It's Always Sunny in Hama Valon (Attn: Jake and Sunny)

Hama Valon, the city around the Grey Tower.
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Welcome to Hama Valon! The aptly named 'mountain guard' is the city that has grown up at the gates of the Grey Tower at the western edge of the Two Rivers. Like all cities, there are quiet quarters with pleasant inns, such as Elman's Creek, which used to be the nearest village when the Tower was young, but was absorbed as the new city grew; its Band of Brothers Inn is still a favorite relaxation spot for many of the Tower's denizens. And again, like all cities the world over, there are less pleasant places--narrow, nameless streets that house hells and other houses of ill repute. Most of the city falls somewhere in between, with hawkers crying their wares in the streets, respectable shopkeepers ready to serve you, and petty cutpurses happy to follow you.

Novices, Soldiers, and drin'far'ji must be accompanied by a chaperon when outside Tower walls or they risk being picked up as runaways and duly punished.
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Craig
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It's Always Sunny in Hama Valon (Attn: Jake and Sunny)

Post by Craig » May 21st, 2018, 10:28 pm

Thea Darrow
The day was full of excitement! A beautiful cloudless sky was draped over Hama Valon; the sky providing radiant heat and light to its winding streets and open markets. Thea skipped amongst the crowd. The hem of her canary yellow dress bounced up and down, revealing slippers that had once been white, but were now splattered with mud. A wide grin was permanently plastered on her face as she looked through the colourful windows of the shops. She couldn't remember the last time someone had taken her shopping, but she'd never been shopping with Dad before! He'd even given her a small pouch of silver coins to spend!

The street ended in a square filled with dozens of stalls. Thea paused on the threshold as she looked at the wares on offer. She was giddy with the idea of buying things, but she only had so much money to spend. Biting on her upper lip, she peered around, blue eyes squinting and widening in equal measure. There was a stall brimming with cakes, but there was another with shiny jewellery. Mum loved her jewellery; all Thea had was a little charm. Maybe she could get a pretty glass flower like Mum's! She started towards the jewellery stall before pausing, then turned to face the cake stall only to pause again. Her nose scrunched up in thought.

"Daddy?" Thea turned around, expecting her dad to be standing behind her. He wasn't. She stood up on tiptoes, then started to jump when she couldn't see him. She settled back on her heels with a frown. She wasn't concerned - after all, there were plenty of people around to look after her - but it did mean she couldn't ask for money for both a cake and some jewellery. Exhaling a little puff of regret for losing her dad, she looked for someone big and clever to ask. There were a few Aes Sedai and Asha'man that Thea could see, but she didn't want to pester any of them. "They are very important people," her mum had told her, "if you need help, ask one of the Dedicated or Accepted." Well, Thea couldn't see any Accepted or Dedicated to ask.

After peering up at various people, Thea finally opted to approach someone who looked smart. At least he dressed smart, and he had a sword a bit like Dad's. She skipped over to him, jumping into his path as he walked.

"Hello, I'm Thea, nice to meet you!" She curtsied like an Accepted, with a bend of her knees and a deep bow of her head, except in half the time. "Can I ask you a question? What's better, cake or jewellery?" She grinned up at the stranger she'd accosted, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I want cake, but Mum likes jewellery, and I can only buy one or the other." She held up her coin purse, shaking it to show how many coins she had left. "What'd'you think?"
Spoiler: show
Thea is about ten. She has inherited the pale blue eyes of her father. Her long, pale brown hair is either left loose or tied into a plain ponytail. She isn't a beauty like her mother, but her youthful, cherub-like face is endearing to most people. She wears simple dresses in bold colours, usually embroidered with birds or flowers. Thea always wears a silver charm around her neck.
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Elan wrote:Of course, the problems with observing a chain of command arise when the one in command decides to do something unspeakably idiotic, like taking off on his own for no discernible reason in the middle of enemy territory.

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Jake
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Re: It's Always Sunny in Hama Valon (Attn: Jake and Sunny)

Post by Jake » May 21st, 2018, 10:43 pm

Introduction

Jakob Su Salza was typically not a man people wanted to approach, what with his drawn down brows and slightly squinting eyes making him look to be constantly on the brink of sneering. He was deep in thought as he marched down the cobbled streets of Hama Valon, his eyes passing over shops of every description and color without really seeing any of it.

Having left the safety of House Riatin in Cairhien for greener pastures, he had expected to find work here as a sellswrod easy to come by. He had been quickly disabused of such notions. These Grey Tower people seemed to be trying to stay neutral in a rapidly deteriorating world of friend or foe. Seanchan on one side, the Black Tower on another, whitecloaks and every other type of disrupitable sort alive encircling them. One might think they would need every available hand. Why-

Jakob blinked in confusion at the interruption to his thoughts, and the child who had planted herself in front of him. She appeared to be well dressed, so not some rabble commoner's child. Even so, she was hardly going to help him get what he needed. Chiefly, coin.

"Cake." Jakob replied simply, not bothering to elaborate on why and already trying to move around the child.
It takes a special type of gift to value evil.

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Craig
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Re: It's Always Sunny in Hama Valon (Attn: Jake and Sunny)

Post by Craig » May 21st, 2018, 11:08 pm

Thea Darrow
"But why?" Thea continued unperturbed, even moving a little bit to side to halt the man's passage. "Mum says you can't just say 'because', that you've got to have a reason. So why cake?"

She could sense her enthusiasm and questions weren't holding this man's attention. It was time to switch up her performance!

"Does your sword have a heron on it? My uncle has herons on his swords. Dad has black ones on his wrists." Thea never understood why people were so surprised by that. It was the same when people were shocked to find out that Mum was the Amyrlin. It all seemed normal to her.

Thea bounced on her feet. "Why can you be called a Blademaster if you just punch people? I don't understand, but that's what people say Dad does. Shouldn't it have another name like Punchmaster?"
OOC: Short and sweet. Like Thea. Or cake.
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Elan wrote:Of course, the problems with observing a chain of command arise when the one in command decides to do something unspeakably idiotic, like taking off on his own for no discernible reason in the middle of enemy territory.

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Jake
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Re: It's Always Sunny in Hama Valon (Attn: Jake and Sunny)

Post by Jake » May 21st, 2018, 11:37 pm

Jakob couldn't keep his brows from steadily rising with each sentence the girl spouted, until he had to physically regather himself. He squared off with this over-exuberant child, quite interested. If even a word of what this child said was true, he might be able to get something worth while out of the incident.

"...And your father is nearby?" He looked around as though he could spot the fellow. He imagined it would he easy enough, spotting a man of the description she gave for tattoos. And her uncle was a blade master? Maybe he knew someone who needed hired swords to supplement his own? Doubtful, but it never hurt to ask. "And this uncle, what is his name? Perhaps I know him. Not many men can become blademasters."
It takes a special type of gift to value evil.

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Craig
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Re: It's Always Sunny in Hama Valon (Attn: Jake and Sunny)

Post by Craig » May 22nd, 2018, 10:43 am

Thea Darrow
"Uhh..." She swung her head back and forth, scanning the crowds quickly. Most of what she saw were the heads and shoulders of the nearest people, then just the tops of heads, then the buildings in the distance. Thea couldn't wait until she was tall like one of the Aiel. "I don't see him," she concluded, "but he's around somewhere." Dad would find her eventually, or they would just meet again back at the Tower.

"Uncle Rav? Oh, he got a funny name." She cleared her throat, adding to the spectacle. "Ravak t'Sha'hal Darrow, Warder to Mia Sedai. Hey, you've got a nose a bit like Aunt Mia's. Are you Saldaean too? Ooh, have you seen Trollocs? I read there's lots of Trollocs in Saldaea."
Spoiler: show
Ravak was formerly the Master of Arms of the Grey Tower (equivalent to the Amyrlin). Up to you if Jakob knows the name.
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Elan wrote:Of course, the problems with observing a chain of command arise when the one in command decides to do something unspeakably idiotic, like taking off on his own for no discernible reason in the middle of enemy territory.

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Jake
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Re: It's Always Sunny in Hama Valon (Attn: Jake and Sunny)

Post by Jake » May 22nd, 2018, 11:17 am

The name didn't quite ring any immediate bells, but Jakob supposed it would make sense a warder had the title of blade master. Few men had as much need of it as men who spent their lives with mad women like Aes Sedai. Regular women were generally difficult, add in the ability to throw fire and call lightning and you were asking for trouble, in his opinion.

"Bloody egg whites, you ask a lot of questions." Jakob thought he murmured to low for the kid to hear, casting one last glance around the crowd before kneeling beside the girl. "Thea, was it? Why dont I help you find this elusive father of yours? Take me where you last saw him, and we'll do what we can." Jakob offered his hand for the girl to hold so she wouldnt get jostled too badly by the crowd.
It takes a special type of gift to value evil.

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Craig
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Re: It's Always Sunny in Hama Valon (Attn: Jake and Sunny)

Post by Craig » May 22nd, 2018, 1:27 pm

Thea
Thea didn't hesitate with taking the man's hand. It was quite common for a Soldier or Dedicated to help lead her around the Tower. The Grey Tower was so big and had so many rooms. She knew where the Library was, and she knew where Mum worked, and she knew where the Gaidin looked after dogs. Mum wouldn't allow them to have a dog, but they had Messy the cat. Thea preferred dogs. The dogs at the kennels could jump on people and knock them to the ground. Messy just lay around in sunbeams and chased the occasional mouse.

"What does elusive mean?" she asked as she led her captive audience towards the entrance of the square. "Is elusive a colour? Dad has black hair and it's always messy. Wait, you didn't tell me about the Trollocs in Saldaea. Have you seen Trollocs? I read about them. There was a whole book about a Trolloc war. Did you fight a Trolloc war?"

Hand-in-hand with her newfound companion, Thea grinned as she walked through the crowds.
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Elan wrote:Of course, the problems with observing a chain of command arise when the one in command decides to do something unspeakably idiotic, like taking off on his own for no discernible reason in the middle of enemy territory.

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Jake
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Re: It's Always Sunny in Hama Valon (Attn: Jake and Sunny)

Post by Jake » May 22nd, 2018, 9:20 pm

"I'm not Saldean." Jakob replied gruffly, still firmly holding the girls hand as they moved through the street. "I am from Cairhien, under the banner of House Riatin. So no, I've never seen a Trolloc." His eyes scanned the crowd while he spoke, and several shops stood out to him as they passed. Thinking on this girl and her ridiculous exuberance made him crack a hint of a smile. She might even have been cute if she didn't ask so many flaming questions.

"Say, didn't you want a cake for your mother?" Jakob paused next to a Baker shop, the smell of recently rolled flour permeating that portion of the street.
It takes a special type of gift to value evil.

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Craig
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Re: It's Always Sunny in Hama Valon (Attn: Jake and Sunny)

Post by Craig » May 23rd, 2018, 9:41 pm

Thea
Not Saldaean? That made her sad, but Cairhienin was good too! Thea didn't see the banner he spoke about though. Or did the banner float above the city of Cairhien? Maybe it was on one of the topless towers.

Talk of cake whipped her back into the present. "Cake for Mum?" She hadn't thought of that. If she got cake for Mum and herself, Tomas would be really jealous. A giddy smile crossed the young girl's face. "Do you think I have enough for two cakes?" Thea asked, holding up her bag of coins. "Do they have orange cake? And can we get something indigo-flavoured for Mum? Or maybe something with rose petals on it?"

She pressed her nose against the window, taking in the variety and number of cakes on display. Thea suspected they had a cake room somewhere in the Grey Tower. If she was an Aes Sedai, she would want a cake room. Even everyone would like her and she wouldn't have to play Days Daymarr.

The young Darrow turned back to her companion. "Are you getting cake? What sort of cake do you eat in Cairhien?"
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Elan wrote:Of course, the problems with observing a chain of command arise when the one in command decides to do something unspeakably idiotic, like taking off on his own for no discernible reason in the middle of enemy territory.

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Jake
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Joined: May 17th, 2018, 2:20 am
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Re: It's Always Sunny in Hama Valon (Attn: Jake and Sunny)

Post by Jake » May 23rd, 2018, 9:51 pm

Inspecting the bag of coins the child the child provided, he suspected she very much had enough for two cakes. This child had well-to-do parents indeed to let her run off with a pouch of silver like that.

"No, no cake for me. But I'm sure your mother would appreciate the rose petals. Actually, that's quite creative. Probably should have thought of that myself years back." His musing was more for himself as he practically jogged behind the girl and let her lead him into the store.

This... this is why I am not a parent.

"Keep your bloody hands to yourself and only look. No need to rile up the baker." Jakob made a bow for the woman behind the counter who already wore a deep furrowed frown for his curse. With a child no less. Well, he had never seen reason to treat children differently than adults. They had to learn sooner or later
It takes a special type of gift to value evil.

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