldon stammers after a moment, the youth going pale.

  

Elora Danan looks to where the voice is coming from.

  

An older-looking man, in the same Society garb, is quickly closing the distance. He stops in front of Waldon, looking from him to Elora briefly. "You know non-Society personnel are strictly forbidden from-"

"She...she said she was a member, Markus..." Waldon swallows, pushing his fingers together again, "And...and if not, she's a really good treasure hunter, and maybe we could use her?" He blushes just a bit at his own mistake.

The man called tilts his head at Elora. "...are you one of us?"

  

Elora Danan bows to the man. "Elora Danan. Freelancer, occasional contract work. You, sir?"

  

"Markus of Evendale, Professor, Second Circle." Markus holds out a hand. "A pleasure, madam. I take it, by 'freelancer,' that you are not, in fact, a member of our esteemed Society."

The man's hair is greying, but no wrinkles line his face, and his eyes are a sharp and brilliant blue. "So Waldon, I suppose, has made yet another mistake. It's what's stopping him from being anything more than a First Circle Student."

  

Elora Danan shakes the offered hand. "No, I'm not a member. Though, I never claimed to be, merely using his assumptions against him. That is my fault. He actually performed quite admirably down there. If it wasn't for him, the whole expidition would've been a wash. He's got the makings of a great Lorist. Just needs a tad more field experience."

  

"That's why I keep sponsoring him," Markus agrees, adjusting his suit. "He's a good lad and the son of an amazing friend and former partner...when I got the invitation to the Society, I knew I'd bring him in. But sadly," Markus notes, turning those blue eyes on Waldon; the young man quails at the examination. "He's just very...forgetful. Afraid he'll get himself killed." Markus quirks a smirk. "So, what can I do for you, young lady?"

  

Elora Danan shrugs. "Well, I was hoping to become part of the Society, actually. It seems like my talents would be much better suited with a goal, a direction, other than just finding random tombs and relieving them of their treasures. What do you think?"

  

"Oh would you?" Markus leans forward, examining her briefly. "And how good are you at finding tombs and relieving them of their valuables?"

"She's amazing," Waldon chimes in, still bright red, "She killed four tomb guardians single-handedly...I just tripped and hit my head."

"Is that so," Markus observes. "Miss Danan, do you know what the goal of the Society is?"

  

Elora Danan answers promptly. "Knowledge, the finding and preserving of it."

  

"And -advancing- it," Markus adds wryly, "We are not a museum. We are researchers. The past must be understood that the future may be built upon it."

"The past must be understood, th-that the future may be built upon it," Waldon echoes, placing his fist over his patch.

"That is the motto of the Society, as you can see," Markus notes, jerking a thumb at the boy before crossing his arms. "So then. If you believe yourself to be capable of joining out illustrious ranks...then perhaps I will have to sponsor you for the entrance exam after all, hmm?"

  

Elora Danan cocks her head. "Entrance exam? What kind of entrance exam?"

  

"Ah, you know. A basic test of knowledge, a Practical Skills exam, and a personality evaluation. Not everyone is good at all three - for example, Waldon here failed both the latter two, but succeeded so spectacularly on the Knowledge test that he got in as a Student nonetheless. It's not very difficult," Markus waves his hand, "If you have a passable knowledge, fair skills, and a decent personality, you'll be accepted. We can't afford to be too picky."

  

Elora Danan mulls this over for a moment before nodding. "Sounds like a fun time. Sign me up!" She grins at the older man, excited to be doing something like this. And, who knows. Perhaps she'll get to the bottom of what's going on.

  

Markus holds out a hand. "Very well then, Miss Danan. I hereby will officially sponsor you for the entrance exam to the Archaeological Society once we return to University Island. I hope you don't make me look bad," he teases.

  

Elora Danan takes the offered hand, grinning. Teasing back, she says, "Someone as pretty as me? I can only make you look /good/, old man."

  

"Hahaha! That's the sort of spirit I like to hear!" Markus laughs and shakes his head. "If you're half as good as you are cocky, you'll have no trouble. In any case, now that this matter's resolved, I've got to get back below deck. If you have any questions, just ask Waldon - he'll probably be able to tell you about his own spectacular failure." With that, Markus heads into the cabin, leaving Waldon looking at the ground, obviously embarassed.

  

Elora Danan nods to the man as he leaves, calling, "I will!" She walks over to Waldon and pats him on the back, grinning. "Hey, cheer up. You just successfully found a great treasure, one any seeker of knowledge would be proud to have on his trophy wall. Why the long face?"

  

"Because Professor Markus is right...I'm a horrible archaeologist. I'm a good librarian, but...but that's it." Waldon sighs and looks down. "I nearly got myself killed by the traps...you noticed how there weren't any in the tomb, right? I...set them all off beforehand." He groans. "I'm a pencil-pusher...I'm lucky I'm even allowed anywhere at all."

The young man tilts his head at her after a moment. "...are you talking about the Flame, or about -you-?”

  

Elora Danan cocks her head, grinning impishly. "Whatever do you mean?"

  

"The...the great treasure any seeker of knowledge would be proud to have on his trophy wall. Are you talking about the Flame, or yourself?"

  

Elora Danan smiles, waving a hand at him. "Oh, stop flattering me." She hops up to sit on the rail of the ship, back to the empty air, heedless of the consequences of falling off. She gets a bit more serious. "I'm not on your wall." She winks. "Not yet, at least."

  

Waldon goes so red he could probably pass as the Flame. "A-ah..." He mumbles, "I...um...I...you..."

  

Elora Danan rocks backward with gales of laughter. "Oh, you are too easy to bait, Master Waldon. And that's your problem. You lack confidence in yourself, so you don't have confidence in your success." She leans forward, as if imparting a secret. "I think you need a woman. She'll ground you, give you a backbone. Then, you'll grow into the man you can become."

  

"A...a woman, huh," Waldon mumbles thoughtfully, his hands wringing briefly. "I...I don't really have much confidence, no, but, well, I'm so clumsy and...do you really think it'd help?" He looks up at her after a moment, eyes wide. "...how did -you- get so confident?"

  

Elora Danan kicks her legs a little, enjoying the breeze across the bow of the ship. "I went out there and did things, instead of letting them come to me. I exhausted all of my own resources before calling for help, and I learned from my mistakes. Most of all, though, I never once gave up on myself. I knew that, whatever the challenge, I could overcome it. Not thought, not believed. Knew. You've gotta have that, otherwise everything else is meaningless."'

  

Waldon looks off into the distance. "Is...is that so," he thinks aloud, "...thanks, miss Elora."

"University Island, dead ahead!" Someone calls.

Below, the island can be easily seen as the airship begins to descend. A veritable fleet of ships are docked all around the small isle, both of the air variant and the normal, watergoing version; all levels of technology dot the island, from the most advanced-looking First Age building turning about with huge gears to a simple mud hut that seems to have been set up more for the interest of it than any need. People mill about, all dressed in similar clothing, though most seem to be concentrated around a very, very wide, tall building in the center of the Island. "H...here we are," Waldon mumbles, "University Island."

  

Elora Danan looks down with interest, grinning. "Excellent. Such a cool place. Thanks for inviting me, Waldon. Now...I think I feel like going for a swim. Meet you down there!" With that, she lets go of her handholds on the rail, falling backwards off the side and plumetting out of sight like a stone, grinning like a loon.

  

"A-ah!" Waldon leans over the side, looking down as she falls, and finally calling "O...okay!" nervously as Elora dives into the water.

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