Dreams of High Energy

Arc 1, Part 1

"The woods 'ere quiet today. Nay activity on the tree line and no sight of 'hem... things," the raspy voice declared. It echoed through the tall and wide hall, lit by candles and strange beams coming from the ceiling. The structure was clearly built from stone and wood, the aesthetic not matching any other building in the rest of the city. It was clear it had been preserved from the days of old by the looks of things.

Old Butchman had gotten an audience with the Lord King of Jorvar. His duty was to let her highness know of any seen movement or signs of life beyond the city's walls. The tensions inside the city had been increasingly high in recent weeks. Food and water was low, hunting trips and expeditions were too dangerous to be attempted and Ci-Stone, a precious mineral full of different types of energy, was not being mined.

Lord King of Jorvar finally spoke, "Butchman, your information is valued. Proceed out the way you came, your reward remains as it was and as it will be. Power."

Old Butchman seemed somewhat bitter, leaning onto his cane, nodding and finally walking through a large pair of doors that were being held open by guards in black and light grey armor. The doors were shut behind Butchman's back as he walked out. Inside the room Lord King of Jorvar sat on her throne in silence. The hall seemed like a void without joy or energy. Lord King, Bodil was her name, looked frustrated as well as focused on the pressing matters at hand. Bodil of Jorvar was the latest of a long lineage of great rulers all given the title of Lord King. However, Bodil is undoubtedly the most unpopular Lord King of the city's history. She unfortunately had inherited a dying economy and the results of the worst famine in the history of Jorvar. It was easy to blame her, and most people did. However a few families, all involved with the Stone House, were in support of her. That's how she remained in power.

On the outskirts of the Jorvar Province, outside the great protective stone walls of Jorvar, laid a small village. Home to many farmers, miners and ambassadors to the outside world. The town had been named "Tourus", having gotten it from an old language. It's true meaning is debated but the general consensus is that Tourus means "Power" or "Durability". Not only does it make sense considering the town's history and future, it also drives off threats such as bandits simply by the reputation that name holds. Ironically enough the town only has five active guards.

Tourus is home to the Harkness Family. They're the only remaining original family in Tourus. The Harknesses have lived through all of the town's rather rich history. Some members of the Harkness Family even say that Tourus and the Harknesses have been in the Jorvar Province longer than the city of Jorvar itself. The current alive family consists of Rosalind Harkness also known as The Eldest, Henriette Harkness, Percival Harkness, Basil Harkness, Mana Harkness and finally the youngest, Cyril Harkness, though Cyril hasn't been around the family nor the town for nearly 5 years. Cyril doesn't have the greatest reputation in his town due to this. His brother Basil and sister Henriette all but hate him, but he has retained a good relationship with the family's oldest child, Mana. Mana and Cyril have always been close ever since Cyril was born. Unfortunately their mother passed during the birth of Cyril which is a painful memory the older siblings share together. Ever since their mother, Annabel, died their father, Percival, went into a grave depression. He hasn't been properly able to ever recover from it, which has made the relationship between him and his children very stiff and rocky.

Today the inside and outside of the Great Hall of Tourus was being decorated and cleaned. Tonight was going to be a great feast where all the townsfolk would be invited to sing, eat, drink and dance. Henriette was spearheading the whole operation, making Basil and Mana do all the heavy lifting while she kept a hold of the specifics such as the amount of the cutlery, plates, mugs and what not. After what happened at the last party, she was really taking it seriously.