[postalblowfish7]

Journeys Through Vana'diel
The voyages and adventures of Phinn


CHAPTER I: The Young Hopeful

Phinn slowly opened his eyes. The fire from the night before was still popping and crackling away. The Hume with dark, sandy-blonde hair sat up and surveyed his room. It was but one tiny Mog House in the grand residential district of the great castle town of San d'Oria. The room was mostly barren. A tiny bookstand intended for the short Tarutaru race stood to the left of the fireplace, a large work table with only one empty ceramic pot sitting on it covered the floor to the right, and a moogle hovered in the middle of the room. There wasn't a single piece of furniture that might make the life of a young adventurer comfortable in even the tiniest bit.

Phinn stood up and brushed off the armor which he had been sleeping in. Sleeping on the floor would be another sacrifice the young adventurer would have to make until he started earning some serious money. Even the simplest of beds could cost well over 100,000 gil - more than the young Phinn could even dream about at this stage in his career. But he was determined to one day walk amongst the combat elites of San d'Oria, making young adventures weep with envy at his every passing. He imagined himself as a mighty red mage, clad in deep red with a white feather sticking out of his pointed cap. The daydream was so potent he didn't even notice the moogle who had begun speaking.

"Are you ready to go outside kupo?" the floating white creature with purple bat wings said in a squeaky little voice.

"Aye, and I won't be back for a while - I must train until i'm strong enough to take out any orc I come across in the great forest of Ronfaure," Phinn said with a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

"Ok, kupo - just don't overdo it!" the moogle said with genuine concern.

"Don't worry little guy," Phinn consoled, "I'll make it back here in one piece. Oh that reminds me - did you ever receive the money for that stack of bat wings I sold in the auction house?"

"4,000 gil kupo!" the moogle buzzed with excitement as he handed the gil over to his master. "Keep it up and soon Phinn won't have to sleep on the floor anymore kupo!"

Phinn smirked, "Let's all keep hoping little guy." Walking over to the door he turned to his odd companion once more, "See you later!"

"Be safe kupo!" Phinn walked through the door.


-=Downloading Data=-


The residential system of San D'Oria was a bit odd. Citizens such as Phinn were given a room, and only one room, to store their spoils of adventure. These rooms were in larger dormitories or sectional housing complexes, which led to a large courtyard with paths leading to all ends of the great castle town of San D'Oria. Phinn had taken the road to Southern San D'Oria, where he had much business to take care of before setting out into the forest. His first stop was the Lion Springs Inn.

The door to the inn opened with some effort, and Phinn was greeted by a most familiar sight. The place was bustling with travelers of all races and walks of life. Summoners, dragoons, monks, warriors, and red mages like himself were but a few of the characters he noticed as he walked in. On the stage standing in front of dusty red curtains that seamed as old as the city itself was a small Tarutaru bard with a feathered cap playing a flute. Phinn walked down a few stone steps and approached the front of the stage. The bard was singing a delightful tune about adventure in the name of Windurst - the federation to which most Tarutaru belonged.

When it was over Phinn clapped his hands. The bard looked back graciously, "Thank you random adventurer for your kindness, perhaps you could spare a donation of 200 gil?" Phinn's cheeks turned red.

"Actually bard, I regret to inform you that I don't really have that kind of money to spare. I don't even have a bed you see..."

Phinn was interrupted by a fuming Tarutaru, "Then next time don't stand there like you're going to tip me!"

"I'm sorry! I promise I'll come back and show my appreciation with more than words someday." Phinn bowed 'What a spoony little bard' he thought to himself. The bard just grunted slightly and started playing a song again, seemly ignoring the words Phinn had just spoken. 'Oh well,' Phinn thought, 'I have more important business to attend to.' He turned his attention to the man standing by the fireplace to his left.

"Hey Legata," Phinn said to the man forever staring into the flames of the Lion Springs Inn fireplace, "I brought you those 4 flint stones as I promised."

"Oh thank you so much Phinn! Here, let me see if I can't muster a little reward for your trouble." Legata fumbled around his his pouch while Phinn watched nervously on. Hopefully this reward would be a grand step towards Phinn's dream of sleeping in a warm, comfortable bed one day. "Ah, here we go!" Legata said as he extended his clenched fist. Phinn extended an open palm to receive the reward. Much to his dismay, nothing but a single 100 gil coin dropped into his hand.

"Oh... gee... thank you so much Legata..." The words stumbled out of Phinn's mouth. This would be the last time he would bother collecting the stones from the wretched insides of the Carrion Worms that were found in the forest surrounding the city. At least that daff Elvaan on the north end of town was gracious enough to give 200 gil for every TWO bat wings he was given. Here's someone asking for 4 of something and giving half the reward. Phinn valed his silent disappointment. Between the spoony bard hitting him up for gil and the major disappointment of Legata's frugalness Phinn was starting to feel like he was having a bad day. "I'll see you around," Phinn said to the cheap scape who was 4 flint stones richer.

"Aye, and please - if you happen to find 4 more please bring them back to me!" Legata said, eyes closed his smile was so wide.

"Yeah sure," Phinn said sounding a little stiff, "I'll be sure to." As the door of the inn closed behind him Phinn's eyes were flooded with noon light. He looked down to avoid squinting and studied the chipped and worn 100 gil coin he had just received. Phinn sighed heavily. He walked a short distance to the great fountain that sputtered away in front of the inn and sat on a stone bench there. A shady looking Elvaan was standing next to him looking off into space. For a moment his eyes met Phinn's.

"Hello young adventurer, would you like to play a game of chance?" The tall Elvaan said. Phinn looked once again at the 100 gil in his hand.

"No thanks, I'd better hold on to what I can for now." He threw the 100 gil in his bag and started towards the west gate. 'Enough of the money trouble of the city,' Phinn thought as he passed the many citizens and travelers of the great castle town San d'Oria, 'I have business with the orcs...'

[postalblowfish7]

CHAPTER II: Orcish Fodder

Phinn's sword crashed downward on the small beast bellow. The forest hare was thrown back a good distance before rushing forward again to defend itself against this hume combatant. Phinn prepared himself to once again bring his sword down upon the sickly looking rabbit with huge, black eyes. The hare took this opertunity to quickly spin around and kick sand and dirt into the young adventurer's eyes.

"AAAK! I can't see a thing!" Phinn cried as he blindly brought his sword down upon where he thought the hare would be. Instead only wind was sliced as his sword fell upon the ground. 'Just listen you fool,' Phinn thought to himself as he raised his sword again to hopefully strike down upon the hare once more. With a whack Phinn was hit dirrectly on his side by the coniving little beast. This gave away the forest hare's position, and Phinn was finally able to successfully deal the final blow to the long eared creature.

"Finally," Phinn said outloud as he re-sheathed his sword. He bent over the corpse of the small woodland creature he was barely able to match in one on one combat. He turned it over slowly with his hands. It didn't look like the hide was worth keeping. Phinn sighed. He sat down on the cool grass and rested a moment. 'There has to be something that would actually be worth hunting out here,' he thought surveying the mid-night landscape.

Ronfaure was a grand and beautiful forest. The sound of the wind caressing the leaves of its ancient trees was deafening at times. The Cheval River cut its way through the middle of the eastern half of the forest, and beasts of all sort were roaming about everywhere. Phinn was hunting close to the gates of San d'Oria. If a battle turned sour, as many had in his early days, he'd have to get inside the city walls as fast as possible. Otherwise he would experience the same uncomfortablely jaring experience he had felt several times all ready.

Upon blacking out from a battle in which he had been defeated, Phinn had felt his spirit returning to the form of the crystal inside the city, his body perminantly weaker from the extra-spiritual journey. He could always just train his mind and body back to the level of strength he had enjoyed before such unfortunate encounters, but it was that grey period of earning his way back to where he had been before screwing up that drove Phinn mad. After tasting defeat at the hands of wandering orcs much stronger than him, Phinn decided on a slight change of strategy. Piling up forest hare and worm carcasses seamed to be the only way he could 'play it safe' so early on in his career.

Tedious as it might've been, the area dirrectly around the city gates was as far as Phinn was willing to travel at this stage in his life. Surely if he stuck near the gates no harm could come to him. But Phinn couldn't help but to feel restless. The grand red banners baring the crest of San d'Oria hung long and proud on either side of the entrance to the castle city. This sight displeased Phinn, who's original motivation to pick up a sword sprung out of the youthful daydreams of exploration and adventure that he hoped awaited him as a soldier of Vana'diel, far away from the city which he called home.

So far he had only seen the inside of the city, and the very edge of the great forest. The frustration was unimaginable. Phinn had heard stories and legends told of all the amazing lands outside of the comfortable boarders of his homeland, and yet he was so far powerless to become a part of them. Feeling fully rested he stood back up and piered into the darkness of the forest. That's when they caught his eye.

"Ding bats!" Phinn exclaimed at the sight of the creatures at the forest edge. They started moving deeper into the woods. "Alright then," he said before beginning to run towards the spot where the bats had disappeared into the ancient trees.

Phinn slowly moved his way through the forest, the trees coming more frequently and the light dimmer and dimmer the further south he moved. 'Where did those little buggers fly off too?' Phinn thought to himself as looked all about him. He hadn't seen nor heard the bats since his initial pursuit by the castle walls. It's as if they had just dissapeared. Phinn stopped running a moment. The trickling of the Cheval River had ceased and the surrounding appeared unfamiliar. 'More importantly, where the hell am I?'

His pulse quickening, Phinn decided to abandon the search and head back to the safety of the city walls. His heart soon sunk to his knees upon hearing an unfortunately familiar sound. A sound which meant punishment for foolish exploration into the dark heart of the forest. It was the sound of an orc spotting him, and preparing his attack.

Phinn spun around immediately to face the approaching foe. He had never faced one of these bulky green creatures and survived before, but he was too far away from the city to run now. No, Phinn would have to make his stand against the hulking beastman. The orc was clad in mail of dark autumn colors. Dirty oranges, purples, and browns scaled down the creature's body, its fat round head sticking out of its armor, adorned with a feathered leather cap. The orc grunted again as it approached, swinging its crudely built axe.

Facing the creature before it had been able to attack gave Phinn a chance to parry, but the force of the orc was too strong and Phinn's long bronze sword was thrown to the ground. He brought it up again and struck it down upon the orc's shoulder. He could tell by the engraged grunting noise the green creature made that the hit had cause some damage. Perhaps all of his training by the castle walls had paid off more than the young adventurer had realized. The orc struck Phinn on the side with its axe, leaving a good slice in Phinn's grey and white leather armor. Another hit in the same spot and surely the orc would break through what little protection Phinn had left.

Suddenly he remembered what he had been doing right before he had chased those confounded ding bats into the woods. He had been blinded by that scrawny little bunny, and that blindness almost cost him the battle. 'You're a red mage you idiot...' Phinn thought as he started mumbling the magical phrases that would bring darkness to the orc's vission. He finished the spell just in time, as the attack just launched by the orc might've finished Phinn off. Luckily the blindness set in disrupting the aim of the attack, and like Phinn's sword slicing the air around the forest hare, the orc's axe fell hard into the ground by Phinn's feet. With a new air of confidence Phinn gathered all his strength for one final massive attack: the fast blade. While the blinded orc fumbled around with his axe wildly swinging it in search of its hume target, Phinn lifted his sword, jumped forward, and brought it down full force upon the orc. The bulgy green creature fell to the ground with one final grunt. Phinn had done it. He had successfully killed his first orc.

As he re-sheathed his blade Phinn could feel something happening to him. As if some magical force was healing his body and mind, and at the same time he could feel his body and mind become more capacious. His skin seemed to glow for a moment with a magical blue gloss. A glorious fanfare seemed to play loudly inside of Phinn's mind, as if he truly had accomplished something great. He had felt this before, several times since he had started adventuring. All Phinn knew is that after this transient experience he was able to take on tougher foes.

The sensation invigorated him. Phinn set out and began slaughtering all the orcs he could match blades with, finding combat easier than ever before. Now he hoped it wouldn't be long before he left Ronfaure in the shadow of San d'Oria, and journeyed to the surrounding lands of which he had only heard tales. The thought tantilized Phinn's imagination, and he killed orcs until the sun rose the next day.