(OOC Note: The purpose of this starting point is to give new characters an easy place to begin their journey in Aleris. If you would like to post here, your character has most likely travelled to Hinewai Harbor via boat or airship. However, do not feel limited; many options are open within this setting. If you post here, GMs will respond with an NPC nick to either make you feel welcome or cause some trouble! Other players may feel free to respond as well.)

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Hinewai Harbor is the largest port in Aleris. This has caused the good fortune that Grand City enjoys today. The harbor is broken into two markets. To the west is the Fisher's Market. Despite its name, it isn't dedicated to just the fishermen of the land, but to all merchants. This is where merchandise comes into the city to be bought, sold and/or traded. To the east is a smaller market that still matches the income of Fisher's Market, known as Traveler's Market. Here you'll find ships for hire taking people to all the other continents, or if you're seeking an adventure, here is where you'll find a ship and crew for hire to help.

However, even if one were to combine these two port markets, Cornucopia Market within Grand City is still the largest market in Aleris.

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To most Grand City is the Capital of Aleris. The city's close proximity to Hinewai Harbor makes it very popular to merchants and visitors. Home to what has affectionately been named the Cornucopia Market, Grand City is arguably the most prosperous city in Aleris. Many have come to it in hopes of making their fortune, but many have also left penniless and in debt. It takes a very smart person to be able to turn a profit, but if the merchant is willing to take a risk, and work hard for it, Grand City is the place for them.

Lost again.

How is it that someone with her enviable skills and past could manage to get so impressively lost so very often? Admittedly, her arrival on Aleris was by no normal means. Likewise her adventures here seemed surreal and very brief. She remembered little of them, in all honesty. In fact, they could very well have been a dream instead of scattered bits of reality.

Regardless of how she had gotten to Aleris and what had happened since then, she found herself arriving at a strange Port with little knowledge of the decisions that got her to this point or what plan she had for continuing.

The anchor dropped with a splash into waters the grey or the oncoming storm. Rain had followed the ship all along its journey here, seeming to pace them. It was no small wonder that as she made landfall so too did the storm. Part of her wondered if the rain was a manifestation of the turmoil in her own mind, but dismissed it out of hand. Paranoia. Then again, as a friend of hers had once told her, "just because you are paranoid does not mean there isn't an invisible demon trying to eat your face." The thought brought a smile to her face.

Caramel brown eyes scanned the harbor activity. Bustling travelers and traders hauled goods and themselves on and off of ships as various as the races she saw. Some were clearly human, others unknown and not entirely unpleasant to look upon. She always did have a curiosity about new people. In her past experience knowing about the people and the land tended to help if you were ever required to fight there.

Yes, her name was Khory Bannefin, and she had been a soldier most of her life. You might find that strange for a woman. Most folks did. But for her it was the only real choice she had. As a young girl she had an over-developed sense of justice and a thirst for adventure. As a young woman she found her village slain and no sign of the family she had left behind. Fighting was all she knew, and it was what she turned to when everything else was lost to her.

Weapon roughened hands brushed back stray red hair that had loosened itself from her long braid. The wind was picking up. Weary of the sea she shouldered her small pack of possessions, took up her weapon, and disembarked. Her first order of business would seem to be finding a place to stay, preferably out of the rain. As her feet settled back onto solid ground for the first time in almost a month she began seeking out obvious Inn signs. It was that or find some helpful soul that could point her in the right direction.

Hinewai Harbor... a bustling port city connected to Grand City. It was a great place where one could find their footing and start a living, perhaps to become a fisherman, a sailor or maybe a knight for the castle. The place was filled with merchants and the scent of fresh seafood, though raw, filled the air. Some said it was simple to making a living in Eiler's capital, Grand City. However, it was also very easy for people to get lost and it seemed such was the case with Khory Bannefin.

Not soon after the red haired soldier left the ship she had travelled on did the rain turn to a wet mixture of snow and water. It was the season of winter after all and Elysia was not giving special treatments to any of the continents, save Heruin which remained a hot and almost intolerable desert wasteland thanks to her brother and fellow deity Tempesturo.

The storm Khory predicated was starting to turn into small blizzard. The once busy port was all mumbling in disagreement now; some of them threw their hands up angrily to the sky while others just shook their heads and started packing up shop. Children ran back and forth, seeming to enjoy the snow, a few of them with mouths open trying to catch the snowflakes that fell from the sky. It appeared that if Khory wanted any information about where to rest, then she would have to hurry and ask someone as most people were loading their carts and trying to head back home.

However, as luck would have it, one of the children had run into her, seemingly by accident. He fell back on the ground and then looked up at the tall red haired woman before him almost in awe. The kid had clearly never seen a woman that was built a a soldier. Soon after though, he was shaking his head and standing up, brushing some of the snow off, though parts of his clothing remained wet due to all the slushy water.

"I'm real sorry about that miss," the youth started, his apology possibly inspired by thoughts of Khory beating him up. "Ya look like yer lost? Are ya new here?"

The boy proved to be quite the chatterbox. He offered Khory a welcoming grin and pointed in the direction towards the city center. It was difficult to see what he was directing to because of all the snow now, but it was evident he was trying to lead her down one of Aleris' cobblestone streets.

"There's a tavern and inn down that way if yer looking for a place to stay," he started. "It's called the Oak Barrel Tavern. Got some really yummy stew there perrrrfect fer today. Well, see ya!"

And just like that, he was off, joining another group of young kids that looked to be a group of Alerian street urchins. It was quite easy that Khory had gotten her inn recommendation she'd been looking for. Nevertheless, it was also by this same luck, or misfortune, that she had whatever gold on her snatched up by the boy that seemed ever so helpful.

Rain was never pleasant, but snow even less so. The rain turned to slush and turned to snow almost too quickly for the eye to follow. The Gods of this realm certainly made their decisions quickly, and no mistake. So too did its merchants, as she saw them all hurrying to escape the foul weather. She'd hardly taken a step when she nearly tripped over a young boy! Or, perhaps he had tripped over her. She never could tell which it was. She thought herself rather hard to miss, but that just made for a bigger target, didn't it?

The small boy looked at her as though some fabled giant was reaching down a hand to help him up. He recovered his composure quickly enough, giving her exactly the information she sought. She waved as the boy ran his own way, smiling and wondering if children were ever to be her lot some day. She doubted it.

The cold wind sent flurries swirling past her shoulders as she made her way down the cobbled street the boy had pointed her towards. She saw the inn after a few turns. The Oak Barrel, was it? Ah yes, she could see the sign swinging above the door. Another burst of wind let in herself and a draft for a moment as she shut the door firmly behind and took a look about.

It seemed to be as most Inns were. Mostly wood, comfortable looking hearth, the smell of food and ale. Food especially caught her attention and she went to check her small purse, only to find it gone. Confounded boy! How in all hoolies had he managed to get his hand THERE without her noticing it? A quiet round of cussing ensued as she considered exiting the way she had come. If she had no money to pay she had no business taking up space in here. But the thought of the weather caught her up again. Sighing, she approached the bar in hopes some sort of arrangement could be made.

enters: Hinewai Harbor and Grand City;
0745 - morning, chilly sunrise
DISCLAIMER: Due to the language, this post has been
RATED PG-13, and should not be
read by those offended by said content above.


Hinewai Harbor...


The streets were filled with people, traders and beggars alike. The biggest thing was that all he could smell was fish. Large fish, small fish, blue fish, green fish. Tired of being on a damn ship, and sick of smelling and eating fish, he figured his best bet was to get in land, at least away from the ocean for a while.

Tal wore his normal attire, a black cotton shirt, black tunic, and leather black coat. The temperature was just right for the amount of clothing he wore, but significantly warm for him. As they traveled away from Dethaal, the temperature only grew and grew. Instead of the sun being a rare glimpse, it was now a daily occurrence. The men and he both appreciated it, but the sheer amount was going to have to take some getting used to. Luckily for him, winter was just around the corner, and until he gets used to the climate changes, it’s probably best that their "cold" comes around so he can acclimatize easier. Praise the Sun, he thought to himself as he stepped off into the bustling streets, heading away from the glimmering ocean.

Tal looked down the street, looking for weapons vendors. The first thing he needed was to replace the piece of shit weapons that had rusted on him on the journey over. He didn’t have a lot of coin, but he had enough to get him a decent sword and knife, at least, he hoped he did. This was a whole new world, so he needed to expect anything.


Grand City, Cornucopia Market...


Tal searched the vendors, his hood up to hide the bright white strip of bleached hair that resided on the top right side of his head, a birth defect given to him by his father, and something that everyone had grown used to back home, but to the looks of things here, must have been strange. The last thing he wanted was problems on his first day in town.

Coming to a halt next to a blacksmith, he read the sign silently, Jax Blades’. He peered inside, and saw the shelves of steel swords, daggers, throwing knives, and other weapons of different types. It was four times as large as the blacksmith back home, and Tal was in a slight awe on the sheer size of it all. Hammering away in the back was who Tal assumed to be the blacksmith. It was a large dark skinned man who wore nothing but a beige cotton shirt, and brown pants; both smothered in black ash and dust. As Tal stepped inside, he looked up, scanned him over, and then continued to pound on the bright orange steel for another moment before sticking it into a bucket of water where it immediately sizzled, steam roaring up into the air. The large man stepped away, taking off his gloves as he approached Tal. Tal was rather tall in his opinion, standing at six feet, but this man had a good four inches on his as he held out his large hand towards him. “Jax’s the name, how can I help you?”

Tal was still slightly in awe, and then took the man’s hand, shaking it firmly. “Tal, I was wondering how much your swords costed?” he asked as he looked around towards the long swords on one of the walls. “Well, that depends Tal, what kind of sword are you looking for? The thick bastard sword used to cut down horses and armored crusaders? Or are you more of an agile guy and want the one handed gladiator blade?” Jax stepped back, letting him look around as Tal thought the question over. He was used to katanas, and didn’t see a reason to mix it up. If things got close and personal and he needed something quick, his ten inch knife that rested horizontally on the back of his belt would suffice. “Something like this one, but obviously in better condition,” Tal said as he withdrew his rusted katana on his belt, the orange contaminated steel dull and grey. Jax took the sword in both hands and looked it over. Weighing it out with just feeling, and giving it a slight wave as he twirled it slowly, he handed it back to Tal. “I got just the thing, but it isn’t going to be cheap.” Tal kept his expression normal, showing no sign of remorse for the statement, but deep down he frowned. I can’t spent all this money on a sword, its barely enough to survive off of as it is, but I can’t keep that rusted piece of junk any longer, it’d only make me a target for thieves and criminals, he thought to himself as he watched Jax return with a pristine katana just like his, but with a slightly varied hilt and in all black, but nothing complex or eccentric. Tal took the blade in one hand and felt that it was lighter than he was used to, but it seemed just as durable. Giving it a couple of spins and twirls to feel the balance of the blade, he agreed that it was a fine piece of work, but none-the-less, easily an expensive piece. “How much?” Tal asked.

Jax thought it over, and then leaned back against the wall. “The rusty sword you have is a good piece of work, but the steel is a little degraded. I’ll trade you swords plus a hundred copper pieces.” Tal shifted and pulled out his bag of coins. He only had a pair of silver pieces and three gold pieces, along with twenty copper pieces. It wasn’t anything significant, and the currency was different here. “What will this get me?” he handed him one gold piece from Dethaal. Jax looked it over, and placed it in the sun to see if it reflected. It was different, that’s for sure. Jax flipped it with a flick of his thumb and then caught it. “You aren’t the first person that’s offered foreign coin, I’ve actually got a collection going,” he looked the coin back over, and then pocketed it, “It’ll be useless anywhere else, so give me one of each, and the sword’s yours.” Tal did just that, and handed him the other two types before placing the rest back in the bag.

I’m going to need some money before I go anywhere, I can’t even purchase a good room to borrow for the night at this rate. Tal took the sword, dropped his, and wrapped the new one onto his waist before turning away and heading towards the door, “Thank you sir, you’ve saved me a lot of trouble.” He said to Jax. Jax flipped the coin again and waved. “Best of luck to you traveler, but you’re still in a pickle if that’s all you have.” Tal smirked as he stepped back outside into the chilled autumn air. Now it’s time to find some quick coin, and see if you can find anything on Angels. That’s all the help he had to go off of to find out more about his parents and who the hell he was. He recalled the day his parents disappeared from his life, and the white feathers that had been pierced from his mother’s back when the sword was thrust through her chest.

He stepped off into the street, keeping his eyes open for an opportunity to present itself.