Wrathgate Wednesday: New Recruit Edition

RP events are fantastic ways of introduce a new character to your regular gaming group.  Nykkolaia, who had a number of alts with the Wildfire Riders for while, introduced her new Mage during the Riders’ stand at Wrathgate.  Here’s her introduction.

The wind was blowing as Nykkolaia made her way into the encampment, or more appropriately said the encampments.

Nykk’s hood was pulled close around her face. It was a blue cloak, made of a fine Lordaeron wool; the only other thing to go into that cellar that came back out. The back trailed over the rump of her horse – a lovely and even-tempered grey named Halliah; the edges flickered quietly on the breeze as the horse moved forward through the crowds; scattered outcroppings at first that became more congested the further in she went, eventually forcing her to dismount and lead Halliah onward on foot.

She wasn’t entirely sure why she had come. Yes, the news not just whispered on the wind but seemingly screamed for blood; at least for those who knew how to listen, and listening was something that she was good at.

There was no one here that she had alliance to. Nykkolaia Zeran was not a woman of alliances. Yes, perhaps she was working to change this, but nothing had happened yet. She was still on her own, and she was alone in coming here as well… even without allegiance, she was here. She would fight, like everyone else and do her part… for whatever it was, in the end, she was doing her part for.

“Halt!”

There it was. She had known that someone was going to notice her one at some point. A hooded figure gliding through the crowds, bearing no colors of allegiance and not looking like she was moving towards any one group, was bound to be noticed. She pulled herself to a stop. Halliah whickered softly and the mage could sense her horse’s discontent with the number of people around them. They were both used to less populated areas.

Nykk turned her head towards the voice. From within the shadows of her cowl, she could see a young soldier. Perhaps older than she by the count of the land’s years, but she saw his youth in his eyes.

“Name?” The young soldier had a ledger book of some sort.

“Nykkolaia Zeran,” she replied smoothly. She didn’t move. She waited on the soldier with the patience that death waited for them all.

Finally, he frowned and lifted his head from his reading of the ledger. “Who are you with?”

Now there was the next part. Who was she with? “No one,” she replied. The emptiness within whispered loudly. “Ah’m heah on mah own, tae do what Ah can,” she added, although she wasn’t sure why she said it. That was obvious, wasn’t it?

For a few moments, the soldier eyed her. “Remove your hood,” he said, suspiciously.

“A’right,” she replied, turning her body to face him and straightening to her not-exceptional height. She knew that she didn’t look like a soldier. Her hands rose and dropped her hood away from her face. Her mouth curved into a slight smile upon seeing his expression. “Nae tha face yeh were expectin’, eh lad?” she asked.

He stumbled for a moment, but then gathered himself. “What’s your occupation?”

“Mage,” she replied.

Looking her over, he seemed to accept this as a likely truth and nodded. “All right,” he said. He nodded in a vague direction. “Set yourself up with the other irregulars, there’s some making camp that way.” With that, he turned back to his ledger, writing down important things and heading off on new important business. Idly, she watched him go and then clicked softly to Hallia, leading her in the direction the boy had nodded.

Wha’ are yeh doin’ heah, girl? she asked herself. Yeh know no one. Yeh have nae frien’s. Yeh have nae familah. Yeh have… nothin’. Sae wha’ are yeh doin’ heah? Fightin’ some fight tha’ be nae yer own? Wha’ group are yeh goin’ tae fight wit’? Who will watch yer back an’ make sure tha’ a blade ain’ stuck through ‘et?

Nae one. Sae wha’ good in tha bloodeh feckin’ ‘ell d’yeh thank yer gonna do here?

The viscous little inner voice was ignored. As were the people who looked at her strangely on her way through. There weren’t many, really, because everyone had their own business to worry about. In crowds like this, her scars – while unique in shape – weren’t cause for staring like in ‘civilized’ society. It was the ones there in battle-scarred and hardened armor that looked at her with the ‘what do you think *you’ll* do here’ look.

As she drew closer to the group of other ‘peripheral’ soldiers, as she inferred them to be considered, she realized that she recognized a few faces from some recent visit to the Pig. She realized, suddenly, that the Wildfire Riders were here…

Strangely, she felt a skip to the beat of her heart inside the cool space of her chest. She didn’t entirely comprehend the cause of it. Her steps paused for a moment and then she kept walking up to where the rest were, and set herself up near where the Riders were camped. Nykk didn’t presume to invade their staked out turf, but even for how little she knew them, they were still probably the closest something to… anything she had here.

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