Natarim Land of Destiny

Story:
A long time ago Natarim was a land filled with war and chaos, guilds battled for ownership of land and towns and city's were devastated in the process. With the increasing number of guilds came more and more unrest with the residents. Few fought for the people and those that did were torn apart by the larger guilds. Unlike the lands around it, Natarim had a diversity of both Magic and Machine. Anarim to the West was a land filled with magic that suffered from the Twilight Dreams, Calrim to the north was a land of Machinery ruled by the Seven Lords. Taradin to the East boasted mastery over magic and a large system devoted to nobles rule over the common folk.

As the wars of Natarim reigned, the people lost hope of peaceful times. The land seemed doomed as no other land would help due to their own problems and guilds continued to get stronger and more violent. But one day it all changed, appearing as if from no where a group calling themselves the neutral alliance tore down the most powerful guild in the land and issued a warning. They had arrived to put an end to all guilds no matter how small. As they began wiping out the strongest guilds, the smaller guilds began to disperse, and finally peace returned to Natarim. From there the Neutral alliance took hold of all the most powerful magic and machinery in the land, to keep powerful guilds from ever rising up again they built a huge machine powered by magic that began to control chance, they named it the Metal Dragon.

Much of the history of The Neutral Alliance has been lost. Their arrival, the names of the guilds they conquered, past important battles, the secrets the Alliance hide have many on edge.
Under the supervision of the Alliance, guilds have once again began to appear, now fewer in number and weaker then before, they are controlled by a specific set of rules. A man named Menzone had died protecting these rules, or so it was reported. His two apprentices now control the two most powerful guilds this land has to offer. The Exlaws and the Masters of Conflict, they often exhibit hatred towards the Alliance.

Map:

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a246/robo9/untitledMap.jpg

Rules:
1. No fighting in the Neutral City.
2. Traverse the land as if the areas were the as the map. e.g. You cant go directly from the Beach to the Forest.
3. Post your character profile in the character thread. http://forum.iridiumbased.com/threads/natarim-character-profiles.1435/
4. Most OOC should be in the OOC thread, do not bog down the roleplay with OOC conversations. http://forum.iridiumbased.com/threads/natarim-ooc.1436/
5. To create a Guild for the roleplay you must have two other people willing to create it with you, alternately you can just use an Iridium Based Guild as long as you're already in it.
6. No Flaming, Insulting or Bad Language.
7. No God modding, this means do not overpower your character and do not do things beyond your characters capability.
8. Be fair, if an opponents attack is going to hit you then it hits you, and don't go for a killing blow with every move or make your moves unavoidable.
9. Follow the forum rules: http://forum.iridiumbased.com/threads/roleplay-rules.1368/
10. I will move the story forward from time to time, if this happens, try to follow the plot.
11. The Exlaws and The Masters of Conflict are story based Guilds, you cannot join them.
12. Have fun.

Temp Rules:
- Access to the Tornado Village is forbidden.
- Access to the Magnetic Crater is forbidden.
- Access to the Underwater Facility is forbidden.

Archaes sat within the rubble that was the Desolate Town, a Town long abandoned. Of course naturally people assumed the town was abandoned due to the huge city next door but it had been gone long before that fortress was built. Archaes looked over the area, this is what Guild did back in the day, they tore peoples homes away from them for war, for a mere battleground. Archaes had always had a dislike of things that put some above others, systems and groups that made life hard for individuals. They disgusted him.
But that wasn't why Archaes was here, he was waiting, it was rumoured the fabled Exlaws were meeting here today to discuss their future plans. Archaes wanted to meet them, his aim was to defeat them, knocking yet another guild from this world to keep them from destroying it. This was a suitable ground for them to meet, a battle ground where their ancestors battled and warred while taking the lives of innocents. But they hadn't shown so far, maybe it was just a rumor after all.
"Another day wasted it seems, gonna to have to get a new information leaker."

There I was in the middle of the desert, I had been there for three days now. I had heard that the Exlaws were meeting somewhere a little southeast of here but the desert had been too much for me. The sun was glaring and the dunes were all around me, each looking like the next. I've been walking in circles and I couldn't figure out how to get out. "Everything looks the same, nothing I've can do will help me. If I want to reach the Exlaws in time for this rumored meet then I need to hurry up." I sat down and took a sip from my canteen. Looking up at the sun and covering my eyes an idea hit me. "The stars!" I had remembered from growing up that if you were lost anywhere in the world you could navigate by the stars. "I'll cover myself until nightfall and make my way then." As I laid down and planned out my journey the constellations I had learnt as a child started coming back to me.
And as I kept on thinking I found myself lost in thoughts and very soon sleep.

Day had become night, it didn't look like they were going to show up at all. Out of boredom Archaes had begun throwing stones at a nearby wall, he made a game out of it, trying to hit the same point a second time. Not that it mattered if he hit the same point again.
He sighed, scratching the top of his head. "Looks like a no show." He muttered to himself. "What a let down."
He got to his feet, ready to leave the area when he heard a voice not far off. Were they here? He began heading in the direction he'd heard the voice from, keeping low and using the terrain to hide himself as he moved. If it was really them he'd like to get the drop on them.

Finally it was night, I was able to recognize the constellations and separate stars in the sky. "FINALLY!" I yelled, now I can get out of this place. After what seemed like a couple of hours I managed to stumble out of the desert and into what I had assumed to be the location I was originally headed for. "Well there we go, no more sand or sun burns. I can finally get some food and water, Ooo a nice salmon patty would be great right now. I wonder if anyone has brought any fish in for dinner." As I continued down the streets of the town I continued to notice how no one was there. "I finally make it out of that bloody desert only to find myself in a deserted town. No food, or water for me...well at least it will be easier to find these Exlaws." I continued walking down the street stumbling every now and then making my way to, what I assumed to be, the town center...completely unaware that I was now being watched.

Archaes spotted someone, but only one person. They didn't look to be part of a guild and seemed to be searching for something. He could just about hear what the person was saying but they were too far away for him to make out what was being said. "Disappointing." He said, making sure he was properly behind a wall.
Then he could hear it, breathing coming from behind. He summoned the Blade of flame and swung around aiming to hit whatever had snuck up on him. But his blade was caught, a hand gripped round it and a face emerged from the shadows with a finger over their own lips. The person that appeared now had an insignia on their breastplate. An Exlaw.
"Shhh...Keep watching..." The man whispered.
Archaes' body began to move by itself, turning him back around so he could see the wanderer...And an Archer hidden behind a rock with bow ready to shoot. They also had the insignia of the Exlaws.

As I reached the city center I heard someone moving around somewhere and I knew now that I was being watched...so I stood still for couple seconds and then unsheathed my brother and sister swords while shouting out, "Well, isn't it a great night?!" waiting a couple of seconds until a man walked up to him as if from the shadows. The man had on a hood covering his face and he had an insignia on his breastplate showing that he was indeed an Exlaw. "Why have you come here?" he said to me. I stood there staring at him for a couple of seconds..."Well I walked through the desert for three days only to be surrounded by Exlaws." I said while laughing. "Honestly I was looking for you guys, but if you don't mind I am really hungry and could use a rest." The man continued glaring at me under his hood and finally said "Bring him." he then turned around and disappeared. Within a matter of seconds there were three men surrounding me from my left and right and one behind me, at this time I realized that there were four archers pointing their arrows at me. At this point I knew it would be dumb of me to even try resisting seeing as how outnumbered I was, so I sheathed my blades. Next thing I know I had a hood over my head and my hands were cuffed. I was being taken exactly where I wanted to be...

Everything suddenly went dark, they'd put something over his head and he was being walked somewhere. Archaes started to wonder where they were taking him, perhaps to their base, that would work in his favour...Though it seemed he was well out of his league, maybe he could sabotage something.
The group walked into an encampment with four people sitting around. They were all heavily armoured aside from one who wore a robe. "Present yourselves." The man spoke. Though Archaes couldn't see what was going on he could generally guess that he'd been taken somewhere important.
"Group B, reporting in." Spoke one from the group.
"You're late."
"We found two suspicious targets, one from Calrim and one from Natarim, the Natarim has been hanging around since this morning."
Archaes was surprised, they'd been watching him for that long without him knowing. This was worse then he'd expected.
"Ok then, bind them then go inside."
"Very well. Ilk!" The guy from before cast some kind of magic on Archaes and the other intruder, they both lost consciousness.
Archaes awoke still to darkness, their hoods were still on but he was now lying down. A gust of wind showed they were still outside, but where were they? It was then he noticed his hands were free, quickly he removed the hood. They were in the spot Archaes had been waiting at before, seems they'd been lying there for some time as the sun was rising.

Aerich awoke with some darkness over his eyes but with slight light coming through.

"What the hell is this?" he said as he grasped for his face. "Really? They kept that thing on me? I could have suffocated..." He looked around him and saw a man standing before him. "Oh great they left someone to keep an eye on me." Aerich stood up and dusted himself off, "Well?" he said awaiting a reply.

"They dumped us here after their sorcerer knocked us out." Archaes replied, explaining the situation rather then answering the questions. "By the looks of it we were kept unconscious until after their meeting, so we're not going to find them."

Archaes looked at Aerich, then proceeded to offer his hand to help him up. "I'm Archaes, a Guild Hunter."

I shook his hand. "I am Aerich, " I said as I looked around the area. "I am sort of Guild Hunter." I looked the man up and down and wondered if he could be trusted. "Where do you hail from?" I asked but then said, "I am sorry that's a bit rude of me, I am from a small city up north in Calrim. If you don't mind my asking where is it that you come from?"

Archaes smiled, it was an interesting choice of words. "I'm a Natarim born, from Volcano Ridge." The air of distrust was obvious, though perfectly reasonable. Meeting someone for the first time in a destroyed town after getting caught by a Guild. Though that may have happened hours ago it had seemed like it was only an instant ago.
"Well." Archaes sighed. "Time to go, no point waiting around here for time that's past." He began to head out, walking alongside the wall of The Neutral City that bordered the Desolate Town. "I'll see you around some time."

I stood there for a second trying to figure out what to do or what to say. Finally I decided to follow the man, "Well seeing as we're both guild hunters how about we go together?" I asked while catching up to his companion "...for a little while at least." I said as I slowed down next to him. "If you're hunting guilds then I assume you're going to need some help. By the looks of you you're a magician right? Well," I took my swords out for a second one at a time. "I am a swordsman, if you were to get in to any scraps you might need someone to watch your back while you cast a spell. What do you say?"

Archaes stopped, looking at Aerich with a disappointed look. "Those from Natarim cannot be spell casters, you're thinking of Taradin or Anarim. It's surprising to see someone who doesn't know the natural traits of our lands, those of us from Natarim are magic weapon users." To demonstrate Archaes summoned his Blade of Flame. It was literally a blade that was on fire. "This is my Lockheim, a weapon from my homeland known as the Blade of Flame, the volcano is the only place one can be forged and no two are the same."

I was embarrassed, but he was right I've always been a bit ignorant when it came to the rest of the world. During studies I would either zone out or play around. "Well like I said I come from a small city. The offer still stands if you'll accept it, although where are you headed?"

Archaes began a walk again alongside the wall of the Neutral City. "To the city, this wall is the outer wall of the Neutral City run by the Neutral Alliance." Due to being raised in Natarim, Archaes had a lot of knowledge about the land, it's history and the people in the land. This was also helped by the things he'd learned travelling the lands for so long as a Guild Hunter.

'I had heard of this place of course, that's one thing I remembered in my lessons...but to think that I am here now.' I thought to myself. "I assume that there are lots of other Guild Hunters there..." I said as I began to figure out what he was doing. "Aha! You're trying to get information on the location of these guilds!" I exclaimed hoping that I knew exactly what my companion was thinking.

Something was off about this guy, what kind of Guild Hunter knew so little about the past? "The Neutral City is a Neutral ground, I'm heading there because it's a good place to rest up. I already have all the information I need...And when we get to the city, we will part ways." Archaes considered Aerich to be a burden, having to explain every little thing to the guy really wasn't his forte. He had always stood alone anyway, it was easier that way, no one to get in the way.

I realized that Archaes was on to me, so I just shut up and continued walking along. I didn't think that it would be this easy to tell that I didn't know much of anything. It was only a couple of weeks ago now that I woke up in a small cabin in the frozen mountains, not knowing who I was or where I had come from. All I knew was from the man who had taken care of me, that I had been in a guild and that we were in a fight against a group of guild hunters...my guild had killed them and they had left me on those mountains for dead. "I am looking for information on a specific guild...that's why I was going to the Exlaws..." I said quietly in a serious tone. I needed answers, if they were as strong as a guild as I've been told then they would have the information that I would need.

"You'll have better luck asking around the city. Guilds don't tend to like people entering into their territories." Archaes sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before muttering. "They treat this world like they own it." Then opening his eyes again. Archaes had listened to many stories of the past when he was little, he had heard so much about the harm Guilds had caused and the problems that came with it. There had been s0o many more villages in the past but many had been wiped out by Guilds warring, the desolate city here was a big reminder of what Guilds had done.

((Sorry for taking so long.))