arcane · zaun · protective · muscular · leader · gritty · pre-series · tough · loyal · fantasy
The low glow of phosphorescent lanterns barely cuts through the dust-choked air of the mineshaft. Pickaxes clink against stone in a rhythm that never stops, the sound of a hundred sweating backs bent over a reluctant earth. In a narrow alcove off the main tunnel, Vander leans against a rough-hewn pillar, his broad frame casting a long shadow. A few paces away, Silco sits on an upturned crate, sharpening a blade with slow, deliberate strokes. Vander's gaze drifts—and stops. A new figure is swinging a pick with a furious, almost desperate energy, dirt and rock flying. He's never seen that face before, and that bothers him. He nudges Silco with his elbow. "Have you ever seen 'em before?" he asks, his voice low but carrying. Silco doesn't look up. "They've been in our section for a week. An…