Naunet

I typically pre-order MMOs, but then I only go for MMOs that get me super excited. Don't really play other games. Have pre-ordered many a WoW expac, Rift, Aion, TERA, FFXIV, WildStar... I don't really regret any of them, even though I've parted ways gameplay-wise with all but one or two (hi, WildStar and mebbeh Rift! ).

Okay I know it's not FFXIV, and I try hard not to post any of my other art except FFXIV stuff here, but I was/am super happy with how it turned out. That's one of my WoW characters and her totallynotevilatall staff. Yup. Nothing to see here. "So I tried casting the magic from that madness-inducing plant we found, and now there's plants growing on my staff and it makes the magic cast better. That's good, right? This can only end well."

Making a face at Cypress's words, Thal chose instead to answer Ulanan with a shrug. "Sorry, that name doesn't ring a bell, but then nothing does, so that doesn't count for much. If he says it, then..." Twitching his ears back, he let out a rough huff of air through his mouth. "Ugh, this is just... Can we at least get some help for the gods damned Amal'jaa before anyone else decides to kill anyone here?!"

"Thalen?" Thal blinked in confusion for half a second. Still holding onto D'aijeen, Thal turned his glare on the Tia. "Guess this mess suits you just fine," he muttered and then louder, to Ulanan and Cypress, "You said you were looking for the Hipparion Tribe. You know any of 'em? Because those are the people I'm trying my hardest to save. Maybe that'll make you have some second thoughts?"

"How? When you got more trouble in your sandbox that's worth a lot more." Blue eyes narrowed after the lalafell. "Hey! Alright, fine! Ugh."

"I won't let her, kid." All humor dropped from Thal's voice and expression when he snapped, "You don't care about dozens of lives? Y'here that, right, Mister Amal'jaa-lover? We're trying to help prevent more people from dying, and all everyone cares about is the gods damned people who are already dead."

"Not gonna help anything, kiddo." Thal reached out to snag her before she could get too far, though he barely held back a grimace at the situation. "Be happy to help you two with whatever, but right now I'm more concerned about the Amal'jaa that are either on our tail or planning an attack on an unsuspecting tribe right now."

"Eeeeh Drybone isn't exactly the best option." Thal's tail shifted about. "Plus, I want some assurance you two aren't going to go nuts on the kid."

"Hey, I'm no more or less violent than you, Mister I'm-gonna-make-friends-with-the-Amal'jaa-and-enslave-my-whole-family," Thal shot back. He looked to the lalafell then and added, "Normally I'd be right with you there, but in this case, I'm definitely telling the truth. We gotta get to Ul'dah."

"Don't know what you're talking about," Thal shrugged, choosing to play dumb. He grimaced and rubbed at his hair. "Look, can this wait? A bunch of lives are at stake."

Thal let out a long sigh. "Oh boy." He put one hand behind him, pressing it against D'aijeen in what he meant as a reassuring gesture. "Well, y'found us, so unless you're willing to help us out with our own little problem, we'll just be on our way."

Thal raised one brow, ears tilting while he kept his eyes on the familiar roegadyn. "What're you looking for them for, exactly?"

By the time K'ile was chatting away, Thal had gotten a second look at the pair and did a doubletake. For several seconds, his expression slackened, and he blinked at them. Then he plastered that grin right back on and chuckled to hide his uncertainty. "Fancy meeting you out here."

((Follows None of Us Would Ever Come Home Again)) Thal kept his spirits up as much as possible as the trio made their way vaguely northward towards Highbridge, forcefully injecting some spring in his step though he felt inexplicably exhausted. Every so often he pondered the problem of disguising the kid but would shrug it off after a few minutes as something that would resolve itself in time. He would figure something out. He always did. He also made sure to keep an eye on K'ile, though the Tia had so far not made a move to attempt escape or attack. Still, despite Thal's outwardly relaxed demeanor, his senses remained on high alert - not just for the Tia, but for the Amal'jaa he half suspected to leap upon them at any moment. He was so on the watch for these two specific events that he failed to notice another pair of wanderers until they were nearly upon them. His light steps stopped completely and he grabbed at D'aijeen to hide her behind himself as he watched the pair - a lalafell and a roegadyn, if he were not mistaken - approach from some dozen fulms away. There wasn't time to get to hiding and not look suspicious, so instead Thal went whole hog into a greeting: "Hey there, strangers!" He called out, flashing a grin with his tired face and blue eyes. One hand lifted in a wave and he hoped the Tia's shirt was enough to hide the worst of his body's wounds.

Judging from the name, probably some kind of fever. Maybe hemorrhagic, given its lethality?

"Maybe you should stop looking and just make something new then," Thal offered in all of his simplistic, entirely unasked for wisdom. His ears flitted about as they moved, and he did his best to keep their pace brisk.

"We'll find you something. In the meantime, just stay out of sight when we get to that Highbridge place." He ignored K'ile's suggestion, instead turning his attention outward, sniffing the air. "Let's get going." Reaching behind him, he urged D'aijeen along as he started to move.

"What good're your hands to fix your problems when you apparently have no clue how to use them?" Thal rolled his eyes and adjusted the shirt a bit before throwing his arms out. "There. All disguised. Let's go get us some smelly birds."

Lifting the shirt with one foot, Thal set to pulling it on. "Messing things up and bringing death to the tribe... well now, that's pretty close to what you were gonna do. Maybe I should go around calling you evil, too, huh?" He grunted as he worked it over his tattered skin, trying to preserve as much as he could for no real reason. "Just learn to accept help when you need it. Nothing says you have to keep shaking hands with these Ul'dahns afterward. Bet they'll be glad enough to be rid of some Amal'jaa. I sure know the Woodwailers took any chance they could get to beat up Ixali."

"We'll just have to see what happens." The battered miqo'te flashed the young, very dead girl a quick, reassuring grin. "One thing at a time though, huh? Kind of like an adventure. Let's save the world! Or, well, a tribe. The tribe." He gave K'ile a sidelong look. "Such an evil thing for us dead people to do."

"Not right now, kiddo." Thal watched the Tia struggle for a moment before interjecting amusedly, "Want some help with that?"

Thal chuckled, but it was a flat sound. "Highbridge. Right." Then he turned to K'ile and gestured. "Alright, off with 'em. And be quick about it." He looked past the Tia, outward towards where they'd fled from, and grimaced. No sign of anything so far, but who knew how long that would last.

"Nah, kid, hate to say it but this time--" Thal lifted one hand and shook it at K'ile, "--just this time! He's got the better idea. Only problem is how to go about getting the birds. Thinking we need those disguises first, unless I want to trust you in getting them for us."

"Disguise our scent." Thal made a face. "All kinds of gross things to roll around in out here I'm betting. As for tracks, going through the rocks'll as much as possible'll help. Keep us out of sight, too."

"We'll just have to be sneaky about it, then." Thal flashed a grin that turned into a grimace when he looked down at himself. "... and work on getting something to hide this mess." Tail flicking in anticipation, he glanced up towards D'aijeen. "Kid, you know this area, yeah? Quietest way to Ul'dah?"