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<\|description\|>Alina Lilly Bloomfield Alina "Which is the lie; the mask or my face?" --- Essentials Nickname(s): Red, Lilly Gender: Female Age: 19 Birthday: 21/11 Affiliation: Fenixtear, the guild mark can be found on her left shoulder blade and is a dark red color Equipment: A bag of holding to contain her various outfits, wigs and make-up kits as well as any other misc item she might want to carry. Also to store a jar of dirt for when she needs to pretend to be a farmer, or possibly pirate captain. She also goes nowhere without a trusty dagger hidden somewhere on her person --- --- Personal Personality: Alina is, at heart, a true actress. A perfectionist that leaves no stone unturned in her preparation for whatever 'role' she must play for a job, that attitude to her work being the same whether it be through gathering information or simply making sure she has exactly the right amount of dirt on her to pretend to be a farmer. While to most, Alina comes off as a kind, gentle soul, this is simply her favorite act to play. As any who knows her personally will attest to, however, she is a manipulative, often heartless individual with a lack of sympathy or empathy for others as she toys with, uses, and then abandons others at the drop of a hat. She views others as simply nothing more than a tool to advance her agenda, not afraid to resort to any dirty trick or deed to get the job at hand done. Perhaps as a side effect of pretending to be so many people, but when all is said and done, even if one were to uncover the truth behind Alina, one would struggle to discern what is real or fake about the girl, the truth buried beneath her plethora of personalities, traits, and acts. Not even Alina seems to be aware of which persona within her is the real one. Does she simply do this because it's all she's ever known? Or because she wishes to? Does this make her happy, or does she only think it does because that's what she was raised to think? The girl wouldn't be able to answer. The one thing she does know for certain is that she wishes to forge her own path forward, to break free of her parent's ever-looming shadow, and to become her own person. Strengths: Oscar Winner: With a natural talent for acting befitting her magic, she seems to swing into various personas and acting seemingly with ease. The more she knows about her 'role', the more seamless the transition. An Eye For Small Detail: It doesn't matter how minor detail about a person it may be if she deems the person to be of some use she'll remember every gray hair tucked behind their right ear if she must. Reconnaissance Queen: Combined with her acting, magic, and ability to manipulate, as well as her habit of scrounging up every last bit of information from everyone even the old lady down the lane, she is one of if not the most efficient information gathers in the guild Not Just A Pretty Face: Alina knows her stuff, doing extensive reading on all sorts of matters and subjects let it be math or various magic so that she can pull off her act as close to perfect as possible Weaknesses: Apathetic: Despite her seeming mastery over the range of human emotions, she is unable to empathize with anyone which can lead to rifts between her and others. Talentless Fighter: While she is no mug in a fight, she tends to be outclassed rather quickly whenever magic becomes involved due to the more niche nature of her magic. Curiosity Killed the Cat: She has gotten herself in over her head many a time and as such has a habit of needing bailing out or rescue, much to the ire of any potential teammate. Too Into Character: She does anything to stay in character and not break the immersion, meaning she'll do anything that the 'role' would do even if she sees no benefit in it. Backstory: While Alina surrounds herself with many stories, lies, and rumors as to her exact origins, with enough digging one would find that Alina is....no one. She seems to have no family history, at least any linked to her name, nor any prior records of actually existing pre-Fenixtear. Any attempts to get her to personally spill the beans is often met with the changing of subjects. However if one were to gleam her origins, they would find out that she was indeed once a member of a somewhat well-known guild, known as God Hand, that specialized in some rather...unsavoury activities. Her parents were founding members and often were employed as spies, assassins, or the sort. As such, she was raised to be the perfect combination of all the above, receiving only the best tutoring that money could afford. With her family being well off from the rather well-paying jobs they often undertook, she often got anything she asked for from her parents, living a spoilt life if not for the constant, rigorous training and studying she undertook. Eventually, however, she grew sick of living under her parent's thumb; constantly stuck in their shadow, compared to them whenever she made any minor or major achievement. So as any good rebellious 16-year-old girl would do at the time, she quit the guild and ran away from home to forge a reputation and path that she could call her own. One that would surpass her parents, and the guild as a whole. She would use the skills she had learned to get by in the world, there was always a goodie two shoes or two she could sucker into letting her stay for the night or offer her a meal. Then much like a parasite, she would leech them of anything of worth and disappear into the night once more. As such, she didn't stay in one place for too long, as unsurprisingly she made a fair few enemies along the way, some more intent on payback than others. And even if they weren't, there was always that possibility. Eventually, one day while she was playing the part of a waitress at an inn, she overheard some interesting information. A new guild had opened in the area, and with it, an opportunity arose. She had missed the security a guild could offer, but was too stubborn to return home. She was also concerned her parents would find her if she ever went to a mainstream guild, however a guild almost no one had heard of and was a complete nobody? Perfect, especially if she could get them under her thumb. Already devious machinations began to form in her mind, endless possibilities. And thus, once more under the cover of night, she would steal away to fill her ambitions. --- Magic Imitation-B Rank An imitation can never replace the original...can it? Much like the name implies, Imitation is caster-type magic that...well, imitates other people. Upon a prolonged touch, Alina can copy the form and magic, to an extent, of others. She is unable to copy other's memories/experiences, personalities, or the like, and instead leaves most of that up to her research, talent, and guesswork. She is also limited to humans at this point. She can copy a person physically down to every last fiber of their being, and while she gains access to their magic, it is an inferior version and the gulf is more noticeable the stronger the individual she pretends to be in comparison to herself. This doesn't include any items a person may have had on them, whether it be a magical item or simply the clothes they were wearing. Other - If one is lucky enough to find her hiding place, she can be found practicing her various roles or even some more famous roles from plays -While in a fight with other mages she will easily be overwhelmed, Alina is dangerous in close quarters. Especially so when underestimated or with the element of surprise -Alina has a fondness for cats and fluffy things in general Akemi "To prove my worth, I will protect everyone."</s> <\|message\|>Asher Lancaster Asher Minazuki@Landaus Five-One@Sanguine Rose And here I had hoped it would have been a simple night of rest… Asher thought to himself, as Carver was clunked by a small rock to his forehead, sending the bespectacled young man falling back. The sound wasn't loud, like one would suspect. A warning shot, perhaps? In any case, their group's mission was to be guards to him while on job. Carefully getting up from where he was sitting, Asher walked till he put himself between what he could assume was the lead goblin of this group and Carver. Asher, while beginning to get in a position,, was yet to fall into a full combat stance just yet. The bar of metal, while still in his hand, was hanging low in an attempt to not show full hostility. He watched as the large goblin seemed to try and convey some sort of demand at them with its spear. "While I cannot understand what is being said,'' Asher turns to Jessica when she asks her question to the group, "if I had to make a guess, we must have come to a rest in their territory and they aren't keen on that. Well, that or they are perhaps wanting food," his eyes glance to Carver's fallen food bar on the ground. Gaze shifting from the food back up to Carver's face, Asher raises a brow at him. "Unless you by chance know how to speak goblin Carver, the situation here may become more dangerous if they continue to increase hostilities. Be sure to stay behind us in any event, for your protection."</s> <\|message\|>Reynard Faust Reynard Faust \| On the Road "Scholarly Assistance" @Landaus Five-One --- "Defeating them would not be a tall order, but such a result would not be pretty. Maybe scaring them is on the table", he surmised. Demands, as Asher assumes, is to begone from this location. But that was only his assumption, they could be after something else as well, yet their ability to communicate was limited and so finding a solution may not be easy. Reynard kept his hands relaxed, yet ready, his breathing slowed. At a moment's notice he could slice apart their primitive weapons if they needed. He turned to Carver for a moment, hoping he might be able to communicate, their job was merely to keep him safe afterall. If it came down to it they'd have to fight in order to do so. These creatures were not known to be a huge threat or even actively hostile, so it can be assumed they'd done something they're not happy with.</s>	<\|message\|>Alina Lilly Bloomfield Visible relief came over the transformed mage as Menzai was quick to agree with her assessment. Though she didn't seem to be, she was putting on a bit of show about her relief for the rest, even Alina was only human. It had been close to 16 hours or even longer since they had set out for the flower delivery, and like most things she was rather particular about various aspects of her schedule. She wasn't a fan of the idea of throwing out her sleep cycle too much just for one little job like this, and her mind was growing weary as well. It would not do to slip up in front of Menzai now just because she was tired. "I'll gladly take you up on that offer." As they came to a stop in a nearby clearing, Alina took a moment to stretch her arms up above her head. "And it's fine Mr Isanami, if I earnestly needed a rest sooner I would've mentioned it. It had just slipped my mind that it was so late and the store would be closed was the bigger issue at hand, another hour or two of travel would've been fine. This form is reasonably fit." But even so, it was still human. It was surely noted that demi humans seemed to have a higher base stamina than humans though. Now, while she was capable of sleeping while transformed, it was still a fair bit of a chore to do so. So while Menzai went about erecting his barrier she took the chance to transform back to her normal state, the clothes she was wearing now sagging off her much smaller and lighter frame as she reached back into her pouch to quickly procure a set of new, more suitable clothes. It was just a black skirt and red shirt, as it was more a matter of wanting to change while Menzai was busy so as to not have to ask him to turn around or the such later, but it would serve the purpose of serving as sleepwear at any rate. The matter of being cold was also not an issue. While there had certainly been a chilly air about before, very easy to notice even before she was basically naked in it, it had seem to disappear as Menzai spoke up. Well, that explained what he had been up to at any rate. The barrier was pretty hard to miss and it didn't take anyone of any remotely respectable level of intelligence to concur that this was a result of what Menzai had been doing. So this was his magic then? Intriguing indeed. Curiously, she just couldn't help herself, she walked up to the edge of the clearing and cautiously tapped on the barrier. She was fascinated by the water-like rippling response it gave off, and it was quite obviously sturdy. "This is quite a useful magic indeed Mr Isanami." She mused aloud, stepping back as she let out a yawn. "It's quite fine though, if anything I can sleep easier knowing our location is secured like this. It's quite reassuring." Between Menzai keeping watch and a barrier, one might be feeling quite certain of their safety indeed. At least of anything in this area at least. But even so, Alina wasn't one to let down her guard irregardless, even when asleep. "Don't be afraid to wake me up if you want a few hours of sleep before we get back into Crocus. We can head to the store first thing in the morning after that." Pulling and laying out a sleeping bag from within her pouch, she quickly got settled within before shortly thereafter seemingly nodding off to sleep.</s>
<\|description\|>Konpaku Youmu * Appearance: "If it's for Yuyuko-sama, I won't lose!" Youmu is pretty small, at under five feet. * Ability/Skills: Youmu is somewhat more durable than a regular human being, and has a somewhat more capable healing ability, but this is nothing as extreme as most youkai. As a half-ghost, a portion of her soul is embodied as a (usually)non-sentient floating phantom referred to as Myon. This can be used to observe distant areas, fire danmaku, or even temporarily become a duplicate of Youmu for double team attacks. Youmu also feels everything Myon feels, though she cannot be damaged in this way(something painful to Myon will be painful to Youmu, though). Youmu is an incredibly skilled swordswoman, capable of wielding her blades both one and two-handed. Her strength is above human level, allowing her to wield the incredibly long Roukanken one-handed. Youmu's attacking speed allows her to slash many times in an instant, to the point where it appears as a single attack. She can also move very quickly, in both air and on land, her speed making her the second fastest person in Gensokyo. This allows her to pull off her family technique, Two-Hundred Yojana in One Slash, covering an enormous amount of distance and come back in the time it takes to unsheath Roukanken and cut with it, allowing her to cut foes even quite a distance away. However, these shows of speed will eventually wear on her, so she cannot endlessly utilize her top speed. She also carries spellcards and is fully capable of flight. Her most powerful technique, both in spellcard form and as a true attack, is Reflecting Satellite Slash. This attack is simultaneously the cutting of her blade and a wave of blades reflected by the light of the moon, assaulting her opponent in a flash of light as she moves to cut through them. Even in nonlethal danmaku form it is a highly dangerous attack. However, it requires Youmu to hold still and gather power to properly perform it. In spite of all her advantages, Youmu is still partially human and can be injured as a human can, and while attacks to Myon do not cause physical harm, the pain caused by them can immobilize her. Youmu carries two katana, Roukanken and Hakuroken. + Roukanken: An incredibly long katana, a nodachi that measures longer than the short girl is tall. Roukanken's blade was forged by youkai, allowing it to be nearly unbreakable. This is not the most notable feature of Roukanken, however. The katana's incredibly sharp blade transcends physicality, allowing it to cut apart even existences such as formless ghosts. Rocks, trees, flesh, steel, little can stand up to the unrestrained Roukanken. However, Youmu utilizes danmaku rules to avoid killing unless her life or the lives of others are in danger. Supernatural protection, or heavily augmented technology, may also defend against Roukanken. + Hakurouken: A wakizashi, Hakurouken possesses no ability to kill a living thing. Indeed, it is almost entirely harmless, causing some pain and discomfort but otherwise nothing else. Its capabilities lie in another area. It can be used to parry and it can incapacitate with enough blows, but the true nature of Hakurouken is its ability to divide things such as confusion. Certainly, cutting confusion is a valuable asset to the easily-confused Youmu. However, this is merely a side effect of its intended function. Hakurouken instantly causes the state of Nirvana in spirits it strikes, causing them to vanish utterly. * History: Youmu was born into the Konpaku family, half-ghosts in service of the ruler of the Netherworld, Saigyouji Yuyuko. She was trained intensely in swordplay, and in how to garden in order to cultivate the gardens around Yuyuko's home. Soon enough, Youmu became Yuyuko's servant, dedicated to her service even when she was to cause an incident that nearly(unintentionally) caused the awakening of a malevolent entity in the form of a soul-eating cherry tree. Since then, Youmu has actively assisted in the resolution of several incidents. * Personality: Calm, collected, serious. These are things Youmu tries to be at all times. To her credit, in a fight she is a dangerous and focused opponent, but outside of combat she is prone to being rather awkward. Her attempts to remain collected often fail, as Youmu is easily surprised and confused. She is not unintelligent, but it is simply quite easy to exasperate or perplex her. Youmu is easily frustrated by things that confuse her, and she is somewhat easy to mislead. However, she has been working on this, as to not fail Yuyuko. Youmu takes pride in her combat capabilities and her speed, as well as her katana, Roukanken and Hakuroken. In spite of her attempts to be a dutiful and serious warrior, Youmu retains a fear of ghost stories. In spite of being half ghost. And serving a ghost. However, when her opponent is not a ghost, Youmu can be a courageous fighter who refuses to give in. She also retains absolute loyalty to Saigyouji Yuyuko, even if the gluttonous ghost confuses and embarrasses her at times. While it is unlikely this will become relevant in Gensokyo, Youmu is reluctant to kill other intelligent beings unless it is necessary to defend herself, Yuyuko, or others. * Other: N/A</s> <\|message\|>Hinanawi Tenshi — Girl of the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception Human Village As 'useful' as listening to the gossip floating around the Human Village was to Tenshi, it didn't take particularly long for her to get tired of hearing the same few things over and over. She couldn't really fault the humans for only being able to speak of one story, but if anything, it at least made the starting pieces for the whole incident clear. There was probably someone with that schoolteacher that they were all talking about, and if there was anywhere to start— "Huh?" As the celestial was lost in her thoughts, the immediate declaration of guilt from a familiar voice caused her to turn her head towards its source. The half-ghost samurai lady that met her gaze soon thereafter was a familiar sight, but her words and the way that she was posturing herself... Well, those were far less of a welcoming sight to her. "Oh, it's just you. I'm offended, quite honestly," Tenshi responded, placing one hand onto the hilt of her sword as she spoke. "I only just arrived here today, and here you are accusing me of causing whatever's going on. Are you looking for a fight, maybe? I'll gladly take you o—" Before she could finish her sentence, though, the (apparently-)sudden appearance of another person next to her caused Tenshi to flinch and draw her sword, her eyes flitting about before they finally came to rest upon the green-haired youkai girl from the underground. "...Oh, it's just you," Tenshi sighed, sheathing her weapon as she shot a glare at Youmu before looking at what that other youkai—Ko-something-or-another—was gesturing at. "A book? I don't know what you're babbling about, but I don't have any ability to change the past or whatever; not like I really need to after all... Wait, what's with this waste of paper?" As soon as she began to read the section that Koishi was pointing to, Tenshi's eyes narrowed as she made sure to try and reread what was stated there. As much as she gave no care about any of the lessons that were thrown her way back in Heaven, something on that level was something that even the children of the village would probably know. But as far as she could tell, everything written in that section was nothing but wrong. "There's not even a mention of that border youkai there... Honestly, you should go find your books from a more reputable source," she sighed, shaking her head before turning back towards Youmu. "Right, where was I... Being offended about your accusation, I believe." As a small crowd began to form around the three, the sounds of someone excusing themselves as they pushed their way through caused Tenshi to pause; when the source of that voice finally stumbled her way through and put herself in the middle of the area that had been cleared for their fight, the celestial was only forced to relax herself. It didn't make any sense to involve non-combatants in a duel, after all. "S-stooooop!" she cried out, her arms outstretched as her twintails shaking as she closed her eyes tightly. "Miss Konpaku, that Celestial isn't at fault here! No, rather, it's great that you're here right now! I couldn't find Reimu or Marisa at the shrine, so please, come with me! You've solved a lot of incidents, so please, don't fight and come with me! Akyuu is already waiting, so..." It took a few moments for Tenshi to even half-recognize the girl who had barged in to stop their fight, but the apron with 'KOSUZU' written on it made it clear that she was the owner of the bookstore that had recently been gaining a bit of traction with those who spent time around the shrine. Even so, getting interrupted right as something fun was about to happen was a bit irritating, if anything... @Fractured</s> <\|message\|>Kazami Yuuka Human Village "My, it does seem unusually hectic today~" Watching the hustle and bustle of the human villagers from her perch, the young woman in plaid smiled cheerfully. Her parasol open and protecting her from the sun, Yuuka idly wondered just what had gotten everyone in a tizzy. It certainly wasn't her own presence, sadly - far too little terror and despair for that, plus hardly anyone was giving her so much as a glance. Maybe they'd gotten too used to her occasional visits? Regardless, something had gotten the villagers riled up, and while Yuuka would normally poke her nose in just to get a gist of the problem, she was busy performing an important duty. Standing before the entranceway to Hieda-no-Akyuu's residence, the troublesome youkai had apparently decided to play gatekeeper today. Evidently today was not the best time for it, but she would dedicate a day to the jon all the same! After all, Elly managed to do it so easily, and if she could perform the literal most pointless job with such aplomb every day, then it shouldn't be too difficult to make sure no one strange bothered the most important human that wasn't also a shrine maiden! Glancing over her shoulder, Yuuka flashed a kind smile to a rather terrified handmaiden, who quickly ducked back out of view. How cute. Yuuka faced forward again, now humming merrily to herself. She had a feeling something fun was about to occur.</s> <\|message\|>Hata no Kokoro Hakurei Temple It had been about ninety minutes since she heard from Kasen said that Mamizou told her that Hieda no Akyuu mentioned that one of Kosuzu's books was doing some strange things that resulted in Keine falling into a coma, possibly becuase, in Hata no Kokoro's mind, the latter said something to the former which resulted in the former being used as aballistic projectile which would explain the supposed head trauma that Keine was most likely suffering. That wasn't important, really. As far as Reimu had heard from Marisa, the witch often gets smacked upside the head by either Alice or Patchouli, whoever that was. Hard cover books must be a rather valued commodity in home defense. But that didn't matter. What mattered was that the compendium of Noh plays that she consulted every so often, a gift from Mamizou that she got from the Tengu village, was now missing a couple of works. In their place, there were other works that she had never heard of before. At first she though she had gotten the wrong book, which may explain why the title was "A Helpful Annex of Gensokyo's Noh" and not "A Complete Collection of Tengu Noh Plays" like she remembered. Kokoror shrugged. Kosuzu probably had another of those in her bookstore, so she headed down to the Human Village to speak with her. Human Village The menreiki's journey was largely tranquil, the cheerful thoughts in her head as she skipped her way to the village visible on the mask atop of her head. She hummed a simple tune, a rythmless amalgamation of music she had heard before, as she wondered where Reimu was. She knew that the shrine maiden had duties with the people, but she saw her within the temple ground's more often than not. Maybe she got taken away by duties somewhere else. Shrine maidens had plenty of work, after all. Most of it seemed to revolve around monetary gain in some way or another. All these thoughts screeched to a halt once she spotted a motley crew close to the center of the village and she spotted a familiar figure, one that had a Hannya mask briefly take its place on her head: Komeiji Koishi. Kokoro stopped on her tracks to shake her head and slap her cheeks a couple of times as the mask changed into a fox. The menreiki clenched her fists and walked towards the group and happened to notice Kosuzu attempting to defuse the situation. It was time to be the better (wo)man. Time to demonstrate that it was the good deeds that get rewarded and that mean things (like stealing) get punished. Kokoro marched straight into Kosuzu's face and, without even knowing what was happening, stood in attention as she stated: "I'll help". It was fair to say that she had forgotten about the book for a moment there. Not like it mattered, really. The book had forgotten too. There was now a chapter about kabuki theatre.</s>	<\|message\|>Konpaku Youmu When the owner of the yokai book library appeared and pleaded with them to stop before they actually came to blows, Youmu's hand drifted away from Roukanken's hilt. It was what the suddenly-appearing sister of the underground Satori had babbled about, too... it didn't sound like it was something that Hinanawi would have been involved with. But it definitely sounded like an incident... while her duty to Yuyuko-sama was paramount, she also couldn't let this go unaddressed. It wasn't right to leave people potentially in danger or otherwise let an incident continue unchecked. It seemed as if quite a few people had appeared too, including the menreiki... "... Very well, if there's an incident it can't be overlooked," she said, finally, with one last wary glance towards Hinanawi.</s>
<\|description\|>Konpaku Youmu * Appearance: "If it's for Yuyuko-sama, I won't lose!" Youmu is pretty small, at under five feet. * Ability/Skills: Youmu is somewhat more durable than a regular human being, and has a somewhat more capable healing ability, but this is nothing as extreme as most youkai. As a half-ghost, a portion of her soul is embodied as a (usually)non-sentient floating phantom referred to as Myon. This can be used to observe distant areas, fire danmaku, or even temporarily become a duplicate of Youmu for double team attacks. Youmu also feels everything Myon feels, though she cannot be damaged in this way(something painful to Myon will be painful to Youmu, though). Youmu is an incredibly skilled swordswoman, capable of wielding her blades both one and two-handed. Her strength is above human level, allowing her to wield the incredibly long Roukanken one-handed. Youmu's attacking speed allows her to slash many times in an instant, to the point where it appears as a single attack. She can also move very quickly, in both air and on land, her speed making her the second fastest person in Gensokyo. This allows her to pull off her family technique, Two-Hundred Yojana in One Slash, covering an enormous amount of distance and come back in the time it takes to unsheath Roukanken and cut with it, allowing her to cut foes even quite a distance away. However, these shows of speed will eventually wear on her, so she cannot endlessly utilize her top speed. She also carries spellcards and is fully capable of flight. Her most powerful technique, both in spellcard form and as a true attack, is Reflecting Satellite Slash. This attack is simultaneously the cutting of her blade and a wave of blades reflected by the light of the moon, assaulting her opponent in a flash of light as she moves to cut through them. Even in nonlethal danmaku form it is a highly dangerous attack. However, it requires Youmu to hold still and gather power to properly perform it. In spite of all her advantages, Youmu is still partially human and can be injured as a human can, and while attacks to Myon do not cause physical harm, the pain caused by them can immobilize her. Youmu carries two katana, Roukanken and Hakuroken. + Roukanken: An incredibly long katana, a nodachi that measures longer than the short girl is tall. Roukanken's blade was forged by youkai, allowing it to be nearly unbreakable. This is not the most notable feature of Roukanken, however. The katana's incredibly sharp blade transcends physicality, allowing it to cut apart even existences such as formless ghosts. Rocks, trees, flesh, steel, little can stand up to the unrestrained Roukanken. However, Youmu utilizes danmaku rules to avoid killing unless her life or the lives of others are in danger. Supernatural protection, or heavily augmented technology, may also defend against Roukanken. + Hakurouken: A wakizashi, Hakurouken possesses no ability to kill a living thing. Indeed, it is almost entirely harmless, causing some pain and discomfort but otherwise nothing else. Its capabilities lie in another area. It can be used to parry and it can incapacitate with enough blows, but the true nature of Hakurouken is its ability to divide things such as confusion. Certainly, cutting confusion is a valuable asset to the easily-confused Youmu. However, this is merely a side effect of its intended function. Hakurouken instantly causes the state of Nirvana in spirits it strikes, causing them to vanish utterly. * History: Youmu was born into the Konpaku family, half-ghosts in service of the ruler of the Netherworld, Saigyouji Yuyuko. She was trained intensely in swordplay, and in how to garden in order to cultivate the gardens around Yuyuko's home. Soon enough, Youmu became Yuyuko's servant, dedicated to her service even when she was to cause an incident that nearly(unintentionally) caused the awakening of a malevolent entity in the form of a soul-eating cherry tree. Since then, Youmu has actively assisted in the resolution of several incidents. * Personality: Calm, collected, serious. These are things Youmu tries to be at all times. To her credit, in a fight she is a dangerous and focused opponent, but outside of combat she is prone to being rather awkward. Her attempts to remain collected often fail, as Youmu is easily surprised and confused. She is not unintelligent, but it is simply quite easy to exasperate or perplex her. Youmu is easily frustrated by things that confuse her, and she is somewhat easy to mislead. However, she has been working on this, as to not fail Yuyuko. Youmu takes pride in her combat capabilities and her speed, as well as her katana, Roukanken and Hakuroken. In spite of her attempts to be a dutiful and serious warrior, Youmu retains a fear of ghost stories. In spite of being half ghost. And serving a ghost. However, when her opponent is not a ghost, Youmu can be a courageous fighter who refuses to give in. She also retains absolute loyalty to Saigyouji Yuyuko, even if the gluttonous ghost confuses and embarrasses her at times. While it is unlikely this will become relevant in Gensokyo, Youmu is reluctant to kill other intelligent beings unless it is necessary to defend herself, Yuyuko, or others. * Other: N/A</s> <\|message\|>Konpaku Youmu Youmu listened carefully to what Akyuu had to say. There was something messing with the records of Gensokyo's history? To the point where the teacher fell unconscious attempting to read it? Not only that, but strange spaces had developed in Gensokyo... The moment that Hinanawi mentioned one of the altered records, the pale half-phantom froze for a moment. Yuyuko-sama... was Yuyuko-sama in one of these spaces? Were the events of that incident being altered? If that was the case... "... You... you're right, the Saigyou Ayakashi..." she trailed off. She didn't know just what was happening, but a terrible feeling had suddenly clutched at her heart. "I have to go. I have to see what's happening. If Yuyuko-sama is in danger, I can't wait any longer!" At this point, incident resolution was a distant secondary to ensuring Yuyuko-sama's safety. Given how little was known about what was happening, and how historical records were being altered, there was no telling what was going on. But the chance of danger was far too great for her. Immediately, Youmu turned and began to hurry off.</s> <\|message\|>Fujiwara no Mokou Having arrived earlier--after all, she hadn't been meandering about waiting for an activity to fall into her lap this time, she had been looking for Keine--Mokou had already had chance to look at the books a little. Whatever was going on was no good... it didn't even seem like it was going to be that fun, but changing history was annoying enough even when it didn't knock out one of the few people that she associated with. What if it changed things so Kaguya went back to the moon? That would really be no fun... and would people who manipulated time be more or less affected by it all? Rather than pursuing the fleeing gardener--she still remember how much that ghost had been talking about maybe eating her, which really seemed excessive as a result of danmaku--Mokou followed along behind the weird underground youkai and the flower one. At least if this became a fight it would be something exciting.</s> <\|message\|>Hata no Kokoro Hata no Kokoro Hata no Kokoro Expressionless and Emotional Menreiki --- It was fair to say that the situation had developed from a mere curious happening to a full-blown incident, but that'd barely be scratching the surface of what was about to transpire. Fueled by the presence of Komeiji Koishi, Hata no Kokoro was very determined to solve this incident before she did it. She'd beat her, and have her eat her humble pie, and have her apologize, and she'd be super magnanimous and forgive her because that's what nice people are supposed to do and hen Koishi would cry because of just how gosh darn NICE Kokoro was unlike her who was mean and evil and stole people's masks. It was also fair to say that the poker-faced menreiki was positively brimming with competitive energy, judging by the fox mask atop her head, that tacit pressure akin to a coiled spring about to fire off and the glances she sneaked at Koishi's direction. That's why a veritable burst propelled the girl outside of the room once the satori did so as well. Kokoro heard where they were going, so it was now a matter of getting there first and getting the scoop first, even if it meant weaving through and inbetween the other incident solvers. --- Somewhere, a tengu sneezed. --- Incident Solver Extraordinarie Hata no Kokoro To The Rescue</s> <\|message\|>Hinanawi Tenshi — Girl of the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception Human Village Tenshi had simply watched as Youmu had scrambled out of the room to go in an entirely different direction from the others, who seemed to already be walking off towards the bookkeeper's store. The Celestial briefly considered the situation and, deciding that it would be more fun to go for the group with less people, decided to follow after the half-ghost gardener instead. Throwing the book nonchalantly towards Akyuu (who barely managed to snatch it out of the air as it was about to fly over her head), the young woman gave a slight shrug towards the historian before running off in pursuit. Upon seeing over half of those present leave the room, Kosuzu quickly stood up and half-ran out of the room after them, making sure to try and keep pace with those who were already moving towards her bookstore. Luckily, their nonchalant pace made taking the lead easy, and with a nod, the young girl wasted no time in guiding the group over to the place she had mentioned earlier. Indeed, it was as just as she had remembered; there was an odd space that seemed to waver in existence next to a nearby tree that seemed to stand out all the more if you focused on it. If it hadn't been for the remnants of blood-red mist that seemed to slip out from it, the anomaly would likely have gone wholly unnoticed by anyone without a sharp eye. "That's... New..." Kosuzu trailed off, taking a wary step behind the four who she had guided here. "I, uh... I know that Akyuu wanted you to look into them, but..." There was a bit of excitement in the young girl's heart, but the uncertainty behind the situation and the knowledge of the Scarlet Mist incident that she had made her all the more wary of even trying to go near it. Entering the space would provide an immediate shift in scenery, though; just as passing through one of Yukari's gaps in reality, walking through this one would seemingly transport whoever did so into what appeared to be a parallel version of Gensokyo to the one they had just been in. The scarlet mist that blanketed the Human Village here seemed to be as dense as a thick fog, and though it was still possible to see more than a few feet in front of one's face, that was about all that could be done. The entrance to the locale seemed to exist all the same, of course, so returning was still an option, but even so... The sound of laughter in the distance made the mood all the more uneasy, though... @RolePlayerRoxas@Raineh Daze@Sylph de Graaf --- The Netherworld The distance between entrance to the Netherworld and the Human Village was surprisingly short when considering how fast the residents of Gensokyo were able to fly, and before long Youmu (and soon after, Tenshi) had arrived at the gates without much issue. The space high above the skies was tranquil, save for the occasional fairy (Tenshi had a bit of fun cutting down the ones in her way en route), but in front of the gates themselves... "...Snow and flower petals...?" A distance away from the pillars in front of the gates proper, there seemed to be an odd distortion that seemed to be releasing a few in equal quantity into the clouds. If the Celestial had to guess, this was probably something similar to what had been mentioned earlier at Akyuu's house, but upon looking at it proper, it was definitely odd enough to warrant poking at. Upon approaching the gates, Tenshi noticed that a pink-haired ghost was already there, floating around the odd space and catching a few of the cherry blossom petals that had already slipped out. Upon hearing of the approach of a few others, though, she turned around and, seemingly without a worry in the world, waved towards Youmu. "Ah, you're back! I got a bit bored while waiting for the groceries and found this outside. Cherry blossoms at this time of year... Oh? Youmu, where are the groceries...?"</s>	<\|message\|>Konpaku Youmu "Yuyuko-sama!" It was with great relief that Youmu called her Mistress's name, slowing to a halt(which came with a considerable gust of wind due to the high speed she had been moving at) beside her. "I'm so glad to see you're alright!" For the moment, formality and reluctance to speak of such feelings were completely overridden by relief, at least until Youmu had realized what she had said. Her cheeks colored for a moment, and she cleared her throat. "I must apologize about the groceries, but as you can see an urgent matter has arisen. Hakurei-san and Kirisame-san are preoccupied, and yet there is a serious incident affecting Gensokyo." There was no doubting the strange space in front of the gates was one of the ones that Akyuu had spoken of. But there was something else that caught her eye about it... Cherry blossoms drifting from within the hole in the air... Yuyuko-sama had already caught a few in her hands. An altered past and cherry blossoms... While Yuyuko-sama was safe, the fact that there were cherry blossoms... "... I... I believe that there may be an attempt to awaken the Saigyou Ayakashi inside of this space," she said, finally, one hand drifting near to Roukanken's hilt. Did that mean there was another Yuyuko beyond the hole...?</s>
<\|description\|>Kenneth Archer 65 - Sagittarius - Retired Physician - 6'2" - Bill Pullman "Everyone assumes we start out in the same place. We don't." --- Appearance Details The years have certainly taken their toll on all facets of Kent's life, but none so prominently than his overall demeanor and presence, particularly in recent weeks. Where he once stood tall with confidence and pride, he now tends to slump at the shoulders and wither under the pressures that haunt his reality. Tired, blue eyes peer out of a weathered face, and a light beard now covers his chin and cheeks. His shock of gray hair, while still kept at an acceptable length, is often tousled and greasy. He has also grown more lean and gaunt due to the stress of this new world, losing some of the softness around his middle. Kent also doesn't care much about fashion sense; his clothes are what many would consider comfortable – plaid, flannel shirts, sometimes quilted depending on the weather, Carhartt jackets, t-shirts, sturdy boots, and a pair of dependable blue jeans. Characterization For the nearly 40 years of his professional career, Kent served his hometown of Rushford through his private family practice as a primary care physician. The quaint office consisted of only himself, his friend Jerry, who served as his assistant, and his wife Emily as his personal secretary and receptionist. The only notable addition was his son, Jack, who joined the team as a second physician in early 2008. Kent took pride in his work and was often lauded for his knowledge and precision, always going above and beyond what was expected of him. His calm and humble demeanor also helped him to connect with his patients on a personal level, prescribing gentle but effective advice and treatment no matter the health issue. This not only made him a competent doctor, but he quickly became a familiar face and a trustworthy friend to many of the locals. Unfortunately, this arrangement would not last forever. With the increase of big business and other residential and retail development in the region, the health care system became more standardized and strict with their procedures. As a result, more hospitals joined together into networks to coordinate and deliver a broad spectrum of services to the community and to stay up to date with the current initiatives passed down from the government. They often targeted small private practices to consolidate into their system; Kent's family business was no exception. Despite a hard battle, Kent could not withstand the constant pressure from these entities and ultimately decided to retire. His son, however, did not agree to uphold his father's ideals nor to continue the fight; he caved to the hospital networks and joined their team of doctors, presumably over money and prominence, which caused a nasty falling out between father and son. Kent has not spoken to Jack since that fateful day. Even now, two years later, his son's decision remains a point of contention. It's a shadow that lingers at the back of Kent's mind, serving as a reminder of how fragile life truly is. He withdrew into himself, and his marriage has suffered as a result. While he was able to regain some happiness by rekindling his love of nature and fully embracing the outdoors, he finds that he is never fully satisfied. Camping, boating excursions, and long hikes in the woods only go so far in easing his troubled mind. He still feels restless and agitated. That was before his wife decided to take a week-long trip to Lake Erie with her social group... That was before the world went to hell… In the midst of so much uncertainty, Kent's only hope is to reconnect with his wife and son, to make amends for everything that has gone wrong, and survive this crisis...together. Inventory - Backpack containing a small First Aid kit that he pulled from the trunk of his car - Ball-Peen Hammer, once again lifted from his car - Water Bottle ---</s> <\|message\|>Henry Atkins Henry use to have a job, a one bedroom apartment, one dog, and a girlfriend. That was before Hell come home. Now he had a megaphone and a state map. And, binoculars. Life was suppossed to get better, easier. But these days the definition of wisdom was sitting still and watching out of a big wall of glass attached to the foundation of some diner. He woke up in the middle of the night several times. One time was to go to the bathroom, and another time was to go to the bathroom to read under the dim light. He looked at the car sales manual called AutoCars for a little while and went back to his booth. The other few times were because he could not sleep. But, he didn't see if anyone else was alert. Then, dawn came. He was lying still in his booth bed. They started talking about breakfast and coffee, and he arose slowly because his bed was uncomfortable. So, he woke up and yawned and do a few stretches and looked at the people. He said, "I need some coffee so bad. And if we still have any biscuits I want one." He wasn't trying to be impolite or greedy, but the times had hardened him and his manners. He said, "I prefer the coffee if somebody else wants the bread."</s> <\|message\|>Kennedy Sokoloski --- Kenny Sokoloski --- Rushford: Jenkin's Diner \|\| May 7th Kenny shifted in the booth she lay in, her eyes closed in stubborn hope that sleep might come again. It wasn't until the smell of coffee hit her nose that she finally sat up, accepting the faint sunlight. From what she could see, Karen was up, as was Katie, the former digging through a creamer basket and the latter looking as tired as she was the day before, if not more. Though Kenny doubted any of the group slept well, Katie seemed to be having an especially rough time. There were little hints—the disarray of the diner, her general lack of liveliness, the shovel beside the mop in the hallway—but Kenny hadn't asked, hadn't wanted to ask. They'd all taken blows in the last week, and asking about someone else's forced her to consider her own. "I'll help too," she said after Lena's offer, sliding off the booth shakily but readily. Her hands went up to adjust her ponytail as she walked towards the kitchen, glancing at Katie and Karen. She wasn't much for making food, but she could grab ingredients and set up silverware just fine, and she'd done the same for the past few days. "I think I saw some milk in the back," she said as she walked past the counter. "Not sure about creamer, but I can check." The storage room was markedly darker than the main room of the diner, lacking windows aside from a single one on the door in. Overhead were lights Kenny chose not to turn on, opting instead to head straight for the fridge, which thankfully had its own light. Inside was a meager assortment of ingredients as well as two jugs of milk, one half-empty and one unopened. Shifting those aside, she managed to retrieve a rather light bottle of french vanilla creamer. A shake confirmed it was almost empty, and Kenny shut the fridge door behind her with some resignation before heading back to the front. "This is all I could find," she said, sliding the bottle across the counter towards Karen. The smell of coffee was still in the air, distinct and comforting, reminding Kenny of the weekend mornings when she'd bring her brother by for a free brunch. Old Man Jenkins was kind enough to not bat an eye, provided their mother cover their table, and Kenny enjoyed watching her brother drown his pancakes in syrup. All that remained of those days was the smell of coffee, which hadn't changed a bit. It was almost strange how familiar the smell was, how warm yet cold it made her feel, and she forced an easy smile that didn't touch her eyes when Henry spoke. "Sure, lemme pop those in the toaster first."</s> <\|message\|>Krisana Herrera Krisana Herrera Krisana sat on the table of the booth she occupied throughout the week. Her legs were crossed, her hands on her knees, earbuds in her ears playing calming music in Spanish from her iPod. She'd taken up meditating to keep it together and there was no better time to do it when she now had the time to waste. Her tongue salivated from her sweet craving and she was minutes away from freaking out about her mother possibly being dead, but she tried to meditate it all away. She had her moment when she couldn't reach her mother at the start of the pandemic. She boarded up the shop, then followed the small group here. Honey Sugar was a few shops down the road and would be an easy trip to get her poison, but she wouldn't go alone and she couldn't ask anyone else to make a suicide run with her for sweets. That'd be a stupid thing to die for. She's settled for drinking tea with a lot of sugar in to satisfy that need for fruity flavors. "Morning everyone." She called out. Around her, her pandemic companions got ready for breakfast. Pots and pans clung together from the kitchen, the scent of coffee was strong, and her stomach growled. Yeah she needed to eat. The radio crackled from the counter top. Another morning run of a supposed safe haven near Maumee River. She doesn't know much about radios, but she's sure it's a repeated recording. The voice doesn't fluctuate when the person speaks. It's said the exact same way it has been for the last few days. If the recording is scheduled, then there's a chance they're nothing waiting for them if they leave. Krisana climbed down from the table and sat in a stool at the counter in front of Karen after the broadcast. "Are we going to attempt to leave today? The longer we wait the more chance there's nothing waiting for us a the camp."</s> <\|message\|>DASHIELL "DASH" MILLER Location: Jenkin's Diner. Rushford, OH --- The original plan was to meet his parents at the diner and to get the hell out of town, but things didn't go as planned for Dash. His parents were old, so they were slow. Obviously that day, he gave them the benefit of the doubt that it was just their sluggish pace that was keeping them back and that he should wait for them patiently. In the first few days, he waited with hope. Hope that they would be there well and alive. That hope was coming from a place in Dash's mind on the brighter side of things, but in the past week, he realized that looking at the brighter side of things wasn't going to help him survive. Dash sat quietly at his picked booth in Jenkin's Diner, scribbling away in his journal. Journaling was something Dash had assigned every year as an assignments to his students for the semester, it was to write a entry either daily or weekly, to allow for creative expression for his students and to help them with their writing skills. Doing it himself had become therapeutic and as a creature of habit it stuck. As some of the group gathered for a cup of coffee, the teacher finished up his mental vomiting, joining the group at the counter. "I'll take a coffee too."</s> <\|message\|>Henry Atkins Henry sighed. His boots were underneath the table attached to the booth he slept in. He was wearing an old Guns N Roses and, at the bottom he had on carpenter jeans that was held up by a nice leather belt. He took about ten sips of coffee, then returned to get his boots. They were half-knee and wide, good for dressing up in them and breathable. He put them on. Then, where his boots were his binoculars sat lopsided on the floor lopsided. It was his booth, so everything he owned lay nested there. He got the binoculars. He checked north, south, east, and west. He took a minute or two to adjust the faculties of the handheld telescope. He looked over everything once or twice, ignoring what was going on around him. Then, he spliced back into the diner and considered that Krisana was right. He held onto the binoculars while he briefly spoke. "I just checked. I think Krisana might be on to something. We haven't seen nothing, not a corpse or anything. I say because we don't have guns we should figure out how to move from here and get to the next camp and stock up. We can't stay here forever."</s>	<\|message\|>Kenneth Archer Kent Archer Rushford: Jenkin's Diner \|\| May 7th --- By the time the others began to stir, Kent was already awake and reclining in his usual booth, an old newspaper clipping spread out before him on the countertop. In truth, he had never slept at all, having made a personal commitment to act as sentry while everyone else tried to get some rest. But in reality, it hadn't been a choice; he had simply resigned himself to the inevitable after a long struggle with his inner demons. For the past few weeks, insomnia had become Kent's usual nighttime companion. It seemed to correlate with the onset of the pandemic, though he had a feeling that the root cause went far beyond that. The outbreak had merely exacerbated another kind of crisis that had been lingering beneath the surface for several years – one that involved his family and the damage that could be wrought due to what he now considered petty differences. As a result of his own petulance, his wife and son remained unaccounted for, lost to the chaos that had so acutely gripped the nation. They had left him alone to wrestle with a myriad of complex emotions, including guilt, anger, and regret. All of this on top of the mitigating effects of sleep deprivation. In many ways, it was almost too much to bear. And yet, he had somehow managed to trudge onward. The group of survivors, who he had stumbled upon by happenstance at the local diner, was his only consolation. Not only had they given him a sense of purpose, but they represented hope – something that he so desperately needed in these dark times. That thought persisted, even now, as the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled his senses. It was a welcoming scent, something that evoked a semblance of normalcy. While it might've been a relatively small matter compared to the enormity of their situation, Kent appreciated the reminder. Sometimes it was the little things that kept you functional in the middle of an apocalypse. With a wide yawn, Kent stretched and finally dragged himself out of the booth, his motions slow and measured. He found that getting himself moving in the morning wasn't as easy as it used to be, particularly when he had stayed in the same uncomfortable position all night long. It was yet another unfortunate consequence of aging, a reality that he now inwardly cursed. Well, at least my sciatica isn't acting up. It could be so much worse… Kent ran a hand through his tousled hair and issued a sigh as he sauntered toward the counter to join the others. They were already immersed in idle conversation, the topic ranging from breakfast offerings to the mysterious broadcasts about a camp that supposedly harbored a safe haven from the virus. It was that last part that piqued his interest. "Maybe not," Kent drawled in response to the young man's proclamation – Henry, was it? Assigning faces to names was still an ongoing process. "But we can't afford to make careless decisions either. Sit down and enjoy some breakfast first, then we can devise a plan." He offered the man a small smile before heeding his own advice and settling down on one of the stools lining the counter.</s>
<\|description\|>Thucydides Beauregard Age: 52 Gender: Male Nationality: American Role: Operational Commander....AKA the Commander Who Will Inevitably Be Evil Specialty: Military command, operational and small unit tactics, small arms and close quarters combat training. Personality: A military man through and through, Thuycdides is a soul hardened by a long career of battle and scorn by his fellow Southrons. He prefers to lead from the front, unwilling to order to his men into any risk he would not take himself, and his dedication to the men and women under his command is unquestionable. He is somewhat cold and unemotionally professional to newcomers, but he's quick to warm up to those that earn his respect. Appearance: Other: Is familiar with French of those the Parisian and Cajun dialects. History: Born and raised in the heart of Louisiana, Thucydides Beauregard comes from a long and proud history of military leaders. For most of his life he grew up loathed by his fellow Southerners for his family's siding with the Union during the American Civil War, to which he responded with equal amounts of spite and a redoubling of his devotion to his country. At 18 he joined the United States Marine Corps, seeing it as the greatest act of defiance he could manage against those that had labeled him and his family traitors to his homeland. He'd go on to enjoy a long and successful career, rising to the rank of Captain during the Spanish-American War. Fighting from the Philippines all the way to the Boxer Rebellion, where extensive wounds ended his career with an honorable discharge. For the next ten years he would act as a consultant and trainer with various militaries around the world, eventually meeting the illustrious Preston Whitmore. Taken in with the old man's dedication to finding the lost city of Atlantis, he agreed to take on the role of operational leader of the armed team, seeing it as the ultimate cap to his career.</s> <\|message\|>Thucydides Beauregard Preston Whitmore could put every military in the world to shame. Thucydides Beauregard could think nothing less than that as he completed his inspection of the the Ulysses and the accompanying vehicles, submersibles and all of the weaponry they'd been equipped with for this expedition. He'd thought that Whitmore had spent obscene amounts of money on just the Icelandic expedition, but this...he couldn't fathom how one man could have managed such feats of machining and science. Good thing that his friend hadn't ever considered a political career. He'd dominate the world by now. He paused a moment to draw a cigar from one of the many pockets of his fatigue coat. Whitmore had even provided custom uniforms for the expedition, which Thucydides couldn't help but chuckle at when he'd first seen the things. Yes, the old man had covered every single one of his bases here. The big man smiled as he clipped the end of the stogie and slipped the thing between his lips, striking a match against his cheek. He took a slow, satisfied puff as he strolled along through the ship, taking that one last opportunity to breath in the sea air before they'd be embarking. The Hungarian was already down in the departure bay when Thucydides made his way down again. He offered a polite nod as he approached, looming at 6'6" and easily outmassing the geologist. "Find everything to your liking, Mr. Zalan? Whitmore spared no expense here by the look of things." The big man offered a smile around his cigar. "Afraid I'm not the best of judges with the excavation equipment."</s> <\|message\|>Tristan Walker Tristan had to grip his typewriter with force as the ship lurched rapidly against the storm powered waves. He cursed quietly as readjusted the position of the typewriter on his room's desk. He would be quiet cross if the expensive machine were to be damaged. While the expedition's benefactor Mr. Whitmore had quite enough money to easily replace it, Tristan would still feel bad if such a nice piece of machinery was ruined by the jostling of the sea. Plus, Mr. Whitmore had said that Tristan could keep the new typewriter once the expedition was completed. Tristan had just finished a draft of his account of the expedition so far. Normally Tristan would have went through several drafts already, wanting to tell the story in the best way. However, there wasn't much to tell. They were only on their third day at sea with very little to report. While the splendour of the ship had initially been very interesting to Tristan, giving him ideas about writing a nautical adventure, the whole thing had become humdrum fast as everyone fell into the monotony of their duties. Hell, this was the first time there had even been a storm, which was something of note. Tristan placed the typewriter and his report into the large suitcase next to him, one designed to store a typewriter, and placed the luggage under the bottom bunk he had claimed. As he did so, his stomach growled reminding him that he had skipped lunch to read a book and write his report. Tristan hoped that there was still some food left, as lunch was over two hours ago. Tristan threw on a brown overcoat, as it was chilly today, and left his room. In the hall outside, several of the military types were gathered and laughing. It gave Tristan pause to try and figure out what about this expedition would be so dangerous that it would require a small army. In fact, Tristan still had many more questions about this whole endeavour. If they were looking for ruins at the bottom of the ocean, then why did they need demolition experts? It was a little bit sketchy to Tristan, but he had placed his faith in Preston Whitmore, who he was still greatly appreciative of being offered this job. Tristan made his way out of the hallway and onto the exposed part of the ship. Bursts of sea spray greeted him, darkening his overcoat as he was dampened. Tristan hurried down toward the mess hall, wanting to get away from the storm as fast as possible. As he turned the corner that led to the mess hall, Tristan slipped on the wet floor, sliding forward. At the same time a sailor also turned the corner, colliding with Tristan. The two were both knocked off their feet, the sailor dropping a bag of potatoes, while Tristan's journal fell out of his coat pocket. "The hell is your problem?" spat the sailor as he tried to pick the potatoes of the floor. Tristan froze up. He was not good with confrontation. So, he quickly gathered the potatoes and handed them to the sailor, before grabbing his journal and fleeing the scene, leaving the sailor with a confused expression. Tristan's hunger left his mind as he rushed out of the area. What a klutz, he thought. Once he found a secluded part of the ship Tristan stopped and breathed in the ocean air. The salty mist calmed him down, grounding him, and quieting his mind. Tristan then took out his personal journal and made note of this situation so that he may learn from it.</s> <\|message\|>Szalai Zalán Szalai Zalán Szalai was slightly startled and when Thucydides spoke to him and turned to face him. "Ah Commander Beauregard, I did not hear you approach and yes everything is to my liking rest assured". So this is the Commander, Szalai thought as he looked at the man. A tall American this one and he seems fine so far. "Yeah, Whitmore spared no expense with funding and outfitting this expedition to find the lost city". Szalai turned his head to the submarine. "I have to admit that I am surprised at the lengths he has taken to supply this expedition and I would hate if all of this went to waste". Szalai chuckled to himself at the thought of this trip turning up with nothing. "Hopefully this is not to waste". A thought came to him if they are searching for the remains of the lost city on the ocean floor. Why do they need a militia? Seems rather odd, what is supposed to attack them? Pirates? Either way, Whitmore seemed to have hired them for a reason, and for now, he trusted him about this. There has to be a good reason why right? Still, Szalai is excited to find any trace of Atlantis and turned his head back to the American. "So Commander any advice about being in a submarine?" Szalai gave a weak smile, "It should not surprise you that I have never been in one and well, this expedition is going to some firsts for me". He looked back at the submarine, "this submarine being the first of one several before this expedition is over with".</s> <\|message\|>Thucydides Beauregard "Afraid I'm not much of an expert myself. My understanding is that it isn't much different from a normal ship. Just have to be a tad more careful about seals." Thucydides offered, puffing in his cigar as he took another look around the bay. An entire convoy of trucks loaded down with supplies was already starting on up the boarding ramp, though most of the crew itself was still lingering. That would change soon. "I'm not much more excited than you about traveling in this thing, believe me. Prefer to know there's sky a certain distance above me. We have our duty though. Is there anything else you need prepared before we embark?"</s> <\|message\|>Szalai Zalán Szalai Zalán "Just like a normal ship huh", Szalai replied as he looked at the submarine. "I will take your for word it then and then it should not be too hard to live in". Being in a submarine sure will be an experience, being underwater and everything. Granted he will be waiting around for a time before they find traces of the lost city. Still, it will be worth it once they found what they were looking for and Szalai is excited about it. "I am just excited to find the lost city is all and not exactly excited to travel in a submarine. Just it will be new for me and being in an impressive submarine like this one". Szalai noticed the supply trucks and moving up the boarding ramp. "I take it that we are leaving soon and as for me Commander. I just to retrieve some things from my bunk and I should be good to go. It should be fast to get and I assume you are ready to depart?</s> <\|message\|>Brooke Everett Brooke Everett: The Cartographer Brooke Everett was scrambling to the bridge of the ship, clutching several scrolls of maps, balancing some on a small open-topped wooden box with various books inside. The young woman's frazzled short black hair that was shorter on one side raised just above her large, circular glasses that made her big brown eyes seem even bigger. Brooke had been a beacon of anxious energy throughout the entire trip, having had her entire life turned upside down. The sleeves of her white undershirt were rolled up to the elbows, and a red vest clung tightly to her body. The shirt was tucked into a belt that kept up a pair of black pants that tucked into a pair of boots. Everything was tucked. Perhaps not of any desire to be orderly or prim, infact it was more likely that had her clothes not been so tightly tucked they would be flying all over the place and getting stuck on every possible place they could get stuck on. It was a matter of necessity, almost. Preston Whitmore had changed her life. All those years of waiting, searching, hoping, it had finally come true. She was about to prove her and her grandfather right, and the Everett name would be brought to the public consciousness in the good light that it deserved. Finding Atlantis, following the notes of Shepherd's Journal in a high tech submarine---it was almost too good to be true! That was why she was so incredibly concerned with not messing anything up. Despite some of the crew's potentially mixed feelings, Brooke was a true believer in the lost empire and expounded vibrantly upon the subject whenever someone dared broach it with her- or whenever they didn't. Carrying the box and the scrolls full of text and words that no one other then a cartographer and linguist could make any sense of, Brooke came to a door that lead to where she needed to go. There was a small glass porthole, and the top half of her face peered through, the large round glasses poking around to try and see anyone on the other side. With no free hands to operate the complicated naval door that only submarines had, Brooke pushed her forehead against the glass. "Hello?" She asked. Brooke leaned back against a nearby wall and extended her leg outward and began to kick at something like a handle or a wheel, trying to find a good grip on it to get the door open. "C-c-could somone---" She stumbled, slipping, and had to rebound before a map fell to the ground. She treated the maps as if they were expensive Chinese porceclain creations. Were they to fall onto the steel floor of the submarine, they would surely shatter into a million pieces. Brooke tried not to blink too much because she was certain that if she kept her eyes closed for too long she would wake up and be back in her gloomy New England apartment. "I need some-" She once again began and prematurely ended a sentence, this time adding a beleaguered, good-natured giggle. "Oh, heck." She leaned up against the wall and tried to balance the box in her arms. At this point she was nothing more then a pair of trousers supporting a shaking box. This was going to take a while, and her obvious, loud plight would need to be solved by someone else. Eventually she may figure out how to put down the box and open the door and pick the box back up again. Again, if she put down the box, the rocking of the submarine may cause it to drift into the wall, have a collision, and burst into flames. Anything was on the table at this point.</s>	<\|message\|>Thucydides Beauregard "Just finished the inspection of all my team's equipment. We should be prepared for just about any breed of danger that might keep in on us." Thucydides replied. He paused then when he spotted the young Black woman trying to manage her rather copious luggage. He nodded politely toward the Hungarian. "If'll excuse me, seems our cartographer needs an extra pair of hands." He gave a brief salute before he loped over toward the young woman. Thucydides loomed easily over the woman, and was probably four times her weight in muscle and bone, but even then he had to his best to not appear threatening. "Let me give you a hand with that, Miss Everett." He said, his Louisiana drawl as thick as could be. The big man offered a polite smile as he turned the wheel to open the hatch for her. "Captain Thucydides Beauregard. Pleasure to meet you at last. Raymond would be proud seeing all this."</s>
<\|description\|>Thucydides Beauregard Age: 52 Gender: Male Nationality: American Role: Operational Commander....AKA the Commander Who Will Inevitably Be Evil Specialty: Military command, operational and small unit tactics, small arms and close quarters combat training. Personality: A military man through and through, Thuycdides is a soul hardened by a long career of battle and scorn by his fellow Southrons. He prefers to lead from the front, unwilling to order to his men into any risk he would not take himself, and his dedication to the men and women under his command is unquestionable. He is somewhat cold and unemotionally professional to newcomers, but he's quick to warm up to those that earn his respect. Appearance: Other: Is familiar with French of those the Parisian and Cajun dialects. History: Born and raised in the heart of Louisiana, Thucydides Beauregard comes from a long and proud history of military leaders. For most of his life he grew up loathed by his fellow Southerners for his family's siding with the Union during the American Civil War, to which he responded with equal amounts of spite and a redoubling of his devotion to his country. At 18 he joined the United States Marine Corps, seeing it as the greatest act of defiance he could manage against those that had labeled him and his family traitors to his homeland. He'd go on to enjoy a long and successful career, rising to the rank of Captain during the Spanish-American War. Fighting from the Philippines all the way to the Boxer Rebellion, where extensive wounds ended his career with an honorable discharge. For the next ten years he would act as a consultant and trainer with various militaries around the world, eventually meeting the illustrious Preston Whitmore. Taken in with the old man's dedication to finding the lost city of Atlantis, he agreed to take on the role of operational leader of the armed team, seeing it as the ultimate cap to his career.</s> <\|message\|>Tristan Walker Tristan had to grip his typewriter with force as the ship lurched rapidly against the storm powered waves. He cursed quietly as readjusted the position of the typewriter on his room's desk. He would be quiet cross if the expensive machine were to be damaged. While the expedition's benefactor Mr. Whitmore had quite enough money to easily replace it, Tristan would still feel bad if such a nice piece of machinery was ruined by the jostling of the sea. Plus, Mr. Whitmore had said that Tristan could keep the new typewriter once the expedition was completed. Tristan had just finished a draft of his account of the expedition so far. Normally Tristan would have went through several drafts already, wanting to tell the story in the best way. However, there wasn't much to tell. They were only on their third day at sea with very little to report. While the splendour of the ship had initially been very interesting to Tristan, giving him ideas about writing a nautical adventure, the whole thing had become humdrum fast as everyone fell into the monotony of their duties. Hell, this was the first time there had even been a storm, which was something of note. Tristan placed the typewriter and his report into the large suitcase next to him, one designed to store a typewriter, and placed the luggage under the bottom bunk he had claimed. As he did so, his stomach growled reminding him that he had skipped lunch to read a book and write his report. Tristan hoped that there was still some food left, as lunch was over two hours ago. Tristan threw on a brown overcoat, as it was chilly today, and left his room. In the hall outside, several of the military types were gathered and laughing. It gave Tristan pause to try and figure out what about this expedition would be so dangerous that it would require a small army. In fact, Tristan still had many more questions about this whole endeavour. If they were looking for ruins at the bottom of the ocean, then why did they need demolition experts? It was a little bit sketchy to Tristan, but he had placed his faith in Preston Whitmore, who he was still greatly appreciative of being offered this job. Tristan made his way out of the hallway and onto the exposed part of the ship. Bursts of sea spray greeted him, darkening his overcoat as he was dampened. Tristan hurried down toward the mess hall, wanting to get away from the storm as fast as possible. As he turned the corner that led to the mess hall, Tristan slipped on the wet floor, sliding forward. At the same time a sailor also turned the corner, colliding with Tristan. The two were both knocked off their feet, the sailor dropping a bag of potatoes, while Tristan's journal fell out of his coat pocket. "The hell is your problem?" spat the sailor as he tried to pick the potatoes of the floor. Tristan froze up. He was not good with confrontation. So, he quickly gathered the potatoes and handed them to the sailor, before grabbing his journal and fleeing the scene, leaving the sailor with a confused expression. Tristan's hunger left his mind as he rushed out of the area. What a klutz, he thought. Once he found a secluded part of the ship Tristan stopped and breathed in the ocean air. The salty mist calmed him down, grounding him, and quieting his mind. Tristan then took out his personal journal and made note of this situation so that he may learn from it.</s> <\|message\|>Szalai Zalán Szalai Zalán Szalai was slightly startled and when Thucydides spoke to him and turned to face him. "Ah Commander Beauregard, I did not hear you approach and yes everything is to my liking rest assured". So this is the Commander, Szalai thought as he looked at the man. A tall American this one and he seems fine so far. "Yeah, Whitmore spared no expense with funding and outfitting this expedition to find the lost city". Szalai turned his head to the submarine. "I have to admit that I am surprised at the lengths he has taken to supply this expedition and I would hate if all of this went to waste". Szalai chuckled to himself at the thought of this trip turning up with nothing. "Hopefully this is not to waste". A thought came to him if they are searching for the remains of the lost city on the ocean floor. Why do they need a militia? Seems rather odd, what is supposed to attack them? Pirates? Either way, Whitmore seemed to have hired them for a reason, and for now, he trusted him about this. There has to be a good reason why right? Still, Szalai is excited to find any trace of Atlantis and turned his head back to the American. "So Commander any advice about being in a submarine?" Szalai gave a weak smile, "It should not surprise you that I have never been in one and well, this expedition is going to some firsts for me". He looked back at the submarine, "this submarine being the first of one several before this expedition is over with".</s> <\|message\|>Thucydides Beauregard "Afraid I'm not much of an expert myself. My understanding is that it isn't much different from a normal ship. Just have to be a tad more careful about seals." Thucydides offered, puffing in his cigar as he took another look around the bay. An entire convoy of trucks loaded down with supplies was already starting on up the boarding ramp, though most of the crew itself was still lingering. That would change soon. "I'm not much more excited than you about traveling in this thing, believe me. Prefer to know there's sky a certain distance above me. We have our duty though. Is there anything else you need prepared before we embark?"</s> <\|message\|>Szalai Zalán Szalai Zalán "Just like a normal ship huh", Szalai replied as he looked at the submarine. "I will take your for word it then and then it should not be too hard to live in". Being in a submarine sure will be an experience, being underwater and everything. Granted he will be waiting around for a time before they find traces of the lost city. Still, it will be worth it once they found what they were looking for and Szalai is excited about it. "I am just excited to find the lost city is all and not exactly excited to travel in a submarine. Just it will be new for me and being in an impressive submarine like this one". Szalai noticed the supply trucks and moving up the boarding ramp. "I take it that we are leaving soon and as for me Commander. I just to retrieve some things from my bunk and I should be good to go. It should be fast to get and I assume you are ready to depart?</s> <\|message\|>Brooke Everett Brooke Everett: The Cartographer Brooke Everett was scrambling to the bridge of the ship, clutching several scrolls of maps, balancing some on a small open-topped wooden box with various books inside. The young woman's frazzled short black hair that was shorter on one side raised just above her large, circular glasses that made her big brown eyes seem even bigger. Brooke had been a beacon of anxious energy throughout the entire trip, having had her entire life turned upside down. The sleeves of her white undershirt were rolled up to the elbows, and a red vest clung tightly to her body. The shirt was tucked into a belt that kept up a pair of black pants that tucked into a pair of boots. Everything was tucked. Perhaps not of any desire to be orderly or prim, infact it was more likely that had her clothes not been so tightly tucked they would be flying all over the place and getting stuck on every possible place they could get stuck on. It was a matter of necessity, almost. Preston Whitmore had changed her life. All those years of waiting, searching, hoping, it had finally come true. She was about to prove her and her grandfather right, and the Everett name would be brought to the public consciousness in the good light that it deserved. Finding Atlantis, following the notes of Shepherd's Journal in a high tech submarine---it was almost too good to be true! That was why she was so incredibly concerned with not messing anything up. Despite some of the crew's potentially mixed feelings, Brooke was a true believer in the lost empire and expounded vibrantly upon the subject whenever someone dared broach it with her- or whenever they didn't. Carrying the box and the scrolls full of text and words that no one other then a cartographer and linguist could make any sense of, Brooke came to a door that lead to where she needed to go. There was a small glass porthole, and the top half of her face peered through, the large round glasses poking around to try and see anyone on the other side. With no free hands to operate the complicated naval door that only submarines had, Brooke pushed her forehead against the glass. "Hello?" She asked. Brooke leaned back against a nearby wall and extended her leg outward and began to kick at something like a handle or a wheel, trying to find a good grip on it to get the door open. "C-c-could somone---" She stumbled, slipping, and had to rebound before a map fell to the ground. She treated the maps as if they were expensive Chinese porceclain creations. Were they to fall onto the steel floor of the submarine, they would surely shatter into a million pieces. Brooke tried not to blink too much because she was certain that if she kept her eyes closed for too long she would wake up and be back in her gloomy New England apartment. "I need some-" She once again began and prematurely ended a sentence, this time adding a beleaguered, good-natured giggle. "Oh, heck." She leaned up against the wall and tried to balance the box in her arms. At this point she was nothing more then a pair of trousers supporting a shaking box. This was going to take a while, and her obvious, loud plight would need to be solved by someone else. Eventually she may figure out how to put down the box and open the door and pick the box back up again. Again, if she put down the box, the rocking of the submarine may cause it to drift into the wall, have a collision, and burst into flames. Anything was on the table at this point.</s> <\|message\|>Thucydides Beauregard "Just finished the inspection of all my team's equipment. We should be prepared for just about any breed of danger that might keep in on us." Thucydides replied. He paused then when he spotted the young Black woman trying to manage her rather copious luggage. He nodded politely toward the Hungarian. "If'll excuse me, seems our cartographer needs an extra pair of hands." He gave a brief salute before he loped over toward the young woman. Thucydides loomed easily over the woman, and was probably four times her weight in muscle and bone, but even then he had to his best to not appear threatening. "Let me give you a hand with that, Miss Everett." He said, his Louisiana drawl as thick as could be. The big man offered a polite smile as he turned the wheel to open the hatch for her. "Captain Thucydides Beauregard. Pleasure to meet you at last. Raymond would be proud seeing all this."</s> <\|message\|>Brooke Everett Brooke Everett: The Cartographer Brooke was focused on the door and keeping her belongings from touching the apparently poisonous ground when the light from a nearby ceiling fixture was blocked. Brooke's wide eyes flicked up to the imposing yet gentle figure of a very big man. He was intimidating to say the least, though she knew he wasn't trying to be. Still, the edge of a cliff or a big metal spike wasn't trying to be intimidating either. But something that could easily squish her fragile form into tiny pieces was just inherently a bit spooky. She gulped and smiled wide with a slightly nervous chuckle. "Oh, uh, thank you, Sir." She nodded at him and then rushed inside. Finding a nearby table she set the box down and turned to Captain Thucydides and gave him a salute. It was an amateur salute of someone who had only seen propaganda pictures of soldiers saluting before but it was the best she could do. "I'm, uh, Brooke Everett. Yes...I...I imagine he would," Her salute faltered a bit and she looked wistfully to the nearby wall, her thoughts briefly drifting away a little.</s>	<\|message\|>Thucydides Beauregard "You wish he could be here to see this." Thucydides nodded, that big, square-jawed face set in a stoic, if somewhat solemn expression. Yes, he'd know losing family, more than most. He returned her salute almost mechanically. "We'll do right by old Raymond, swear that by God." He let his expression soften a bit again, the smile returning. "It's good to meet you at last. See you got that journal. Nice pictures, but I prefer a good western, myself."</s>
<\|description\|>Tristan Walker Age: 25 Gender: Male Nationality: Canadian Role: Scribe Speciality: Tristan is very perceptive and can record things in meticulous detail. He also has photographic memory which helps him recall anything he has ever seen. As such, he makes for a perfect record keeper. Personality: Tristan is a very peculiar person. While very observant, he has some issues with interpersonal relations, sometimes seeming distant or rude. The truth is that Tristan has trouble dealing with others and interpreting social cues, as he seems to be on the autistic spectrum. But for those he does manage to get along with, Tristan is a very caring and loyal friend. While he does not enjoy violence, Tristan is willing to fight to protect those he cares about. Tristan is something of a perfectionist, always holding himself to a level that requires constant bettering. As such Tristan is always trying to learn all he can, viewing his photographic memory as a gift from God for just that purpose. Due to this high standard he can get quite annoyed with people who he views as purposefully ignorant. Appearance: Tristan is a man of average height, standing at 5'7'', with a slender build that betrays his lack of manual labour in the past. His young face is accompanied by a mop of messy, dark brown hair, with matching sideburns, and eyes the colour of a chestnut. Tristan has a very pale complexion, as it seems like this expedition is the first time he has spent any amount of time outside in a long while. Tristan also hides a scar that runs up his right leg, the result of surgery when he was a child. The choice of attire that Tristan has chose keeps in line with the privileged upbringing he had. The majority of the time he can be seen wearing a proper dress shirt and a full piece suit, usually in grey or brown, as well as finely pressed pants and a pair of well shined dress shoes. However, he has bought a pair of boots for the expedition, woefully unaware of the demands of the adventure and appropriate attire. Other: Tristan is perfectly fluent in English and French. He always has several notebooks on his person, and insisted that he bring along a new state of the art typewriter on the expedition. History: Born in the town of Berlin, the one in Canada, not Germany, Tristan was welcomed into a well off family. The Walkers had been in Canada for a few generations, rumour stating that they used to work for the Hudson Bay Company. Regardless of the past, the Walkers were rich, the patriarch, Elliot Walker, being a merchant with many connections across the nation. Growing up, Tristan would never want for anything, always having the newest clothes, the best education. It was expected that all this would ready Tristan to follow in his father's footsteps. However, Tristan found the world of business dealings quite boring, instead either making notes about nature in his journal or write poetry. It was during this time that Tristan discovered the works of H.G. Wells and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, stories full of adventure and wonder. These stories convinced Tristan that his calling was to write novels. This choice was looked at with disdain by Elliot Walker. Tristan spent the next few years working on what he thought would be his magnum opus, the Eye of Wotan, an epic fantasy adventure. He spent years researching and planning the story, before spending several more years actually writing it. By the time that Tristan was finished he was at the age to attend college. His father decided to help him publish his novel, but only if he attended the University of Toronto. Tristan agreed, pursuing a degree in journalism. After completing his first year, Tristan was elated to learn that the Eye of Wotan had been published. He was less elated when nobody was talking about it. Months went by and still no mention of his novel. After a year it became apparent that no one was buying his book. Depressed over this, Tristan barely finished his studies and obtained his degree. For the next half year, Tristan remained at his family's home, feeling that his life was pointless. This ended when his father had enough and kicked him out. Out on his own, Tristan almost became a vagrant, but he managed to score a position at a local newspaper. He held that position for several months before being approached by Preston Whitmore, a man he had interviewed for his book. The very wealthy elder offered him a position to document the events on an expedition he was organizing. Tristan agreed, believing that it would be much more interesting than working at a small town paper.</s> <\|message\|>Sasha Belov Aug 21, 1914 The massive ship rocked steadily on the choppy water. Waves sprayed over the deck, drenching any who dared to venture out from below. The occasional rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance. Their journey had been fairly smooth so far, aside from the current storm. Three days ago, they left port for a set of coordinance in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. From there, they would dive down in a submarine to the ocean floor and...pick around for artifacts or something. Honestly, it all sounded pretty asinine. But, Sasha was getting paid big bucks to take this little vacation, so he would keep his doubts to himself. He'd kept himself busy the last three days by helping load and unload equipment around the ship. He'd wandered around the cargo hold a bit to admit the magnificent submarine, and maybe even got sea sick once or twice. The books he'd been wise enough to bring had been a great time killer. He had a feeling he'd get all his summer reading done on this trip. Honestly, Sasha wasn't sure why Whitmore thought an entire armed militia was necessary. They were going to the ocean floor, what were they supposed to fight? Lobsters? It was safe to say that he didn't buy into this "Atlantis" nonsense one bit. Sasha was a realist. He didn't believe in fairies, ghosts, or lost cities. But, who knows, maybe he'd be wrong. The bunk he'd claimed as his own wasn't nearly big enough for him. He laid on his back, head propped up and feet hanging off the end, a book in his hands. Sasha was good at keeping to himself. He'd exchanged polite chat with his crew mates when it was necessary, but he wasn't exactly the image of hospitality. They seemed alright, though.</s> <\|message\|>Szalai Zalán Szalai Zalán "Curse this storm", Szalai exclaimed as he narrowly avoided a wave that came crashing on the deck. Opening the door back inside with his right hand firmly on his hat to keep it from flying away. Closing it as fast as he could. With a clank, the door was closed and all was there was a wet Szalai wearing a black overcoat with a black hat. It was not as bad out there as he thought and it was a good idea to wear his overcoat. Even if the cotton overcoat offered little protection from the rain. At least he is not drenched and he just wanted to see the outside for a short time before spending the rest of the day inside the ship. With his outdoor outing finished, Szalai took off his overcoat revealing his chothes underneath. Folding his overcoat the best he could before heading futher in to his bunk. He disliked being cooped up in the ship and it did help that this particularly ship was a large one. Even since that one cramped boat to Iceland for a business trip. He had been unease with being cooped up in a metal ship. At least this trip is poised to be a exciting one. It did not take Szalai long for him to reach his bunk. He gently placed his wet overcoat on his bunk and his hat on top of the overcoat. Then feeling his hair to feel how wet it was and shook his hand once he was done. Not was wet as he thought. Szalai was alone in the room and he exchanged some talk with his fellow crewmates on the expedition but, he has mainly kept to himself. Passing time by reading some books he had brought and watching the ocean from the outside deck. It was relaxing up until this storm arrived. Still there are plenty of things to do on this ship. From his bunk, Szalai made his way to the cargo to get another look at the impressive submarine there. Mr. Whitmore must really belicve in the lost city is he spent this much money on finding it. Hopefully this trip proves to be a eventful one and they find something about Atlantis. It would be unfortunate if they find nothing but, Szalai has hope. As long as they can prove the city actually existed, he will be happy. Once he arrived at the submarine, he stood in place and watched it. Eventually they will be inside of that thing and going down to the ocean floor to find the city. Eventually this adventure will begin and Szalai can not wait for it.</s> <\|message\|>Thucydides Beauregard Preston Whitmore could put every military in the world to shame. Thucydides Beauregard could think nothing less than that as he completed his inspection of the the Ulysses and the accompanying vehicles, submersibles and all of the weaponry they'd been equipped with for this expedition. He'd thought that Whitmore had spent obscene amounts of money on just the Icelandic expedition, but this...he couldn't fathom how one man could have managed such feats of machining and science. Good thing that his friend hadn't ever considered a political career. He'd dominate the world by now. He paused a moment to draw a cigar from one of the many pockets of his fatigue coat. Whitmore had even provided custom uniforms for the expedition, which Thucydides couldn't help but chuckle at when he'd first seen the things. Yes, the old man had covered every single one of his bases here. The big man smiled as he clipped the end of the stogie and slipped the thing between his lips, striking a match against his cheek. He took a slow, satisfied puff as he strolled along through the ship, taking that one last opportunity to breath in the sea air before they'd be embarking. The Hungarian was already down in the departure bay when Thucydides made his way down again. He offered a polite nod as he approached, looming at 6'6" and easily outmassing the geologist. "Find everything to your liking, Mr. Zalan? Whitmore spared no expense here by the look of things." The big man offered a smile around his cigar. "Afraid I'm not the best of judges with the excavation equipment."</s>	<\|message\|>Tristan Walker Tristan had to grip his typewriter with force as the ship lurched rapidly against the storm powered waves. He cursed quietly as readjusted the position of the typewriter on his room's desk. He would be quiet cross if the expensive machine were to be damaged. While the expedition's benefactor Mr. Whitmore had quite enough money to easily replace it, Tristan would still feel bad if such a nice piece of machinery was ruined by the jostling of the sea. Plus, Mr. Whitmore had said that Tristan could keep the new typewriter once the expedition was completed. Tristan had just finished a draft of his account of the expedition so far. Normally Tristan would have went through several drafts already, wanting to tell the story in the best way. However, there wasn't much to tell. They were only on their third day at sea with very little to report. While the splendour of the ship had initially been very interesting to Tristan, giving him ideas about writing a nautical adventure, the whole thing had become humdrum fast as everyone fell into the monotony of their duties. Hell, this was the first time there had even been a storm, which was something of note. Tristan placed the typewriter and his report into the large suitcase next to him, one designed to store a typewriter, and placed the luggage under the bottom bunk he had claimed. As he did so, his stomach growled reminding him that he had skipped lunch to read a book and write his report. Tristan hoped that there was still some food left, as lunch was over two hours ago. Tristan threw on a brown overcoat, as it was chilly today, and left his room. In the hall outside, several of the military types were gathered and laughing. It gave Tristan pause to try and figure out what about this expedition would be so dangerous that it would require a small army. In fact, Tristan still had many more questions about this whole endeavour. If they were looking for ruins at the bottom of the ocean, then why did they need demolition experts? It was a little bit sketchy to Tristan, but he had placed his faith in Preston Whitmore, who he was still greatly appreciative of being offered this job. Tristan made his way out of the hallway and onto the exposed part of the ship. Bursts of sea spray greeted him, darkening his overcoat as he was dampened. Tristan hurried down toward the mess hall, wanting to get away from the storm as fast as possible. As he turned the corner that led to the mess hall, Tristan slipped on the wet floor, sliding forward. At the same time a sailor also turned the corner, colliding with Tristan. The two were both knocked off their feet, the sailor dropping a bag of potatoes, while Tristan's journal fell out of his coat pocket. "The hell is your problem?" spat the sailor as he tried to pick the potatoes of the floor. Tristan froze up. He was not good with confrontation. So, he quickly gathered the potatoes and handed them to the sailor, before grabbing his journal and fleeing the scene, leaving the sailor with a confused expression. Tristan's hunger left his mind as he rushed out of the area. What a klutz, he thought. Once he found a secluded part of the ship Tristan stopped and breathed in the ocean air. The salty mist calmed him down, grounding him, and quieting his mind. Tristan then took out his personal journal and made note of this situation so that he may learn from it.</s>
<\|description\|>Brooke Everett Age: 29 Gender: Female Role: Crew Member Specialty: Linguist/Cartographer Personality: Brooke is a bubbly woman with a passion for exploration and knowledge for the betterment of all. Good-hearted, kind, Brooke enjoys making friends and spreading her own ideas and taking in the ideas of others. It's a shame she's exceptionally awkward and uncharismatic. One would not have to take themselves too seriously in order to become friends with the woman who stammers and gesticulates wildly when trying to express an idea she is particularly invested in. Self-awareness isn't one of her strengths, but she has just enough of it to be embarassed after the fact. Brooke tries to be humble but what pride she does have is easily bruised. She's also a terrible liar and accidentally wears her heart on her sleeves, even though she often tries to put up a facade of being cool and 'scientist-y'. Brooke is insatiably curious and frankly put: gullible. It was this gullibility that allowed her to trust in herself that her grandfather, and Atlantis, was real, and worth pursuing. She has a borderline obsessive nature with the lost empire, and though she has accomplished some tasks in her academic career, the only thing she has ever truly wanted was to find that vanished bastion of civilization that vanished into the sea untold millenia ago. Since she severely lacks people to talk too about the things she cares about, Brooke has developed a habit of thinking aloud, or talking to herself. This all being said, Ms. Everett is an exceptionally skilled linguist and cartographer. Her lack of tact is not to be confused with a lack of intelligence. It is her life's passion and work. Brooke has a distaste for violence, and is particularly aware of the flaws of the society she lives in. If anything good has come out of her struggles, it's her deeply burning empathy with the experiences of others. Brooke also is addicted too really likes Cola, reading, playing board games. Of course, maps and languages are pretty great, too. Brooke is fluent in English, Atlantean, Spanish, and Chinese. She's also basically skilled in Russian, Japanese, Italian, French, and Louisiana Creole thanks to her childhood friend, Penny. Appearance: Brooke is black woman with a slender, almost-athletic build. Her short, curly black hair is kept up and semi-side swept, though it becomes unkempt quite frequently. She has big, glittering brown eyes, a broad flat nose and full, plump lips that smile easy, revealing her chipped right front tooth. Resting on the bridge of her nose is almost always a pair of thin-rimmed circular glasses that tuck neatly over her small ears. Her glasses serve two purposes- to help with her short sightedness, and to subdue the effects of her amblyopia, sometimes referred too as lazy eye. When not wearing her glasses, her right eye tends to drift inwards towards her nose rather then agreeing with wherever her left eye is looking. She can still see out of it when it's like it, but it's vision is blurrier and it's much easier to just focus on what her left eye is seeing rather then straining herself to look out of her lazy one. Especially when it's mostly just her nose and whatever the left eye is seeing, but worse. Her clothes are brightly colored, casually formal and practical. White undershirts underneath red vests or blazers, and tucked into pants or skirts depending on her mood or situation. The scholar slips into heels, pumps, and boots easily. art stolen from kiikiibee.tumblr.com. check them out for cool drawings Other: Brooke's American accent is almost North-Eastern but a little too sugary southern sweet. Brooke is also decent at plumbing, so if this whole cartography thing doesn't work out she'll fall back on that and just be a little bit unsatisfied and bored for the rest of her life, but that's not too bad. History: Brooke was raised by her grandfather, Raymond Everett, after her parents Raymond Jr. and Patricia Everett passed away shortly when she was a toddler. She didn't know them much personally, but she learned much of them and the type of people they were. Good, hard-working, rebellious and stubborn. The ideal American, the kind so very often disparaged by most of the real Americans. Through stories her grandfather told of her father and his daughter-in-law they seemed to be respectable, loving people. Even though they weren't around to teach her the more indepth lessons of being a person in this world, she looks up to them anyway. But Raymond was the man who she took after the most, a self-made man born in the Northern United States before the Civil War. The deck was stacked against him, as it were, but he got lucky, and made it work. He taught her often of linguistics and map-making. He didn't push her into it, he didn't even particularly want her to follow in his footsteps, but his passion and love for the subject was contagious. It was his identity, and his smile brightened the room whenever little Brooke dared to ask about the subject unprompted. Brooke made friends with a little girl named Penny, two years her junior, who moved up North with her family a while ago. They became fast friends, even though they came from different backgrounds, especially when it came to class. But soon Penny's nomadic family moved again, to somewhere else. Raymond Everett became obsessed with Atlantis, a lost forgotten Empire. He drudged up evidence and books and found the beginnings of the Atlantean language. He needed Shepherd's Journal, but he could never quite track it down. She saw him less and less towards the final years of his life, and though he was a great man, he never could just let it go. Years have passed since then, and Brooke found herself taking up her grandfather's torch in the field of Academia. Most of whatever money he had intended to pass down to her was gone, or has been spent in the time since his passing. Originally, she planned to not fall down the same trap he did and become ensared by visions of Atlantis. Instead she wanted to study other aspects of those fields and become renowned for her own discoveries. For a while, this was true, but...it was hard not to think about. So, working as a plumber in the boiler room of a University, she has slowly but surely built a little bit of a name for herself, if not publicly. Since she's technically not really a scholar, her work tends to be co-opted without credit by other members of academia. It has gotten under her skin recently, but she'd distracted herself more and more with focusing on the Lost Empire of Atlantis and cracking the code of the Atlantean language. Within the last year she has finally gotten fluent with it, has learned it's syntax and grammar, and can read and write it. Even her grandfather was a novice at the language, but she had his work as a headstart. Now, she's diving headlong into finally making a name for herself with a discovery that can't possibly be covered up or be taken credit for by somebody else- the discovery of the lost city itself. All she needs, is Shepherd's Journal and- Oh, boy. Here we go again. This time, though, she'll be careful. Fortunately, it's not like there's anyone relying on her, so no one will miss her if she goes crazy. Plus...she's actually onto something here!</s> <\|message\|>Thucydides Beauregard "Afraid I'm not much of an expert myself. My understanding is that it isn't much different from a normal ship. Just have to be a tad more careful about seals." Thucydides offered, puffing in his cigar as he took another look around the bay. An entire convoy of trucks loaded down with supplies was already starting on up the boarding ramp, though most of the crew itself was still lingering. That would change soon. "I'm not much more excited than you about traveling in this thing, believe me. Prefer to know there's sky a certain distance above me. We have our duty though. Is there anything else you need prepared before we embark?"</s> <\|message\|>Szalai Zalán Szalai Zalán "Just like a normal ship huh", Szalai replied as he looked at the submarine. "I will take your for word it then and then it should not be too hard to live in". Being in a submarine sure will be an experience, being underwater and everything. Granted he will be waiting around for a time before they find traces of the lost city. Still, it will be worth it once they found what they were looking for and Szalai is excited about it. "I am just excited to find the lost city is all and not exactly excited to travel in a submarine. Just it will be new for me and being in an impressive submarine like this one". Szalai noticed the supply trucks and moving up the boarding ramp. "I take it that we are leaving soon and as for me Commander. I just to retrieve some things from my bunk and I should be good to go. It should be fast to get and I assume you are ready to depart?</s> <\|message\|>Brooke Everett Brooke Everett: The Cartographer Brooke Everett was scrambling to the bridge of the ship, clutching several scrolls of maps, balancing some on a small open-topped wooden box with various books inside. The young woman's frazzled short black hair that was shorter on one side raised just above her large, circular glasses that made her big brown eyes seem even bigger. Brooke had been a beacon of anxious energy throughout the entire trip, having had her entire life turned upside down. The sleeves of her white undershirt were rolled up to the elbows, and a red vest clung tightly to her body. The shirt was tucked into a belt that kept up a pair of black pants that tucked into a pair of boots. Everything was tucked. Perhaps not of any desire to be orderly or prim, infact it was more likely that had her clothes not been so tightly tucked they would be flying all over the place and getting stuck on every possible place they could get stuck on. It was a matter of necessity, almost. Preston Whitmore had changed her life. All those years of waiting, searching, hoping, it had finally come true. She was about to prove her and her grandfather right, and the Everett name would be brought to the public consciousness in the good light that it deserved. Finding Atlantis, following the notes of Shepherd's Journal in a high tech submarine---it was almost too good to be true! That was why she was so incredibly concerned with not messing anything up. Despite some of the crew's potentially mixed feelings, Brooke was a true believer in the lost empire and expounded vibrantly upon the subject whenever someone dared broach it with her- or whenever they didn't. Carrying the box and the scrolls full of text and words that no one other then a cartographer and linguist could make any sense of, Brooke came to a door that lead to where she needed to go. There was a small glass porthole, and the top half of her face peered through, the large round glasses poking around to try and see anyone on the other side. With no free hands to operate the complicated naval door that only submarines had, Brooke pushed her forehead against the glass. "Hello?" She asked. Brooke leaned back against a nearby wall and extended her leg outward and began to kick at something like a handle or a wheel, trying to find a good grip on it to get the door open. "C-c-could somone---" She stumbled, slipping, and had to rebound before a map fell to the ground. She treated the maps as if they were expensive Chinese porceclain creations. Were they to fall onto the steel floor of the submarine, they would surely shatter into a million pieces. Brooke tried not to blink too much because she was certain that if she kept her eyes closed for too long she would wake up and be back in her gloomy New England apartment. "I need some-" She once again began and prematurely ended a sentence, this time adding a beleaguered, good-natured giggle. "Oh, heck." She leaned up against the wall and tried to balance the box in her arms. At this point she was nothing more then a pair of trousers supporting a shaking box. This was going to take a while, and her obvious, loud plight would need to be solved by someone else. Eventually she may figure out how to put down the box and open the door and pick the box back up again. Again, if she put down the box, the rocking of the submarine may cause it to drift into the wall, have a collision, and burst into flames. Anything was on the table at this point.</s> <\|message\|>Thucydides Beauregard "Just finished the inspection of all my team's equipment. We should be prepared for just about any breed of danger that might keep in on us." Thucydides replied. He paused then when he spotted the young Black woman trying to manage her rather copious luggage. He nodded politely toward the Hungarian. "If'll excuse me, seems our cartographer needs an extra pair of hands." He gave a brief salute before he loped over toward the young woman. Thucydides loomed easily over the woman, and was probably four times her weight in muscle and bone, but even then he had to his best to not appear threatening. "Let me give you a hand with that, Miss Everett." He said, his Louisiana drawl as thick as could be. The big man offered a polite smile as he turned the wheel to open the hatch for her. "Captain Thucydides Beauregard. Pleasure to meet you at last. Raymond would be proud seeing all this."</s>	<\|message\|>Brooke Everett Brooke Everett: The Cartographer Brooke was focused on the door and keeping her belongings from touching the apparently poisonous ground when the light from a nearby ceiling fixture was blocked. Brooke's wide eyes flicked up to the imposing yet gentle figure of a very big man. He was intimidating to say the least, though she knew he wasn't trying to be. Still, the edge of a cliff or a big metal spike wasn't trying to be intimidating either. But something that could easily squish her fragile form into tiny pieces was just inherently a bit spooky. She gulped and smiled wide with a slightly nervous chuckle. "Oh, uh, thank you, Sir." She nodded at him and then rushed inside. Finding a nearby table she set the box down and turned to Captain Thucydides and gave him a salute. It was an amateur salute of someone who had only seen propaganda pictures of soldiers saluting before but it was the best she could do. "I'm, uh, Brooke Everett. Yes...I...I imagine he would," Her salute faltered a bit and she looked wistfully to the nearby wall, her thoughts briefly drifting away a little.</s>
<\|description\|>Haru Imamura Age: 22 Personality: Haru is a soft-spoken and introverted individual. She dares not to step out what is expected out of her, even when she is given freedom to choose what she would like to do. This persists into her beginning years into adulthood, even as she began living on her own. With very little knowledge to work off of, she constantly berates herself from making the littlest of mistakes and/or not doing enough work. These features make her a completely incompetent mage in practice, and this only makes her work towards the impossible when she herself does not have the proper fundamentals to even pursue this goal. Thus, she has a terrible bad habit of setting herself up for failure, simply by aiming for these goals under others' unrealistic conditions. Abilities: Despite her background and overall nature, Haru possesses the Sekiguchi family's Magic Crest on her back as well as mediocre Magic Circuits. Going from her aunt's guidance on a "good luck charm," Haru knows a basic healing spell under the guise of a good luck mantra, which she secretly uses when working as a nurse. Regardless if she does so or not, Haru is periodically plagued by migraines. Everything else that's considered the bare basics of performing magecraft, Haru does not know at all. Her elemental affinity happens to be water. History: Born as Haruka Sekiguchi, she experienced an extremely short childhood that was neither mundane nor Magus-related. As the only child of the wilting mage family, Haruka was forced to have the family's Magic Crest transplanted into her fully in one sitting due to her father's declining health with no improvement in sight. While there could be time to transplant the Magic Crest in increments, Haruka's mother feared that their bloodline would die out otherwise. This decision resulted with Haruka falling ill almost immediately upon receiving the Magic Crest. A successful inheritance with a dire cost, and only at the age of 5. Even with stricken by severe migraines which weakened her to the point of almost being bedridden, her mother would constantly hammer in magecraft teachings with no consideration to the child heir who couldn't keep up and remember it all. These events continued up until her father's natural death. Months after her father's death, 9-year-old Haruka found herself under a new household's roof which belonged to her aunt. Fearing that she was missing her mother's lectures, Haruka asks about why she was here. Her aunt only answers that it is only better that she lived with her. From there, her aunt would treat her just like any other normal child, trying to uplift the child's spirits after magecraft took away what was Haruka's early childhood innocence. Despite Haruka's improved quality of life, she continues to ask when she can go back home, yet her aunt couldn't bring herself to tell the truth until she was older. Six years later, her aunt would find Haruka nursing a stray cat in their neighborhood back to health. The young teen stroking the feline animal's back in a soothing manner while humming a basic tune appeared to actually remedy the evident bruises on said animal. Her aunt would quickly usher them both inside. First she praises Haruka for taking care of a hurt cat, but then scolds her for being careless with her own abilities. Met with Haruka's confusion, her aunt would finally tell the truth about why she started living with her. Her aunt would recount on how magecraft caused her to be estranged from her family, yet her brother, Haruka's father, kept in touch with her in secret despite the heavy responsibilities put onto him. When it came to him being on his death bed, he told her aunt to take Haruka away to relieve her of the same fate. Recounting this story to the 15-year-old Haruka, her aunt further explains that it's for the best that she stays with her instead of her mother. While reluctant, she figured that it would be fine, considering her below average to no experience with magecraft. Going as far as saying that she didn't even know what magecraft was, those teachings long forgotten after being in her aunt's care. So by her aunt's suggestion, she took on the name of Haru Imamura, and only used her only spell, the basic healing spell, when she was sure that no one would catch wind of it. There, she took up the life of a social loner, leading up to present day to which she moves out of her aunt's house to live on her own in a rural village. With her studies in the medical field and with that "healing charm," she was able to become a nurse at a neighboring town's hospital. Even on her own, Haru finds herself still feeling unfulfilled and not achieving enough. She thought to herself, if she had access to this healing charm, how come she can't just wish to be a more useful person? Little did she know that her silent and uncertain prayers were indirectly answered, and that she happened to move into a specific place during a specific time... Other: Literally has no idea what she's getting dragged into.</s> <\|message\|>Servants Oda Nobunaga "As much as I could hide myself in spiritual form, it would mean not being able to see," the shorter girl replied, already hitting upon the obvious limitation of this. An Assassin might be able to sneak around and find out what was going on without being detected but most Servants, even archers, wouldn't have the level of stealth required to avoid another Servant. "If we run into difficulty this early in the war, most Servants would want to hold back for fear of revealing their identity too early and setting themselves up for defeat." That she wanted to meet the other Servants was an added bonus. Nobunaga might be an excellent opponent to the older Servants, but if some modern swordmaster were to come along then they would be in considerably more trouble--if she could get an ally able to keep pace with more modern threats, then that would reduce the number of possible avenues of defeat considerably. And she wasn't going to be blind to any betrayal this time.</s> <\|message\|>Minamoto no Yorimitsu (AKA Ushi Gozen, Raikou, Mother, etc.) Costante and Karizma Upon reaching the upper floor, Costante closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then got to work. The first thing he did was crack open a window, tweaking the Bounded Fields around the house to bend the outgoing light and conceal this change. With that done, he loosed five small, translucent crystalline familiars, before wheeling over a heavy telescope and pointing it outward through the opening, its objective lens aimed up at the sky. For the next few minutes, he made minor adjustments, tweaking angle and focus while his familiars moved towards their destinations. Rather than scouting through the streets as one might expect, they went upwards, ascending high above the town and well out of reach. Only the most skilled of archers would be able to shoot them down from such a height, and that man was already on Costante's side. "Begin refraction," he muttered, once they were all in place. At his command, each familiar unfolded into a new configuration, losing nearly all their mobility but gaining new reflective and refractive properties, bouncing light between one another until it converged on the central unit, which gathered and then reflected a composite image down into the lenses of the powerful telescope Costante had aimed out the window. With this, he had a bird's-eye view of the entire town, and by tweaking the positions and configurations of his familiars he could adjust the final image as he pleased, quickly zooming in on any points of interest. With this, nothing can escape my gaze. If anyone comes close to Sister… It took him only a few seconds to find Karizma, since he knew her point of origin and could easily predict her path. She seemed to be perfectly safe for now, although… Is that someone on the bridge, just ahead of her? At the same time, Karizma was merrily strolling along, her eyes lighting up with joy at her Archer's offer. "That would be awesome! And then we could speak back and forth, and Costante wouldn't be able to understand a thing." She giggled. "Ohayo! Watashi wa Karizuma-desuuu! Sugoi baka onii-chan arigato!" Then she heard a faint noise, and immediately stopped in place. "Hey, did you feel that?" Carefree as she acted, her senses had been alert this whole time, and while she could only barely make out the violin note, the release of mana was unmistakable. There was either another Magus or a magical being nearby, and they weren't being careful about hiding their presence. Her brother's voice suddenly sounded in Archer's head. "There's someone on the bridge just down the road from your current location. They look like they're waiting for you, so it's probably a trap—" "HEYYYY!" Karizma was already yelling and waving across the bridge. "Hello! Konnichi-wa! Can you hear me?" She was taking care and being cautious like Archer had said, otherwise she might already have been running to greet the (presumably) enemy Master.</s> <\|message\|>Minamoto no Tametomo, aka: "Chinsei Hachiro Tametomo" and "The Subjugator of Demons" Minamoto no Tametomo --- Hmm, that wasn't good. An obvious magus, an obvious 'flag' to draw attention in an obvious place, and the faint trill of music winding along through the air. Contante was right to be worried, in his mind, that this could very well be some kind or trap or the like. Not that Karizma's whimsical attempt at anime-drenched Japanese terms wasn't whimsically amusing, but this was more serious than the girl seemed to be wont to treat it-...wait. What?! Did she just calling attention to them to whoever was over the bridge without support? At least she wasn't running over there with a 'shoot me' sign hung over her neck, but what in the world was she thinking? Was she thinking? Well, he needed to act before anything potentially went more quickly south. 'Constante, please keep an eye for any sudden changes. Anything indicative an of attack perhaps, or preparing a spell or something.' The boy would hear Archer's message in his own head in return, as the servant materialized (having dematerialized along the way) before grabbing Karizma by the back of her shirt collar and immediately pulling her with him into a nearby big bush among several. "...Rule One of any kind of 'War': Don't just immediately call out to an enemy waiting for someone in an obvious setup or maybe trap. Now please sight tight for a moment while I see what the deal is here. If a battle breaks out, then don't get shot by stepping into the crossfire. If they wanna' talk, then we can talk. Just let me figure it out, ok?" Was he babying the girl by whispering to her in this bush he pulled her into? Yes, most definitely and simply yes. Was he trying to keep her alive despite her lack (but not total absence thereof) of survival instincts? Yes. She could not like him for this, she might appreciate it, but regardless she and her brother were under his wing. That was something he took seriously. Dematerializing, the Archer would remove himself from the bush and take up a spot on he and Karizma's side of the bridge, re-materializing as he sat on a light post. From there the man gave a seemingly casual wave towards the other end with his free hand, his bow firmyl gripped in the other hand as it sat in his lap, albeit his manner almost seemed like someone who just wanted to share a drink. Or maybe it was a friendly idiot act. "Yo! Is this one of those ambush traps, a nice little challenge for a duel, or some kind of friendly signal to come and talk over some sake? Either way I'll need to know veeeery soon though, or I will have to assume the worst." In this era he preferred a more casual approach to life, not that he was taking it any less seriously. But if he was making noise and drawing the attention to himself, especially in a manner that made him stand out loudly, that might help Karizma's case if she stayed put in the bushes for the moment being. Maybe. He prayed to the gods of his family that she kept in the bush. Regardless, he would handle things on this end first. They would be able to find out real fast if those on the other end had one kind of intention or another in doing this. He would be better off taking the attention first in a bad situation, however, than his master would. @KoL@King Cosmos</s>	<\|message\|>Haru Imamura Well, that answers that. Haru figured it would be fine as Archer said. If this was only starting up now, there was no reason to go all-out in a sense. At most, it would take a few days for some to start enacting their strategies. That was what she thought on this. So with that, she could rest easy that there really shouldn't be any drastic action taken for the day. "O-oh, right... then this should be okay. Yeah." She responded before thinking about where to start their scope-out of the town. There wasn't much to help her with where to start, so that became a matter of winging it as they went for now. "I guess we can start heading out. From here, there's a bit of farmland before we hit a fork in the road that leads either into the main part of town or a forest path... so we could go with this for now and see where that takes us... does that sound good, Archer?" Haru inquired, seeing it as something to start with. Daze</s>
<\|description\|>Thomas Gardner Title(s): Magister Templi, Third Order of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn Gender: Male Age: 63 Alignment: Lawful Neutral Objective for the Grail: To bring the Holy Grail to the Golden Dawn, if only to throw it in their faces. Personality: On the surface Thomas is a polite and charming individual, the very picture of an English gentleman. Having spent the better part of his life as part of what is essentially a secret society Thomas has developed a way of dealing with people that can best be described as aggressively diplomatic; he is friendly, approachable, and amiable and yet rarely if ever gives any sort of hint towards his true feelings or motivations. A determined individual who is not easily swayed by others and someone with the fortitude to forge his own path and follow his own goals even if others seek to place obstacles in his path, yet savvy enough to toe the line and not make enemies unnecessarily. Such social acumen was needed to survive in the Golden Dawn, especially when he is seen as such a… controversial figure by many. History: Thomas comes from a long line of Magus; not the most impressive line, nor the oldest, and their name hasn't always been Gardner, but a long line nonetheless. Thomas' family have been practitioners of Witchcraft in Europe and Britain since the middle ages, engaging in both sides of the art as both black witches focused on curses and hexes and white witches focused on protection from the former. Even with this age the Gardner Magic Crest is not as well developed as it could be. Being a witch in Britain has always been a hazardous occupation and the family has been forced into hiding a number of times over the years as the craze of witch-hunting rose and fell in popularity. In particular the writing of the Witchcraft Act of 1604 was nearly the death of the Gardner line and their Magic Crest was all but lost during this period. Thankfully they managed to outlast the witch hunters and the family survived, though diminished in size and power. Over time they began to recover and the complexity of their crest grew in leaps and bounds, however it wasn't until Thomas's grandfather and great grandfather that the family truly began to flourish. They are the ones mostly responsible for making the family what it is, at least in terms of wealth and influence. That being said, it was also his grandfather than nearly ruined them. Thomas' grandfather joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn after being invited to be a member by another magus via their joint association with the Clocktower. Being a talented Magus in his own right his grandfather quickly rose through the ranks but was at the same time a controversial figure who upset a lot of people by publishing books on occultism. The books were complete nonsense which he saw as both a way to make money while also having some fun but others in both the Golden Dawn and the Clocktower saw it as potentially threatening to reduce the amount of mystery in the world by revealing secrets about Magecraft. In the end he was acquitted and no punishment was given, but the Gardner name was forever tarnished by the accusations. This controversy has directly affected Thomas as well and means that a number of people within the order have taken a disliking to him on principle. It doesn't help that his style of Magecraft is seen by some as out-dated, archaic or even barbaric in nature; it seems even Magi are not immune to developing certain stigmas around witchcraft. There have been numerous occasions where people have tried to question whether or not his family should even be allowed to keep their association with the order, citing his grandfather's past discretions as reasons, and whether or not Thomas and his obsolete style of magecraft can possibly contribute anything of worth to the order. This did not prevent him from climbing the ranks to become a member of the highest order of the Golden Dawn, as progress through the ranks is determined by skill and learning rather than politics, but he had to fight his way through opposition every step of the way. When Thomas first received word of the Holy Grail war in the east he tried to keep it a secret, wanting to enter the war himself without the Order learning of it, but it was not long before others found out and the expected arguing and politics began. The Golden Dawn wished to send a member to participate, but all wanted the glory for themselves and none could agree on who to send, other than that it should definitely not be Thomas. Rather than argue in his own defence or try to convince the order to sanction his participation in the Holy Grail war, Thomas opted to simply make the decision for all of them and leave; he acquired a suitable catalyst from the Golden Dawn by what some would consider theft and headed for Japan, lacking the resources of the order to which he may or may not still be a member but backed by the considerable wealth of his family. However his theft of the catalyst would turn out to be pointless, due to the peculiar nature of this war. --- Magecraft: General Magecraft – The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn is more than capable of teaching novices the basic magecrafts to the same level of competency as the Clocktower. Elementalism – Those in the First Order of the Golden Dawn must study the concepts of elementalism and prove their understanding before moving on to the next level. Every member of the Golden Dawn who has advanced past this stage not only knows how to use magecraft that matches their affinity, they also have knowledge of all the other affinities they cannot use. Thomas himself has a dual affinity for fire and earth. Bounded Fields – While knowledge of and even proficiency in the use of bounded fields is expected in the higher members of the Golden Dawn, Thomas has taken this understanding even further. He is capable of casting Advance Bounded Fields and Bounded Fields that are supremely hard to detect; over the course of many years he has honed his ability to combine Bounded Fields with his other specialties, particularly Sympathetic Magic, to create some interesting effects. European Witchcraft – An old form of magecraft not much favoured within the Clocktower due to its close association with curses, European Witchcraft is as much to do with the protection and prevention of curses and afflictions as it is with creating them. Thomas is well versed in the common practices of European Witchcraft including scrying, divination (particularly that will allows for objects/people to be found), healing and protection from harmful magecraft. His particular focus in this area is in the creation and use of Poppets and other items. Sympathetic Magecraft – A style of magecraft dictated by the laws of Sympathy and Contagion based on the idea that one can influence something, even people, based on its relationship or resemblance to another object. Thomas gained a basic understanding of this craft through his studies of European Witchcraft which makes use of Sympathetic Magecraft in places, particularly in the creation and use of Poppets. Finding himself particularly interested in the subject Thomas continued his studies in this area over the course of decades in order to become a true master of the art, even beyond what is often associated with European Witchcraft. Weapons: Grand Poppet – The ultimate expression of Thomas' art, the Grand Poppet is an item created by Thomas over the course of decades using the principles of European Witchcraft and Sympathetic Magecraft. It is a humanoid figure; a doll woven out of Thomas' own hair and stained with his blood, creating a Poppet so steeped in Contagion as to be considered unwise or even obscene by other practitioners of his craft, were they to learn of it. The aim of Sympathetic Magecraft if often to create an object that in some way resembles the object or person that the Magus is attempting to manipulate, but in many ways the Grand Poppet is more 'Thomas' than Thomas is and as such it attracts much of the harm that is intended for him whether that be magical in nature or physical. Ring of Vampirism – A Mystic Code in the form of a ring which allows for the extraction of blood from a person over short distances, which is then stored inside a small internal reservoir. This object has an extremely short range, between five and ten feet at the most, and works best when in direct contact with the target with greater distances slowing the process of extraction. The target feels no pain and the quantities of blood being extracted are so small as to cause no negative effects to the target. However, due to the innate protection against invasive magecraft that all Magus have, against them this ring is only useful for drawing blood from an open wound. Image Capturing Glasses – A simple pair of glasses capable of capturing and storing an image of whatever the wearer is observing at any given time and recalling that image when requested. Amplifier Staff – A simple amplification style Mystic Code resembling an ornate cane or walking stick. Intended to be used to strengthen Thomas' elemental magecraft in particular should he ever need to get his hands dirty.</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga, Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, Fool of Owari Oda Nobunaga "It can't be helped," the Archer said with a grin, folding her arms. It was good for her Master to get on board with everything so quickly; it simply wouldn't do to waste time persuading her to get on board when there was reconnaissance to be done and enemies to assess. Who knew if any of the other famous warlords had shown up? It wouldn't do to let them get an advantage in building an army if the war headed in that direction. "The only way out for you is if someone kills you and I find another Master, so we have to stick together until this all ends." Still, looking more serious, the Archer couldn't avoid letting out a disappointed huff, "It's a shame that it has to be happening out here. I would have liked to see how much all of Japan has changed since the Sengoku Jidai, not in a town that has barely changed since the province was renamed." "The first thing we have to do, Master, is look around. There can be no strategy without knowledge of the land."</s> <\|message\|>Minamoto no Yorimitsu (AKA Ushi Gozen, Raikou, Mother, etc.) Costante and Karizma The twin Masters both listened attentively to Archer's advice, Costante standing still and calmly taking notes while Karizma shifted her weight impatiently from one foot to the other. When their Servant had finished talking, they instantly looked towards one another, unspoken thoughts passing between them in a flash as their eyes met. He makes good points. And he does know what he's doing! Then I can trust him to take care of you. And I can trust you to watch our backs. They both smiled, and then without any sign or signal nodded to Archer in perfect synchrony. "Clear as crystal!" "Clear as day!" It wasn't any magecraft or telepathy that allowed them to communicate so quickly, but simply years of experience, a fraternal bond tested and strengthened by time and external forces. When it came to their feelings, each could read the other at a glance, and reach an agreement without so much as a whisper spoken aloud. Specifics, however, still needed to conveyed the old-fashioned way. "In the interest of caution, I'll keep my surveillance focused around the two of you for the most part," Costante said, already heading for the stairs. "Archer, make sure to relay the position of anything you see back to me; I'll do likewise if I spot anything with my telescopes." His talent hadn't been hailed by the Clock Tower for nothing; there was plenty he could do to support them from here. "Right then!" Karizma skipped her way over to Archer's side, bowing to him with a girlish giggle. "I'll be in your care, Senpai. Isn't that how they say it here?" She winked as she stood up, ignoring the bright red flush on her brother's cheeks across the room. "Let's go poke around and see what we can find… Maybe Nobunaga'll show up! Or Miyamoto Moosashi!" It'd be tempting to try and kill them if they did, but she reminded herself that this was only the first night of a potentially weeks-long event. This would be like the teaser, getting a taste of their opposition so that they'd be ready to go all-out when the time really came. Assuming Archer had no further comments to share, Costante would quietly disappear off to the upper floors while Karizma threw on a coat and led the way out the door, chattering happily about all the Japanese figures she'd heard about in popular culture. "You think you can beat a ninja? Because I just bet there'll be ninjas…"</s> <\|message\|>Sekiguchi Akane, also known "Higanbana Shoujo" to local residents Sekiguchi Akane - Higanbana Shoujo "I am quite happy to hear that," Akane began, "I place my faith in you, Caster." Akane smiled. Ah, this was really the perfect acquisition for her, the perfect Servant to summon. She was certain her time during this Holy Grail War would not be dull at all. As she proceeded out of her mansion, the doors slide open under their own power the moment she approached. Softly, silently, she walked down a path through the field of higanbana. All that could be heard was the faint sound of the wind, and of cicadas chirping. Crows calling. It was just how Akane desired it, in all honestly. Anyone who wandered into this place would think they had passed into some kind of boundary between the mortal world and the underworld. In a way, perhaps that was not an entirely inaccurate way of considering it. As Akane reached the edge of her territory, the air seemed to ripple. She exited her bounded field, from the outside seeming to simply fade into existence. Here, it appeared to be nothing more then a clearing in the forest. Though... it was notable that there were still several clumps of higanbana, sprouting here and there... "If it is a shrine you want, I know just the place," Akane continued as she proceeded out of the clearing, "Fufu, I wonder if there will be anyone nearby? Perhaps, if there is, a little light entertainment could be in order..." It wouldn't be the first time she'd used the shrine's surroundings to play a little game with some of the locals, or tourists. Tourists tended not to believe in her, which made catching a glimpse all the more entertaining.</s>	<\|message\|>Thomas Gardner So far this war had not lived up to Thomas' expectations, but he was having a thoroughly enjoyable time nonetheless. The battleground was decidedly more… rural than he had anticipated for one, but at least he wouldn't have to worry too much about collateral damage when there was so little collateral to damage in the first place. Before departing he had ensured that he still had access to ample funding so that he might secure whatever resources he needed, even after cutting ties with his old compatriots, but it seemed that such measures were unnecessary; he could probably buy this entire town if he wanted to by the looks of it. Instead he had opted for purchasing a small dwelling on the outskirts of town, a little run down but suitable enough for his needs, before spending the better part of a day securing it with a complex array of bounded fields and other apotropaic methods. His Servant too, was a surprise. The catalyst he had 'borrowed' from the Order had proven to be less effective than he had hoped; instead of summoning a fabled hero from Britain's distant past he had summoned, well, her. How effective she would be in this war would remain to be seen, but his first impression was not a hopefully one; she was not a warrior or a witch or anything of the sort, just a young woman who fell to madness after her love was rejected. Being allied to such a character in a war like this seemed more likely to cause him harm than his enemies. "Berserker." Still, he intended to see this through one way or another. At the very least he could see who his foes were before deciding what course of action to take. "What do you say we take a walk around town? See what we can find,hmm?" Bunnies</s>
<\|description\|>Brynan Ianyre B R Y N A N I A N Y R E Do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory... love only that which they defend. B A S I C S --- AGE 29 RACE Half-elf CLASS Fighter OCCUPATION Royal Bodyguard ORIGINATES FROM Koprust, Torvelt P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Brynan is a tall, powerfully built woman with some of the elven features of her ancestors, namely pointed ears and fine features. She carries herself with an air of confidence, cockiness even, and is often seen with a smirk on her dark painted lips. A badly healed stab wound mars the skin of her upper left leg, the result of a drunken bar brawl. The scar is puckered and discoloured and the skin is pulled uncomfortably tight across a muscle that's now slightly deformed. Thanks to an encounter with an angry gnoll, another fainter scar marks her face, running from her right eye to her jaw. STRENGTHS * The use of simple weapons. * The use of martial weapons. * Hand to hand combat. * Acrobatics * Athletics WEAKNESSES * Ranged weapons. * Horseback riding. * An old injury to her left leg which sometimes hampers her movements. P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Brash - Flirtatious - Dedicated - Hardworking - Loyal - Accepting - Arrogant - Forgiving - Driven SEXUALITY Bisexual as fuck FEARS * Failure * Being without a purpose * Losing her position * Fire GOALS * To protect and defend the royal family. * To become the greatest swordsman of her time. * To honour and live up to her family's legacy. S K I L L S --- A listing of skills, such as horseback riding, and natural abilities such as night vision - this also includes any racial edges. NIGHTVISION The ability to see up to 60 feet even when there is little to no light present. TWO WEAPON FIGHTING Brynan studied extensively on the art of dual-wielding. Although she's able to use any two bladed weapons in combat, she prefers the scimitar. DUELING One-on-one combat is Brynan's specialty. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Leather armour * A piece of a banner (King Brand's crest) * A set of bone dice WEAPONS * Scimitar x2 * Hand axe x2 H I S T O R Y --- Brynan is able to trace her bloodline back many thousands of years. The Ianyre family is one born amongst the ancient trees of Havenloft, a forested elven sanctuary situated in the north. It was a respected line, with its warriors known for the strength of their convictions and their prowess in battle. Some 160 years ago a single member of this family, a fierce young elf named Elluin, found himself accused of the murder of a fellow soldier. There is little known about the circumstances of his death, for Elluin spoke little on it in the years that followed. But what is known is that he fled his home soon after and, in order to avoid capture, made a new life for himself in the wastelands of Torvelt. There he would forge a bond of friendship with a man that would change his life and the life of his descendants forever. He was there when the bandit chief rose above the rabble and united a young nation in turmoil; as a witness, participant and one of the new king's most loyal warriors. He was given the title of Royal Bodyguard, a post that would see him stay by the king's side at all times as a protector and advisor. The years passed and the king's line grew, with children and grandchildren rising to take his place when age inevitably took him. Elluin remained, steadfast and resolute, qualities he instilled in his own daughter, the product of a marriage with a human woman. Brynan took her father's place as Royal Bodyguard four years ago, finally achieving a goal she had spent her entire life working towards. Since childhood she had been preparing to step into Elluin's shoes, but received no special rank or favours because of who her father was. From the very bottom she rose through the ranks on her own merits, earning her title through skill and - sometimes - ruthless competitiveness. The disappearance of the young prince, Owen, was a hard blow to Brynan . She's failed in her role as protector of the royal family. Now, regardless of the price, she's vowed to bring him back to his father and right the wrong she believes she's responsible for.</s> <\|message\|>Gentle Gentle --- He passed a few more adventurers – companions, he supposed they should be called – on his way out the hall. First an impressively scarred Tiefling woman. If her mug was anything to go by then she dealt with most of life's obstacles by barging through them face first. A girl after his own heart. The horns were also a nice addition. Never could have too many horns on an expedition like this. After her came what he assumed was an Aasimir. Gentle didn't know what to make of him, slight little frail that he was. He supposed that looks could be deceiving, and the shield he lugged seemed sturdy enough, though the Achean's had been fans of big shields themselves, and Gentle had seen plenty of those shattered in his time. Maybe he was being harsh on the blonde boy, but if experience had taught him anything it was that the size of the dog in the fight definitely did matter a hell of a lot more than popular wisdom would have you believe. The last member of their little coterie was even skinnier than the Aasimir, bearing the sharp pointed ears and delicate features of an elf. In her case being fragile didn't seem like such an impairment. Elves had access to magics that featured in the other races nightmares, every calf knew that, and you didn't need biceps to cast hocus-pocus. Gentle had run afoul of a few spellcasters in his time, and wasn't keen to repeat the mistake. He'd walk carefully around this one. The crew filed back into the sitting room that they'd passed through on their way into the hall, to be met with the sight of a berobed, masked figure. Nathaniel didn't even have to open his mouth for Gentle to figure out he was a spellcaster. From the way he dressed, to the way he moved, everything about him said 'I'm quite interested in wizard bollocks'. Gentle didn't like him on principal, if for no other reason than his daft mask and the overbearing stench of his lavender perfume. Any man who wore that much perfume was hiding something. As if the mask didn't say that succinctly enough. Still, rules were rules, and Gentle wasn't about to start arguing with a mage without good cause. If Nathaniel wanted to act like the king-swinging dick, he was more than welcome to the role. Gentle had done his share of leading in his younger days, and it hadn't turned out pretty for anyone involved. He was happy to let the bemasked wizard bear that load. However it seemed like not everyone shared his sentiments. The sword-slinging half-elf, Gentle didn't know her name because she had quite helpfully declined to give it to the people she intended on leading, got up in the overly-perfumed mage's face and started acting hard. Gentle would have been more than happy to let them go at it – personal combat to decide which bull led the herd was pretty common in 'taur culture after all – and if this kind of confrontation was likely between the half-elf and the spell-man then it was better to get it out of the way sooner rather than later, but he couldn't help but wonder if this kind of ruckus would be seen as 'barbaric' to the more civilised amongst their numbers. He waited for someone else to speak up, to show support for one side or other, or maybe even throw their own hat into the ring. Nobody did. Looking around he wasn't sure what he seen on the faces of the others. He'd never been all that good at reading others. Imposing his own will on the people around him, that he could do, but divining what they wanted themselves was a skill that had always eluded him. He snorted audibly, and stepped forward. If no one else felt like speaking then he supposed he'd have to give it a try himself. "Does anyone else here care whether Nathaniel, the surely learned and powerful mage who can't remember the name of the place we're supposed to be going, or the lady elf so desperate to display the length and girth of her no-doubt titanic cock leads us 'honourable do-gooders'?" He did his best to emulate Nathaniel's painfully sarcastic tone, but wasn't sure he got the inflection quite right. "Personally I'm happy to form a square in the dirt outside and let them tear lumps out each other to decide, but then I am just a simple Minotaur. Whatever we decide I gotta point out that while I'm not a betting bull I think that the odds are good that if there is any sands left in the prince's hourglass, then they'll be trickling down quick while we're standing here. Even if they weren't the daylights burning and I'd like to leave some miles in our tracks before sundown." He realized that he hadn't managed to go all that long without insulting both a court-mage and a pretty dangerous looking half-elf. So much for staying in the magic-types good graces. Oh well, he'd never been all that good at taking good advice. Especially his own.</s> <\|message\|>Stur Stonetalon, once celebrated by his people as Stur Sky's Fury STUR __________ The weathered mercenary pushed open the doors and emerged into the soon-to-be cramped sitting room. Internally, he winced at the thought of that huge bull-beast crushing him against the walls. The less said about the growing strangeness of their little band, the better. He had neither seen nor heard of whatever species this Gentle belonged to, he who looked like he could knock down a small building or two if presented with the slightest inconvenience. The others didn't exactly put him at ease, either. Though, there was something to be said about that full-blooded elf. Sorceress though she may be, she was the only one of the group that had professed to wanting to find a cure for the Fog. Stur had resolved to keep a closer watch over her than the others - someone with the guts and the brains to try to tackle that particular problem stood to help everyone in the entire country if they were successful, and they couldn't afford to be lose her by way of running some fool king's rescue mission. That first half-elf was propped up against the stones right next to the doorway, looking everyone over with a studious eye. Stur returned her gesture in kind, carefully breaking down just what about her set off those faint alarums in his mind. The way she held herself seemed almost effortless, like every little motion was a part of some dance. He reckoned she was fast with those blades of hers. Too fast. Maybe five years back, he would have been able to match her blow for blow, but nowadays, if it came down to it, he figured he'd need to keep her at a distance, using his longer reach until he could wear her down and knock her on her back. Let her get in close, and he'd be dead before he hit the ground. He didn't trust her one bit, neither her haughty expression nor her pair of sinuous swords. Stur's train of thought was soundly interrupted by the introduction of the man in the strange mask, this Nathaniel. The mercenary grunted sourly; he knew of nobody that hid their face unless there was killing or stealing to be done. This one reeked of dishonesty, but then who that he had met today didn't? Lowlander hexers like this one were no small amount of trouble, though, it was true. He'd had to rough up one or two in his time; one of them had tried to turn him into a pigeon. Things took a turn for the worse when that same haughty half-elf stepped right up and challenged their supposed guide. Stur rolled his eyes; so, the she-bitch was going to let her ego get in the way of the job now, too? By her words in the king's presence, she seemed like she was directly involved in his affairs before this. Had she somehow gone and gotten His Royal Backside lost in the first place, then? He had half a mind to say something before the situation got worse, but his job had taught him when to hold his tongue and when to- The bull-man had stepped forward. Stur's eyes widened slightly as he proceeded, in his rumbling, implacable voice, to give the both of them the dressing-down they deserved. He listened in rapt silence until the words titanic cock reached his ears; his mouth twitched, and it was all he could do to stay silent until the talk had almost died down before the steely composure that he had been holding so valiantly abruptly cracked. The man doubled over, raucous laughter pouring out and bouncing off the stone walls. He gasped a long breath, reaching up to wipe a moistened eye. "Ohh, ah, gods without," he managed, "he's got you both, there."</s>	<\|message\|>Brynan Ianyre B R Y N A N I A N Y R E --- Brynan turned and faced the two rowdy boys, both clearly eager to measure themselves against her own length and girth. She smiled, a show of teeth that had nothing to do with friendliness. "I am not you lady, Minotaur. But if it's cock you want I'll be happy to provide you with something to ride if you're feeling lonely tonight." Her eyes flicked to Stur, pointedly roving up and down his body. "I'm quite sure I have more with which to satisfy you than your little hanger-on, here. Now be good and hush while I speak to my associate." With that she dismissed them and returned her attention to Nathaniel. "Well?" she prompted.</s>
<\|description\|>Brynan Ianyre B R Y N A N I A N Y R E Do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory... love only that which they defend. B A S I C S --- AGE 29 RACE Half-elf CLASS Fighter OCCUPATION Royal Bodyguard ORIGINATES FROM Koprust, Torvelt P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Brynan is a tall, powerfully built woman with some of the elven features of her ancestors, namely pointed ears and fine features. She carries herself with an air of confidence, cockiness even, and is often seen with a smirk on her dark painted lips. A badly healed stab wound mars the skin of her upper left leg, the result of a drunken bar brawl. The scar is puckered and discoloured and the skin is pulled uncomfortably tight across a muscle that's now slightly deformed. Thanks to an encounter with an angry gnoll, another fainter scar marks her face, running from her right eye to her jaw. STRENGTHS * The use of simple weapons. * The use of martial weapons. * Hand to hand combat. * Acrobatics * Athletics WEAKNESSES * Ranged weapons. * Horseback riding. * An old injury to her left leg which sometimes hampers her movements. P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Brash - Flirtatious - Dedicated - Hardworking - Loyal - Accepting - Arrogant - Forgiving - Driven SEXUALITY Bisexual as fuck FEARS * Failure * Being without a purpose * Losing her position * Fire GOALS * To protect and defend the royal family. * To become the greatest swordsman of her time. * To honour and live up to her family's legacy. S K I L L S --- A listing of skills, such as horseback riding, and natural abilities such as night vision - this also includes any racial edges. NIGHTVISION The ability to see up to 60 feet even when there is little to no light present. TWO WEAPON FIGHTING Brynan studied extensively on the art of dual-wielding. Although she's able to use any two bladed weapons in combat, she prefers the scimitar. DUELING One-on-one combat is Brynan's specialty. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Leather armour * A piece of a banner (King Brand's crest) * A set of bone dice WEAPONS * Scimitar x2 * Hand axe x2 H I S T O R Y --- Brynan is able to trace her bloodline back many thousands of years. The Ianyre family is one born amongst the ancient trees of Havenloft, a forested elven sanctuary situated in the north. It was a respected line, with its warriors known for the strength of their convictions and their prowess in battle. Some 160 years ago a single member of this family, a fierce young elf named Elluin, found himself accused of the murder of a fellow soldier. There is little known about the circumstances of his death, for Elluin spoke little on it in the years that followed. But what is known is that he fled his home soon after and, in order to avoid capture, made a new life for himself in the wastelands of Torvelt. There he would forge a bond of friendship with a man that would change his life and the life of his descendants forever. He was there when the bandit chief rose above the rabble and united a young nation in turmoil; as a witness, participant and one of the new king's most loyal warriors. He was given the title of Royal Bodyguard, a post that would see him stay by the king's side at all times as a protector and advisor. The years passed and the king's line grew, with children and grandchildren rising to take his place when age inevitably took him. Elluin remained, steadfast and resolute, qualities he instilled in his own daughter, the product of a marriage with a human woman. Brynan took her father's place as Royal Bodyguard four years ago, finally achieving a goal she had spent her entire life working towards. Since childhood she had been preparing to step into Elluin's shoes, but received no special rank or favours because of who her father was. From the very bottom she rose through the ranks on her own merits, earning her title through skill and - sometimes - ruthless competitiveness. The disappearance of the young prince, Owen, was a hard blow to Brynan . She's failed in her role as protector of the royal family. Now, regardless of the price, she's vowed to bring him back to his father and right the wrong she believes she's responsible for.</s> <\|message\|>Imalessa Sharis --- I M A L E S S A S H A R I S --- For a few brief moments, the tension in the air was enough to choke. Imalessa was grateful for the banter and smart wit that seemed to dampen it enough for her to breathe. So many people, and already they were fighting with one another. She scowled. If they expected to go trampling through the forest this way, starting shouting matches and raising hell, they would not get very far. The elf, Aoné, spoke, voice practically dripping with sarcasm. Elves, Imalessa thought. Though she may have been a half-blood, she knew very little about her father's kin - her kin. Regardless, though she'd loved her father dearly, he'd had certain qualities that she just couldn't stand. She still wasn't sure if it was an elven trait, or if her father had simply been a bit of a prick. She was starting to think it was an elven trait. Luckily, it seemed her human blood had diluted it. She had to admit she could have a bit of a temper . . . and that she had a tendency to be stubborn. Something both her parents had had, in their own ways. Imalessa had apparently inherited the worst of both of them. She pushed off the wall and toward the center of the room, toward the rest of the group. "I'm a huntress," she said. "I like to think I'm skilled with a bow." Again, she ached with its absence. She wished to feel its familiar weight on her back. "And I know the forest as well I know myself. Better, even." She sniffed, looking around at the group. "If you think you can just waltz in acting as you are now, you have another thing coming. The trees don't like strangers as it is, let alone a group of squabbling, overgrown children." That temper inside her flared. It occurred to her then that, while she had solely taken on the quest for her sisters' sakes, the forest would need her, too. It was old, ancient . . . She would not let it suffer such trivial quarrels. It deserved better after all it had done for her family, for her.</s> <\|message\|>Gentle Gentle --- Once upon a time a time Gentle would have met such a casual, contemptuous dismissal like the one the half-elf just directed at him with full, insane, glorious, horrifying, beautiful violence. Wouldn't even have thought about it, either. Instinct trumped thought everytime, and his was an instinct bone-deep, crawling back along the centuries to when his kind where birthed by a queen who lay with a God. He would have just dipped his horns and charged, like his fore-fathers of old, gored whichever idiot frail got in his way and to hells with the consequences, he would have bourne them all, just to display the simple fact that no one. disrespects. THE BULL. … He grunted deep in the back of his throat, trying to clear the bitter, half-remembered salt-tang from his mouth. Felt a small wave of nausea when he realized he was salivating. There was a bloodless tremble in his hands that had nothing to do with age and everything to do with hot, desperate anticipation. Hands clenched white-hard around his quarter-staff, but that just seemed to make the shake worse. Was that the wood of his staff he could hear splintering, or his clamped teeth, tight as a sprung bear-trap? He backed off from the warrior woman, and got as far from her as he could in this suddenly all too small room. He was old now, he reminded himself, and with age come wisdom, the wisdom to feel out which battles were worth fighting, and which were better left unfought. At least that was the lie he'd tell anyone in the unlikely event they asked why he slunk away from the half-elf like a beat dog. The real truth of the matter was that he was scared. Scared? Terrified, more like. Deep-recessed fear of repeating fool-damned mistakes that he'd made a hundred times, a thousand times, in the past. Mistakes that it would be best for everyone, especially himself, if he left there in the past, where the only people they could hurt were his ghosts. He took some deep breaths, calming breaths, aiming to keep his blood down. He failed. In the deep distance he could swear he heard maddened braying, ancestors long dust demanding he stop disrespecting their legacy and do what he was born to do. What the Minotaur's where made to do. And just below the bestial demands of his father's fathers, almost at the soft edge of what he couldn't heard, at the meeting place where memory and imagination exist, the insistent, sonorous, all-powerful voice of an absent deity, the primarch who left but has since returned, urging him onwards, to give in to his base appetites, to give glory to Dread Minoas. He was only paying partial attention to the rest of the group. He needed to keep his efforts focused on keeping his monstrous blood in check. Desperately murmered prayers to Apollokeos, She Who Promises Clean Waters, for the strength seemed destined to go unheard, when salvation came from an unlooked quarter. Aoné referred to herself as a barbarian. Funny. He hadn't expected the Elf to have a sense of humour. He'd always figured the Elves to be dry and brittle, like desert glass. He snorted a laugh. Not long and not loud, but it was enough to break the spell that the blood-madness of his people was weaving on him. He took another deep breath, the mingled scents of this group of strangers and castle life tainting the freshness, the stink of lavender heaviest of all, but it still revived him. He looked to Aoné. "Thank you." He murmured. He doubted she heard him. The thanks wasn't really for her anyway. He directed his attention back to the group as the dwarf and the huntress re-introduced themselves, wondering at the pointlessness of it. Hadn't they just done this for the king's benefit? Shouldn't they be doing this on the road to 'Mudshit', or wherever it was they were destined for. The 'taur rubbed a big hand across his broad temple, trying, and mostly failing, to massage away the splitting headache that had been coming on him. Was this really what the God's wanted him for? The bit about the trees did catch his attention though. Stranger hating trees? He didn't like the sound of that, not one little bit. He wasn't a big fan of roofs of a kind, be it stone grey or leafy green, much preferring the trackless expanse of blue sky or crystal clear night. But combine a roof with an inhospitable tree? That, well that just sounded like a recipe for a failed quest to his mind. Sure, maybe they were just regular trees, and the half-elf had gone a little feral, but it sounded like portent to him, and if there was one thing they taught you in Achea, it was you should never ignore portent. "These trees, they dangerous?" He directed his question at the huntress half-elf, "I could make a sacrifice to appease them? The God's ain't always in a listening mood, but if they are maybe they'll have a word with the trees on our behalf, put a good word in for us. Reckon that will do us any good sister?"</s>	<\|message\|>Brynan Ianyre B R Y N A N I A N Y R E --- Brynan leaned slightly towards Nathaniel, her own height nearly matching his. "I don't know why the king has chosen to trust you, spellcaster," she said lowly. "But make no mistake, your flowery words don't fool me. I'll be watching you." With that she straightened and turned to address the room in general. "My name is Brynan Ianyre, and first and foremost I am the chief bodyguard to the king. While it's my responsibility to keep him safe, it's also my duty to oversee the safety of his family. The prince ... He was taken because I wasn't there to stop it." Emotion welled up in her voice - a mixture of anger and shame. But she continued, speaking more to herself than anyone else. "I have no interest in being the one to lead you. All that matters is seeing this mission through to its end and returning the prince to his family. If that means working together, so be it. I am ... gladdened by your presence." She finished somewhat awkwardly, unaccustomed to expressing herself in such a way. Crossing her arms, she stood back and scowled at the world in general while she listened to the others say their piece.</s>
<\|description\|>Antraro A N T R A R O "One's visage and combat prowess are not the only facets of a man, take care to remember this." B A S I C S --- AGE 28 RACE Dragonborn: Red CLASS Monk OCCUPATION Takes on altruistic odd jobs for their next meal. Unpaid otherwise. ORIGINATES FROM Unknown P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Antraro stands taller than most humanoids at a height of about six and a half feet, or about two meters tall. His musculature is not defined but present when his strength is put to the test. His build is slightly stocky and he is covered from head to toe in dark red scales which slightly glimmer in the sun. His hands and feet end in sharp claws that see little use, though they are sharp and well maintained despite his lifestyle. He wears the visage of the Dragonborn people, a lizardlike head, forked tongue, slitted eyes, and two horns which sprout from the top of his head. STRENGTHS * Physical strength * Unarmed Combat * Heat Resistance WEAKNESSES * Not very dextrous * Vulnerable after a breath attack * Use of complex weaponry P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Warm - Kind - Altruistic - Softspoken - Calculated - Awkward - Lonely SEXUALITY Gay FEARS * Prejudice * Claustrophobia * Losing control GOALS * Teach altruism to the world * Be known for more than what he looks like S K I L L S --- A listing of skills, such as horseback riding, and natural abilities such as night vision - this also includes any racial edges. Flame Breath Antraro can breathe a gout of flame in a wide area in front of him. He can also use his flame breath in smaller doses as a firestarter or to keep himself warm. Blindfighting Even when his senses are impaired, Antraro can still hold his own in combat. He uses his sense of hearing and smell to stay in the fight when his vision is blocked. Heavy Lifting Antraro is quite strong, he can lift heavier objects than most. The heaviest that he can lift completely over his head is about 400 lbs or 182 kg. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON Can have as many or as few as you like, mainly 'important' items * Robes * Bowl WEAPONS * None H I S T O R Y --- Antraro has little knowledge of the circumstances of his birth. He only knows as much as his adoptive father had told him before he passed away. Antraro's father recounted to him that a deafening slam was heard outside as he was preparing his breakfast, shaking the interior of his home, knocking several things off of their shelves, and Antraro's father fell to the floor in a daze. Then, a set of delicate footsteps approached his doorstep, left an object, and walked away. As his father stood from the floor, a great gust of wind and the flapping of wings was the last thing he heard before he opened the door to see Antraro swaddled in a blanket on his doorstep. Taking pity on the babe, he took him in. Antraro's childhood was spent mostly in isolation on Torvelt. Antraro was taught to fear the populace at a young age because they would fear him in turn due to his appearance. This fear did not stop Antraro from leaving the house in the night to gaze out towards the edge of the island and wonder what lay beyond the shores and how he came to be here. He was not only taught to fear, though, but he was also educated to hone his body to the fullest and use its potential to achieve one's goals. On the few occasions where Antraro and his father had to visit the capital to gather supplies, Antraro was happiest, he saw what the world outside his home looked like. He hid in plain sight due to heavy clothes and coverings. Though they only worked when he kept a certain distance. On his last trip to Korprust, Antraro's father was busy bartering with a merchant when Antraro heard shouting from a nearby alley. Antraro, as stealthily as he could, slipped away to investigate. A woman was being robbed at knifepoint by a pair of brigands. She stood no chance against them, and Antraro could not stand idly by and let this happen. He intervened, scuffling with the two thieves and emerging victorious, their blades bouncing off of his scales but ruining his disguise. As the men fell, so did Antraro's disguise. When the woman rose from the floor from her panic to Antraro's outstretched hand, she looked at him and paled, fear plain in her eyes. She screamed and fled the alley with her belongings. The city guard had Antraro and Antraro's father taken in for questioning as well as the two unconscious thieves. After deliberation, Antraro and his father were free to leave. But without his disguise, Antraro, in his young adulthood, was visible to the city-goers for the first time. He saw many things in their eyes as they left: fear, confusion, and bewilderment, but the one thing that kept Antraro's spirit from breaking completely was seeing the children look at him in awe. They had never seen anything like him. Tragedy struck soon after this trip to Koprust. Vengeance came in the form of brigands to Antraro's secluded home. They struck down Antraro's father who had given him just enough time to escape. The last thing that Antraro saw before he fled in the night was the smoke rising from his childhood home and the corpse of his adoptive father on the floor. Antraro has since then been living ascetically in the city, taking jobs wherever they came so that he may feed himself and help those who need it. He would always live by the one thing that he held most dear that his father taught him, "Even if they fear you, even if they hate you, you must not falter on your goals."</s> <\|message\|>Brynan Ianyre --- B R Y N A N I A N Y R E --- One by one most of the crowd trickled out. Standing some feet behind and to the left of the king, Brynan watched them leave and felt her seething anger grow. It was impotent anger, directed more at herself than any of them, but that knowledge did nothing to soothe the turmoil in her heart. Clenched behind her back, her fists were white-knuckled and itching to grip the cool steel hilts of her scimitars. Wasting another minute hidden behind the walls of the castle seemed foolish. If it was her decision alone she would already have set off in search of the prince, not tarried here with random opportunists off the streets. Looking over the faces of those that remained, she thought to herself that if even one of them had any formal training with a weapon she would fall on her back in surprise. At King Brand's call to action, Brynan was the first to step forward. But for a tightness around her tired eyes, her face betrayed nothing of her feelings when she placed herself between the king and those assembled. She sank to one knee, her head lowered. "You know my name, sire, and my shame. On my honour, I will return your son to you." Briefly, she glanced up to meet the Queen's eye. "I swear it." The grief in their eyes was too much to bear. She swiftly rose again and made her way to the entrance, ready to leave as quickly as possible.</s> <\|message\|>Imalessa Sharis --- I M A L E S S A S H A R I S --- Imalessa stood near the doors, staring out at those who remained from beneath the safety of her hood. She felt caged here - wrong - without the clack of ancient branches and the open air of the forest. Her sisters thought she was setting traps, waiting for dinner to fall into her lap. They didn't understand the struggle of hunting, how hard she had to work to bring home the most meager of scraps. She looked at the King. This man could make all her troubles go away. If only she could find his son. She knew the forest was dangerous. Gods, she had grown up in it, lived off it, survived it, but now with the Fog . . . She shook her head. They couldn't go on like this. With game becoming harder to find and three mouths to feed, they wouldn't last much longer. If she didn't find her way into some money soon they would be dead in a matter of months, maybe a year, Fog or no Fog. A woman stepped before the King. At first Imalessa thought her to be human, but she started at the fine elven features and delicately pointed ears, same as her own. The woman knelt and pledged her allegiance to the King and to the quest. Imalessa looked around at the others before pushing off the wall. She pulled off her hood, not caring too much if her ears poked out of her sheath of honey-gold hair. "I am Imalessa Sharis, Your Majesties," she said. Her voice faltered before steadying and growing in strength and volume. "The forest birthed me, shaped me into its huntress. If your son has found himself in its heart, I will do everything in my power to return him to you." As the woman before her had done, she kneeled and lowered her head. "I offer you my bow and a willing heart." With that, she rose and walked to the entrance, ignoring the burning in her cheeks.</s>	<\|message\|>Antraro A N T R A R O --- Antraro had come with many others to the throne room of King Brand's castle. He watched as those who had trepidations walked by him towards the exit of the room and castle. Some ran into him, some purposefully and some not so. Even after years of living in the city, some still despised him for his visage. He held no ill will towards them in return, but he did feel a pang of disappointment. Antraro stood at full height in his robes, lizardlike head exposed to the crowd and the royalty before him as King Brand and the Queen presented their speech and call to action. While Antraro heard the speech and registered that it was a quest from a king to his subjects, all he could hear was the sadness of a father who had lost a son begging for help. Antraro watched as two other women of half-elven nature stepped forward with their acceptances and Antraro, would follow suit. In a gentle, deep, voice, he spoke, "I am Antraro, son of Erentus. I pledge my mind, body, and soul to the cause of finding your son, your majesty. This I swear." Antraro frowned in empathy for the king, he knew what it was like to lose something most dear.</s>
<\|description\|>Antraro A N T R A R O "One's visage and combat prowess are not the only facets of a man, take care to remember this." B A S I C S --- AGE 28 RACE Dragonborn: Red CLASS Monk OCCUPATION Takes on altruistic odd jobs for their next meal. Unpaid otherwise. ORIGINATES FROM Unknown P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Antraro stands taller than most humanoids at a height of about six and a half feet, or about two meters tall. His musculature is not defined but present when his strength is put to the test. His build is slightly stocky and he is covered from head to toe in dark red scales which slightly glimmer in the sun. His hands and feet end in sharp claws that see little use, though they are sharp and well maintained despite his lifestyle. He wears the visage of the Dragonborn people, a lizardlike head, forked tongue, slitted eyes, and two horns which sprout from the top of his head. STRENGTHS * Physical strength * Unarmed Combat * Heat Resistance WEAKNESSES * Not very dextrous * Vulnerable after a breath attack * Use of complex weaponry P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Warm - Kind - Altruistic - Softspoken - Calculated - Awkward - Lonely SEXUALITY Gay FEARS * Prejudice * Claustrophobia * Losing control GOALS * Teach altruism to the world * Be known for more than what he looks like S K I L L S --- A listing of skills, such as horseback riding, and natural abilities such as night vision - this also includes any racial edges. Flame Breath Antraro can breathe a gout of flame in a wide area in front of him. He can also use his flame breath in smaller doses as a firestarter or to keep himself warm. Blindfighting Even when his senses are impaired, Antraro can still hold his own in combat. He uses his sense of hearing and smell to stay in the fight when his vision is blocked. Heavy Lifting Antraro is quite strong, he can lift heavier objects than most. The heaviest that he can lift completely over his head is about 400 lbs or 182 kg. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON Can have as many or as few as you like, mainly 'important' items * Robes * Bowl WEAPONS * None H I S T O R Y --- Antraro has little knowledge of the circumstances of his birth. He only knows as much as his adoptive father had told him before he passed away. Antraro's father recounted to him that a deafening slam was heard outside as he was preparing his breakfast, shaking the interior of his home, knocking several things off of their shelves, and Antraro's father fell to the floor in a daze. Then, a set of delicate footsteps approached his doorstep, left an object, and walked away. As his father stood from the floor, a great gust of wind and the flapping of wings was the last thing he heard before he opened the door to see Antraro swaddled in a blanket on his doorstep. Taking pity on the babe, he took him in. Antraro's childhood was spent mostly in isolation on Torvelt. Antraro was taught to fear the populace at a young age because they would fear him in turn due to his appearance. This fear did not stop Antraro from leaving the house in the night to gaze out towards the edge of the island and wonder what lay beyond the shores and how he came to be here. He was not only taught to fear, though, but he was also educated to hone his body to the fullest and use its potential to achieve one's goals. On the few occasions where Antraro and his father had to visit the capital to gather supplies, Antraro was happiest, he saw what the world outside his home looked like. He hid in plain sight due to heavy clothes and coverings. Though they only worked when he kept a certain distance. On his last trip to Korprust, Antraro's father was busy bartering with a merchant when Antraro heard shouting from a nearby alley. Antraro, as stealthily as he could, slipped away to investigate. A woman was being robbed at knifepoint by a pair of brigands. She stood no chance against them, and Antraro could not stand idly by and let this happen. He intervened, scuffling with the two thieves and emerging victorious, their blades bouncing off of his scales but ruining his disguise. As the men fell, so did Antraro's disguise. When the woman rose from the floor from her panic to Antraro's outstretched hand, she looked at him and paled, fear plain in her eyes. She screamed and fled the alley with her belongings. The city guard had Antraro and Antraro's father taken in for questioning as well as the two unconscious thieves. After deliberation, Antraro and his father were free to leave. But without his disguise, Antraro, in his young adulthood, was visible to the city-goers for the first time. He saw many things in their eyes as they left: fear, confusion, and bewilderment, but the one thing that kept Antraro's spirit from breaking completely was seeing the children look at him in awe. They had never seen anything like him. Tragedy struck soon after this trip to Koprust. Vengeance came in the form of brigands to Antraro's secluded home. They struck down Antraro's father who had given him just enough time to escape. The last thing that Antraro saw before he fled in the night was the smoke rising from his childhood home and the corpse of his adoptive father on the floor. Antraro has since then been living ascetically in the city, taking jobs wherever they came so that he may feed himself and help those who need it. He would always live by the one thing that he held most dear that his father taught him, "Even if they fear you, even if they hate you, you must not falter on your goals."</s> <\|message\|>Brynan Ianyre --- B R Y N A N I A N Y R E --- Brynan leaned slightly towards Nathaniel, her own height nearly matching his. "I don't know why the king has chosen to trust you, spellcaster," she said lowly. "But make no mistake, your flowery words don't fool me. I'll be watching you." With that she straightened and turned to address the room in general. "My name is Brynan Ianyre, and first and foremost I am the chief bodyguard to the king. While it's my responsibility to keep him safe, it's also my duty to oversee the safety of his family. The prince ... He was taken because I wasn't there to stop it." Emotion welled up in her voice - a mixture of anger and shame. But she continued, speaking more to herself than anyone else. "I have no interest in being the one to lead you. All that matters is seeing this mission through to its end and returning the prince to his family. If that means working together, so be it. I am ... gladdened by your presence." She finished somewhat awkwardly, unaccustomed to expressing herself in such a way. Crossing her arms, she stood back and scowled at the world in general while she listened to the others say their piece.</s> <\|message\|>Stur Stonetalon, once celebrated by his people as Stur Sky's Fury STUR __________ Stur scratched a bit at his beard. He knew that by turning her back on him so pointedly, the half-elf was trying to wound his pride. Despite that particular bit of knowledge, he still felt himself rising to the bait, the words of an equally biting reply forming somewhere inside. Reluctantly, he clamped down on his tongue. The only thing that mattered right now was the mission, the the coin that came after. He needed that reward, needed it more than he needed life itself, and so couldn't afford to drag things out any more than they already were. He let out a long breath, still watching the half-elf as she leaned threateningly toward their masked guide-to-be, dispelling both the eager banter on his lips and the last remaining bit of mirth he had in his system over the situation in the first place. The elf - Aoné - introducing herself as a barbarian nearly started him up again, but Stur held firm, his face once again carefully composed. He listened to the introductions once more, names starting to become more familiar to him this time around. Solveig, Imalessa... the one that perpetually looked like she had swallowed a lemon was called Brynan. So she was in the king's employ, after all. And there it is: the shame, the frustration... the helpless, hopeless anger. The aging mercenary was all too well acquainted with feelings like those. He nodded just slightly to himself - he couldn't bring himself to care much, but he felt like he understood a bit better now. Gentle had moved off to talk directly to the huntress, Imalessa. Stur felt it was time to say his piece, again. He moved a bit to the front of the group, back in the vicinity of Nathaniel and Brynan. "Stur Stonetalon. My business of late is mainly breaking stubborn heads. Though," a quick glance towards the bull and the dragonborn, "looks like I've got some decent competition there. Fortunately for us, I'm a bodyguard of sorts, just like our Royal Protector here. I can keep the less... sturdy among us out of harm's way, if need be." That's not all he could do, of course. But that's all these few needed to know, for now.</s> <\|message\|>Imalessa Sharis --- I M A L E S S A S H A R I S --- Imalessa inclined her head to the minotaur. Gentle, he had said his name was. "I suppose you could try," she said, though she didn't particularly believe it would work. Imalessa simply wasn't the type to believe in gods. If there was a higher power out there, she couldn't believe they would just let innocent people suffer. Or they were nothing but a bunch of bastards high on power. Either way, she didn't put her faith in them. She looked Gentle over. Her father had once told her about the minotaurs. He'd told her a great deal about the outside world, but Imalessa never believed she would get to see it. "My father told me he had a run-in with a minotaur once," she said, changing the subject. She preferred not to talk too much about the forest. As much as she loved it, it had taken so much from her. The memories it held were a tangled mess of good and bad. "If what he said is true, he almost didn't survive it." She cocked her head, honey-gold hair spilling over her shoulder. "Is it true that your kind runs more . . . hot-blooded than most?"</s>	<\|message\|>Antraro A N T R A R O --- Antraro watched and listened as the tension in the room grew and fell, his posture growing slightly smaller and more meek as he saw tensions rise. As he saw the intensity of the conversation lower and the respective assailants retreat to their corners, he returned to his usual posture, standing straight with his chest slightly pushed out, not in a display of strength but in a simulacrum of how his father once stood. His eyes drifted to his party members as they listed their strengths and proficiencies and he took their strengths into account in comparison to his own. The dwarven man would certainly be a Gods-sent gift for this group. Antraro would be sure to stick close to him, half for the reason that he could diffuse tension somewhat easily, while in comparison it was hard for Antraro to be quite as compelling. The other reason being that the two of them shared similar skillsets and would be on the same relative position on the battlefield, albeit one with more fire and discipline than the other. Stur, the human, was an iceberg. Antraro, with the time that he had living in Koprust after that fateful night, had some insight as to when someone was holding some of their cards. Antraro had a feeling that those cards would come to light during this trip, but it is not for him to decide when it will happen. Antraro empathized with Imalessa due to their shared relative youth. He felt a certain kinship with her, living as a hermit for most of his life with his father he knew what it was like to live isolated from most society and the dangers and boons that said isolation provided. He felt as though she would be a good friend in time. It was safe to say that Gentle intimidated him, not for the power that he wielded behind his frame, nor the sheer size of the older minotaur, but for the visible restraint that he had shown. To Antraro, it takes more strength to have power and choose not to use it freely than to have reckless abandon with said strength. He respected him but knew to never cross him. Antraro had seen Brynan a few times before on his sparse visits to the castle. He had come to the castle to accompany people who had requested his aid. Some simply wanted him there for the company that he provided and the image of a large lizard-man standing by them to bolster their confidence. Some visits were less than savory. Antraro remembered a time when a particularly prickly man who was a recent addition to the island had dragged him to the castle to demand that Antraro be confined in a cell for the safety of the city. Thankfully, the kind king had let him go free and apologized for the disturbance to him. Brynan had always been there, at the side of the royal family, poised for anything that may occur. Aone was a mystery to him, mostly. He gleaned that she was inquisitive, at least, due to her very observant behavior. She watched people and learned about them. Antraro only hoped that that curiosity that she had wouldn't lead to her knowing too much about him and the resulting fear that it may bring. Antraro at this point had been the only one to not speak as the group was ushered into the meeting room. He was nervous but steeled himself. Clearing his throat, the thrum of it being accidentally louder than the voice that escaped, he spoke, "As I said in the throne room, my name is Antraro. I am skilled in hand-to-hand combat and have stood toe to toe with armed opponents and bested them." Antraro fiddled with his clawed and scaled hands, "I also have the ability to fight with my senses impaired and have the ability to exhale flame. I wish to warn you of this fact ahead of time to prevent any...accidents in the future. I do not plan on using my breath in the forest extensively due to the risk of collateral damage that may occur," he adds, nodding respectfully in Imalessa's direction. "I am happy to be working with several skilled men and women and I hope that I may cultivate a kinship with you all." He finishes his statement with an awkward glance about the room while still fiddling with his hands slightly as he awaited a response.</s>
<\|description\|>Solveig Forgeheart SOLVEIG FORGEHEART "Say that about me Mother again... I dare ya..." B A S I C S --- AGE 30 in human years RACE A proud Dwarf CLASS Pugilist OCCUPATION Prizefighter ORIGINATES FROM Tharum Kholdur IF OUTSIDE TORVELT One of the Mountain Cities in the Dwarven Realm, Tharum Kholdur is a bustling centre of commerce both in and out of Dwarven kind. Falling in line with many of the mountain holds, the structure and architecture is all within the mountain ranging from the very peak to deep mines within the earth. The city's populace is almost entirely Dwarves, with other races being tourists, employees or merchants looking to trade and sell. P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Solveig is as stout and as stocky as Dwarves come. While he's slightly taller than most Dwarves, Solveig sports an unruly head of dark brown hair that falls to his shoulders and a beard to match. His beard has two braids, held together by silver bands. While he has a bit of a beer belly as most of his kind do, his build is comparable to the modern Strongman all bundled up in a 4' 1" package. He also bares a Dwarven tattoo that stretches over his left pec, shoulder and upper arm. STRENGTHS * Hand-to-hand combat: While his style is much more scrappier than the grace of Monastic techniques, it is the only way he knows how to fight and he does it well. * Resilience: Solveig is a hard man to knock down, and even harder to keep down. * Improvised weapons: After being in many street fights and tavern brawls, Solveig has a knack for making the most mundane objects a brutal weapon. Chairs, stools, mugs, bottles just to name a few. * Athletics * Iron Liver: Other than mining, there is one thing Dwarves are known for- Drinking! And Solveig is no exception. Years of drinking have made him a pro at the game. As the old saying goes, "Never get into a drinking contest with a Dwarf." WEAKNESSES * Height: While he is hardy, Solveig is still a Dwarf so he has no reach. This means he has to get inside of opponent's reach when it comes to taller races and has to work harder to keep up in terms of speed. * Weaponry: While Solveig has had the most basic of training with axes and warhammers as most Dwarves do, his training does not go past that. Besides, he much prefers using his fists anyways. * Lack of armour: Following his pugilistic fighting style, Solveig does not wear any sort of armour. While this is used to keep him light on his feet (for a dwarf) this can prove to be a dangerous choice when he is attacked by weapons. P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Headstrong - Jovial - Proud - Stubborn - Confrontational - Loyal SEXUALITY Bisexual FEARS * Heights * Being powerless GOALS * To become a famous fighter * To atone for his crimes * To return home S K I L L S --- A listing of skills, such as horseback riding, and natural abilities such as night vision - this also includes any racial edges. Darkvision Being accustomed to mountain living, Solveig as the innate ability to see in the dark. He can see 60 feet ahead of him in dim light as if it was bright light, and in darkness he can see as if it was dim light. However, this is only in shades of grey. Cross-Counter One of Solveig's favorite techniques, if he takes an attack then Solveig can redirect the brunt of the force and reply back with a harsh liver blow hook. One, Two, Three, Floor Solveig unleashes a quick flurry of blows. The first two attacks are used to double the opponent over, especially if they are taller. The third and final attack is aimed at the jaw to send his enemy crashing to the ground. Stick and Move Solveig dances around his opponents with his quick footwork. Combining this with his height, Solveig has an uncanny ability of slipping in and out of an opponent's reach and blindspots. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Drinking horn * Roll of thin cloth for hand-wraps. * Deck of cards from his homeland. WEAPONS * A pair of brass knuckles, engraved with dwarven runes (non-magical) H I S T O R Y --- Born in the mountainous caverns of Tharum Koldur, Solveig grew up like many of his kind did. As soon as he could, a pick was put in his hands and he learnt all there was to the art of Mining. He quickly learnt the value in ores, minerals and gems. His family was descended from a long line of crafters and blacksmiths, and it was assuredly to be Solveig's fate. In his teenage years, Solveig spent a lot of time at the markets when he wasn't learning how to mine or how to use Dwarven weaponry. It was there that he discovered Prizefighting. A crowd would gather in the square as two men began to circle each other. Solveig originally thought it was just a fight but that wasn't the case. It was about two warriors who were going to go toe-to-toe in a contest of power and skill. That was the true aspect, and the glory that went along with it. Raucous cheers surrounded young Solveig for each punch thrown or sidestepped as coins practically showered the edge of the makeshift ring. This was the life Solveig would choose. He would spend any time he could watching these fights, shadowboxing by the edge to learn what he could. Eventually, he'd make his debut. To the surprise of everyone, the rookie won and it caught the eye of some particular folk. They saw the talent and a way to make money off of it. They approached him with an offer to throw his next fight. Solveig initially refused, but a young Dwarf's avarice can take hold rather quickly. Once the offer was right, Solveig would eventually agree. He would continue this way of living for a long time. Sometimes his new 'endorsers' would allow him to win the fight, but mostly he would go down whenever they decided. However, the city eventually found out. Disgraced, Solveig was run out of Tharum Koldur and banished to Torvelt. If he could make it in such a harsh environment then he would be awarded his Dwarven honor back. It was a tough adjustment at first but he had survived the five years he's lived in Torvelt so far. This time he was fighting for himself, and nothing hanging over his head. He's spent these years going tavern to tavern, taking on any challenger and spending night and day drinking and prizefighting. While he's run into trouble a fair few times, he's always punched his way out in the end. Solveig still thinks about going home, but he still feels he has something to prove. Besides, he could get used to this...</s> <\|message\|>Brynan Ianyre --- B R Y N A N I A N Y R E --- One by one most of the crowd trickled out. Standing some feet behind and to the left of the king, Brynan watched them leave and felt her seething anger grow. It was impotent anger, directed more at herself than any of them, but that knowledge did nothing to soothe the turmoil in her heart. Clenched behind her back, her fists were white-knuckled and itching to grip the cool steel hilts of her scimitars. Wasting another minute hidden behind the walls of the castle seemed foolish. If it was her decision alone she would already have set off in search of the prince, not tarried here with random opportunists off the streets. Looking over the faces of those that remained, she thought to herself that if even one of them had any formal training with a weapon she would fall on her back in surprise. At King Brand's call to action, Brynan was the first to step forward. But for a tightness around her tired eyes, her face betrayed nothing of her feelings when she placed herself between the king and those assembled. She sank to one knee, her head lowered. "You know my name, sire, and my shame. On my honour, I will return your son to you." Briefly, she glanced up to meet the Queen's eye. "I swear it." The grief in their eyes was too much to bear. She swiftly rose again and made her way to the entrance, ready to leave as quickly as possible.</s> <\|message\|>Imalessa Sharis --- I M A L E S S A S H A R I S --- Imalessa stood near the doors, staring out at those who remained from beneath the safety of her hood. She felt caged here - wrong - without the clack of ancient branches and the open air of the forest. Her sisters thought she was setting traps, waiting for dinner to fall into her lap. They didn't understand the struggle of hunting, how hard she had to work to bring home the most meager of scraps. She looked at the King. This man could make all her troubles go away. If only she could find his son. She knew the forest was dangerous. Gods, she had grown up in it, lived off it, survived it, but now with the Fog . . . She shook her head. They couldn't go on like this. With game becoming harder to find and three mouths to feed, they wouldn't last much longer. If she didn't find her way into some money soon they would be dead in a matter of months, maybe a year, Fog or no Fog. A woman stepped before the King. At first Imalessa thought her to be human, but she started at the fine elven features and delicately pointed ears, same as her own. The woman knelt and pledged her allegiance to the King and to the quest. Imalessa looked around at the others before pushing off the wall. She pulled off her hood, not caring too much if her ears poked out of her sheath of honey-gold hair. "I am Imalessa Sharis, Your Majesties," she said. Her voice faltered before steadying and growing in strength and volume. "The forest birthed me, shaped me into its huntress. If your son has found himself in its heart, I will do everything in my power to return him to you." As the woman before her had done, she kneeled and lowered her head. "I offer you my bow and a willing heart." With that, she rose and walked to the entrance, ignoring the burning in her cheeks.</s> <\|message\|>Antraro --- A N T R A R O --- Antraro had come with many others to the throne room of King Brand's castle. He watched as those who had trepidations walked by him towards the exit of the room and castle. Some ran into him, some purposefully and some not so. Even after years of living in the city, some still despised him for his visage. He held no ill will towards them in return, but he did feel a pang of disappointment. Antraro stood at full height in his robes, lizardlike head exposed to the crowd and the royalty before him as King Brand and the Queen presented their speech and call to action. While Antraro heard the speech and registered that it was a quest from a king to his subjects, all he could hear was the sadness of a father who had lost a son begging for help. Antraro watched as two other women of half-elven nature stepped forward with their acceptances and Antraro, would follow suit. In a gentle, deep, voice, he spoke, "I am Antraro, son of Erentus. I pledge my mind, body, and soul to the cause of finding your son, your majesty. This I swear." Antraro frowned in empathy for the king, he knew what it was like to lose something most dear.</s>	<\|message\|>Solveig Forgeheart Among the audience gathered within the throne room was a stout Dwarf, leaning against one of the far walls with his arms crossed. Solveig was still recovering from a partial hangover with last night's slim prize-money filling his pouch. He listened intently to King Brand's words. The task was clear. Venture into the Torvelt Fog to recover the King's son. This was by far the biggest challenge Solveig was presented with but this... This could be the exact ticket he needed to return home. The Dwarf would watch as many of the court would exit the room. To be honest, Solveig couldn't blame them. You'd either have to be desperate, foolish or just a downright crazy bastard to take on this quest. The funny thing was- Solveig couldn't figure out which category he fell under. Solveig would wait a moment, seeing if there was anyone else who would take on the call with him. Afterall, he didn't want to be the first one to volunteer for a suicide mission. Two half-elves and a Dragonborn would precede Solveig's answer. This wasn't a bad crew by any stretch of the imagination, at least by first glance. Solveig pushed himself off of the wall and uncrossed his arms. "Right then..." He began, mostly murmuring to himself. "I am Solveig Forgeheart of Tharum Kholdur!" The Dwarf introduced himself in an almost boastful manner, pounding his chest. "By my fists and my honour, I will help find yer son!" He answered, the Dwarf's accent was thick and typical of his race.</s>
<\|description\|>Solveig Forgeheart SOLVEIG FORGEHEART "Say that about me Mother again... I dare ya..." B A S I C S --- AGE 30 in human years RACE A proud Dwarf CLASS Pugilist OCCUPATION Prizefighter ORIGINATES FROM Tharum Kholdur IF OUTSIDE TORVELT One of the Mountain Cities in the Dwarven Realm, Tharum Kholdur is a bustling centre of commerce both in and out of Dwarven kind. Falling in line with many of the mountain holds, the structure and architecture is all within the mountain ranging from the very peak to deep mines within the earth. The city's populace is almost entirely Dwarves, with other races being tourists, employees or merchants looking to trade and sell. P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Solveig is as stout and as stocky as Dwarves come. While he's slightly taller than most Dwarves, Solveig sports an unruly head of dark brown hair that falls to his shoulders and a beard to match. His beard has two braids, held together by silver bands. While he has a bit of a beer belly as most of his kind do, his build is comparable to the modern Strongman all bundled up in a 4' 1" package. He also bares a Dwarven tattoo that stretches over his left pec, shoulder and upper arm. STRENGTHS * Hand-to-hand combat: While his style is much more scrappier than the grace of Monastic techniques, it is the only way he knows how to fight and he does it well. * Resilience: Solveig is a hard man to knock down, and even harder to keep down. * Improvised weapons: After being in many street fights and tavern brawls, Solveig has a knack for making the most mundane objects a brutal weapon. Chairs, stools, mugs, bottles just to name a few. * Athletics * Iron Liver: Other than mining, there is one thing Dwarves are known for- Drinking! And Solveig is no exception. Years of drinking have made him a pro at the game. As the old saying goes, "Never get into a drinking contest with a Dwarf." WEAKNESSES * Height: While he is hardy, Solveig is still a Dwarf so he has no reach. This means he has to get inside of opponent's reach when it comes to taller races and has to work harder to keep up in terms of speed. * Weaponry: While Solveig has had the most basic of training with axes and warhammers as most Dwarves do, his training does not go past that. Besides, he much prefers using his fists anyways. * Lack of armour: Following his pugilistic fighting style, Solveig does not wear any sort of armour. While this is used to keep him light on his feet (for a dwarf) this can prove to be a dangerous choice when he is attacked by weapons. P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Headstrong - Jovial - Proud - Stubborn - Confrontational - Loyal SEXUALITY Bisexual FEARS * Heights * Being powerless GOALS * To become a famous fighter * To atone for his crimes * To return home S K I L L S --- A listing of skills, such as horseback riding, and natural abilities such as night vision - this also includes any racial edges. Darkvision Being accustomed to mountain living, Solveig as the innate ability to see in the dark. He can see 60 feet ahead of him in dim light as if it was bright light, and in darkness he can see as if it was dim light. However, this is only in shades of grey. Cross-Counter One of Solveig's favorite techniques, if he takes an attack then Solveig can redirect the brunt of the force and reply back with a harsh liver blow hook. One, Two, Three, Floor Solveig unleashes a quick flurry of blows. The first two attacks are used to double the opponent over, especially if they are taller. The third and final attack is aimed at the jaw to send his enemy crashing to the ground. Stick and Move Solveig dances around his opponents with his quick footwork. Combining this with his height, Solveig has an uncanny ability of slipping in and out of an opponent's reach and blindspots. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Drinking horn * Roll of thin cloth for hand-wraps. * Deck of cards from his homeland. WEAPONS * A pair of brass knuckles, engraved with dwarven runes (non-magical) H I S T O R Y --- Born in the mountainous caverns of Tharum Koldur, Solveig grew up like many of his kind did. As soon as he could, a pick was put in his hands and he learnt all there was to the art of Mining. He quickly learnt the value in ores, minerals and gems. His family was descended from a long line of crafters and blacksmiths, and it was assuredly to be Solveig's fate. In his teenage years, Solveig spent a lot of time at the markets when he wasn't learning how to mine or how to use Dwarven weaponry. It was there that he discovered Prizefighting. A crowd would gather in the square as two men began to circle each other. Solveig originally thought it was just a fight but that wasn't the case. It was about two warriors who were going to go toe-to-toe in a contest of power and skill. That was the true aspect, and the glory that went along with it. Raucous cheers surrounded young Solveig for each punch thrown or sidestepped as coins practically showered the edge of the makeshift ring. This was the life Solveig would choose. He would spend any time he could watching these fights, shadowboxing by the edge to learn what he could. Eventually, he'd make his debut. To the surprise of everyone, the rookie won and it caught the eye of some particular folk. They saw the talent and a way to make money off of it. They approached him with an offer to throw his next fight. Solveig initially refused, but a young Dwarf's avarice can take hold rather quickly. Once the offer was right, Solveig would eventually agree. He would continue this way of living for a long time. Sometimes his new 'endorsers' would allow him to win the fight, but mostly he would go down whenever they decided. However, the city eventually found out. Disgraced, Solveig was run out of Tharum Koldur and banished to Torvelt. If he could make it in such a harsh environment then he would be awarded his Dwarven honor back. It was a tough adjustment at first but he had survived the five years he's lived in Torvelt so far. This time he was fighting for himself, and nothing hanging over his head. He's spent these years going tavern to tavern, taking on any challenger and spending night and day drinking and prizefighting. While he's run into trouble a fair few times, he's always punched his way out in the end. Solveig still thinks about going home, but he still feels he has something to prove. Besides, he could get used to this...</s> <\|message\|>Ola Al-Fares O L A A L - F A R E S --- Ola drew the sword fully through the trolls leg, the sharpened steel parting the rotting flesh and bone with barely a tug at her arm. It made her shudder inwardly and her nose wrinkled at the stench of the beast. Severing its tendon had a two fold effect; it slowed the troll down, but also caused it to lurch sideways and slam a hand down to maintain any semblance of balance as it launched the vile, green and black loogie she had ever seen. She was unable to follow the projectiles flight path, she was top busy dodging the crashing fist. She was close, maybe to close, the only danger of being a melee fighter when you ran into something undead. Mud spattered her face and cloak and she spat to try and clear the taste even as she scrambled back to put a even a few feet of distance between herself and the huge rotting hand. Only once she had gained a bit of purchase in the mud did she flourish her sword, sending the remnants of her first cut splattering into the mud away from her new allies, and then hack two handed at the arm that was in the mud. If she could sever another limb it might bring the creature down low enough for someone to destroy its other brain. Unless she was mistaken, and had certainly happened from time to time, if they destroyed the brains, the undead would cease to function.</s> <\|message\|>Stur Stonetalon, once celebrated by his people as Stur Sky's Fury STUR __________ The familiar jolt of the axe burying itself in flesh and bone rattled its way up Stur's arms and across his body, causing his teeth to click sharply together. At the same time, an unusually cold spray of blood spattered his face. Ordinarily, the mercenary would have welcomed a little blooding in a fight. But the strange wrongness of the stuff caused him to flinch away in disgust, and then a half-second later in pain. The cursed ichor began to burn and almost sap the strength from his body as anger and bewilderment continued to grow inside his heart. Eyes momentarily blinded, Stur instinctively yanked on the haft of the longaxe to free it from its resting place in the ruins of the troll's second head, but instead found himself tripping backwards in the mud as his hands failed to find a grip on the blood-slicked haft. He cursed loudly at the thing, throwing himself into a clumsy backwards roll, coming back to rights with his dirk firmly gripped in one hand and his right side splattered in mud, but now blessedly free of the troll's poisonous blood. Cautiously opening one eye, he took a moment to survey the situation. The troll was down a leg, scrambling for purchase in the mud with one hand thrust out for balance. His wayward axe was serving as a fair replacement for the abomination's missing head, haft jutting straight out to the side like a sapling grown into the side of a mountain. The new arrival was, to her credit, right in the thick of things, hacking away at limbs seemingly without a fear in the world. Stur felt a brief surge of respect for the woman, though whether she was to be trusted remained to be seen. The troll's ire was focused on Brynan, who was still knelt in the mud after her initial strike. Deciding that the quickest way to finish this was to get the enemy on its back, the battered warrior took advantage of his being behind the troll and undetected, slipping carefully up to its unprotected flank and plunging with the dirk towards the back of its one intact knee.</s> <\|message\|>Imalessa Sharis --- I M A L E S S A S H A R I S --- Imalessa's arrow had hit its mark, and yet the troll still had some fight left in it. Cursing under her breath, she marveled with a sick curiosity at how the thing was still kicking. But the arrow had seemed to do something, if not kill it. She nocked another, watching as it reached out and grabbed at Gentle, preparing to bite. There were no gods she believed in, let alone bothered to pray to, but she hoped she could get lucky once more and loosed her arrow.</s> <\|message\|>Brynan Ianyre --- B R Y N A N I A N Y R E --- Having sliced deeply into the trolls legs, Brynan came to a sliding stop in the mud, her lips pulled back in a grimace of grim satisfaction. She watched as it buckled, trying to regain its balance, only to have one of his legs cut out from underneath it by another blade - that of the sodden stranger. "Beautiful, woman!" she cried out. But she didn't pause to celebrate. The fight was far from over. She adjusted her grip on the scimitars and tensed her body in preparation for another attack. Aiming to slice at its throat, she looked up at the troll just in time to catch a face full of loogie. It covered one of her eyes, entered her parted lips and slid easily down her throat. White-hot pain immediately accompanied it, but Brynan cared little; all she felt was disgust. A primal scream tore from her burning throat and she launched herself at the diseased creature, both blade tips pointed at its distended belly. She would run it through.</s> <\|message\|>Gentle Gentle --- Gentle brayed in pain, skin burning, eyes watering. What kind of diseased sack of poison was this thing? His hands itched, eager, he felt, to grip a sword pommel. Slide back towards being the monster of his youth, that's all that would achieve, he told himself. He had to keep a grip on the person he was now, even if that person was like to end up troll-food in the next few minutes. He stepped backwards, dodging snapping teeth, not so lucky when it came to sharp claws, feeling them peel through the skin of his chest. Felt the wound burn hot, probably infected, no time to worry about that, his feet were slipping from under him. He put a hand to the ground to steady himself, palm gripping on worn wood. His staff, the one the troll had knocked from his hand. It wasn't a sword, but it would do. Surging back to his feet he thrusts the staff like a spear, aiming straight for the ugly fucks chest, snarled curses on his lips, heartfelt prayer in his mind. Apollokeos, he intones silently so only she can hear, Goddess of second chances, help me make this one count. Help me bury this fucker.</s>	<\|message\|>Solveig Forgeheart There was an immediate feeling of uncomfortableness as Solveig began to rodeo the beast. However as gross pus began to pour out from the cut that the Dwarf made, he was forced to dismount. "Fuck me... What is wrong with these bastards..." Solveig grumbled to himself as managed to regain his footing for a moment. The sick feeling began to take over for a few moments as he began to retch. With a deep inhale, Solveig tried to recompose himself to shake off this feeling of illness. Solveig's stance changed as the Rot Troll still seemed to be solely focused on Gentle. Beginning to bounce on his toes more, the Pugilist decided to switch to Outfighting. Solveig gripped his knuckle dusters tighter as he began to flick out jabs into the calves and knees of the Troll, trying to keep his distance.</s>
<\|description\|>Gentle G E N T L E The humans called us monstrous, so monsters are what we became. B A S I C S --- AGE 128 RACE Minotaur CLASS Cleric/Barbarian OCCUPATION Lay Brother of the Temple of Apollokeos ORIGINATES FROM Achea IF OUTSIDE TORVELT The Human Republic of Achea is a loose collection of city states far to the South-West of Torvelt. The climate is hot, and the terrain mountainous, though the people have risen to the challenge of taming such an arid land, becoming famed for their exports of grapes, olives, gold, and marble. The Achean's stand proud of their achievements, proclaiming that their society is the greatest in all the wide world, pointing to their democracies, philosphies, music and art as evidence of this, though it is whispered in courts around the lands that the prosperous country wouldn't be half as impressive as it is if it wasn't for the broken backs of the monstrous slaves it has all been built upon. P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Large even by Minotaur standards, Gentle stands taller than eight-and-a-half feet, over nine if you included the tips of his gently curving horns, which you probably should when measuring a Minotaur. He's broad too, as the 'proverbial' bull in fact, and hasn't he heard that one more than once since coming to Torvelt. His once bulging muscles and steely thews are running to fat a little in his old age and relative indolence, but he still possesses the kind of physique that would give even the most confidant pitfighter cause to pause. To his intense consternation his lustrous black pelt is being invaded by unsightly streaks of iron-grey. Swirling blue-grey patterns are tattoeed across his arms, shoulders, chest and back, intricate patterns of some hidden meaning which Gentle hasn't shared with anyone since arriving in Torvelt. Age has also stolen some of his vim, and the spring from his step, but his hands are still strong and his horns still sharp. It will do, he tells himself. STRENGTHS * Physically powerful * Experienced combatant * Access to divine magic * Rough wisdom WEAKNESSES * Large and heavy * Moderate rheumatoid arthritis * Fading eyesight * Rage P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Pragmatic – Melancholy – Ponderous – Wistful – Studious – Mercurially violent (though working very hard not to be) SEXUALITY Pansexual FEARS * Heights * Deep, fast moving waters * Large canines * Small, enclosed spaces * The ghosts of his past GOALS To find the prince, stop the Fog, and achieve personal salvation. S K I L L S --- Labyrinth Recall He can perfectly recall any path that he has taken. Great Weapon Fighting Perhaps unsurprisingly giant bull-men are pretty good at swinging large, sharp pieces of metal with the intent of hurting people. Who knew? Sense of Smell and Hearing A Minotaur's sense of smell and hearing is several times more advanced than that of a humans. Gentle has found himself relying on his more and more since his eyes started failing him. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Heavy iron bracers * Travellers pack (sleeping roll, tinder box, dried rations etc) * Icon of Apollokeos (Small golden pendant featuring a rising sun over a river) WEAPONS * Large wooden post (Functions as a quarterstaff/club) * Great Sword H I S T O R Y --- The Minotaur known only as Gentle first walked into Torvelt about fifteen years ago, with nothing more than the clothes on his frame and a rolled bundle of leather upon his back. From there he wound a slow and gradual path towards Koprust, eventually arriving in the capital city and taking on a slew of odd jobs, seemingly happy with working hard manual labour for minimal pay, simple food and somewhere dry to sleep. On those rare occasions that he was approached by those not intimated by his monstrous visage he was found to be polite, but distant, seemingly happy to nurse his ghosts in solitude. He eventually found himself working for the Abbott of the Temple of Clean Waters, a holy place that venerated Apollokeos , Lady of Dawn and New Beginnings. Gentle quickly fell into life at the Temple, becoming a lay brother and settling in for what he imagined would be a life of quiet contemplation and honest labour. The God's, it seemed, had other plans. He'd had nightmares for as long as he could remember, horrible and twisted visions from his past that tourtured him nightly without reprieve. However one night, when the horror had reached its zenith, he found salvation. The Lady Apollokeos visited him, in all her golden splendour, and explained that his redemption was in reach. She tasked him with joining the quest to find the Prince, and that through that labour he might just find the peace he so desperately desired. When Gentle awoke he thought the dream no more than that, the fantasy of a tired mind, but later that day he met a man who introduced himself as Minoas, the fabled absent father of the Minotaur race. Minoas reinforced Apollokeos commands, urging Gentle to join the quest before disappearing. One visit from a God he could ignore. Two would have been pushing it. Collecting his belongings and making his farewells, he made his way towards thee castle.</s> <\|message\|>Antraro --- A N T R A R O --- Antraro had come with many others to the throne room of King Brand's castle. He watched as those who had trepidations walked by him towards the exit of the room and castle. Some ran into him, some purposefully and some not so. Even after years of living in the city, some still despised him for his visage. He held no ill will towards them in return, but he did feel a pang of disappointment. Antraro stood at full height in his robes, lizardlike head exposed to the crowd and the royalty before him as King Brand and the Queen presented their speech and call to action. While Antraro heard the speech and registered that it was a quest from a king to his subjects, all he could hear was the sadness of a father who had lost a son begging for help. Antraro watched as two other women of half-elven nature stepped forward with their acceptances and Antraro, would follow suit. In a gentle, deep, voice, he spoke, "I am Antraro, son of Erentus. I pledge my mind, body, and soul to the cause of finding your son, your majesty. This I swear." Antraro frowned in empathy for the king, he knew what it was like to lose something most dear.</s> <\|message\|>Solveig Forgeheart --- Solveig Forgeheart --- Among the audience gathered within the throne room was a stout Dwarf, leaning against one of the far walls with his arms crossed. Solveig was still recovering from a partial hangover with last night's slim prize-money filling his pouch. He listened intently to King Brand's words. The task was clear. Venture into the Torvelt Fog to recover the King's son. This was by far the biggest challenge Solveig was presented with but this... This could be the exact ticket he needed to return home. The Dwarf would watch as many of the court would exit the room. To be honest, Solveig couldn't blame them. You'd either have to be desperate, foolish or just a downright crazy bastard to take on this quest. The funny thing was- Solveig couldn't figure out which category he fell under. Solveig would wait a moment, seeing if there was anyone else who would take on the call with him. Afterall, he didn't want to be the first one to volunteer for a suicide mission. Two half-elves and a Dragonborn would precede Solveig's answer. This wasn't a bad crew by any stretch of the imagination, at least by first glance. Solveig pushed himself off of the wall and uncrossed his arms. "Right then..." He began, mostly murmuring to himself. "I am Solveig Forgeheart of Tharum Kholdur!" The Dwarf introduced himself in an almost boastful manner, pounding his chest. "By my fists and my honour, I will help find yer son!" He answered, the Dwarf's accent was thick and typical of his race.</s> <\|message\|>Stur Stonetalon, once celebrated by his people as Stur Sky's Fury STUR __________ Those with lesser mettle parted around Stur in a steady stream, headed for the doors at the opposite end of the hall. He supposed he did not blame them; there were easier ways to make coin in Koprust, many of which didn't involve throwing your life away. Nobody with a home to return to or a promising life ahead of them would walk willingly towards the Fog. Stur rolled his shoulders slowly in anticipation as the king finished his hopeful entreaty to the few that remained. He had learned well over the years that having one of these soft lowlander nobles indebted to you was a very useful thing indeed, and he intended to take full advantage of the opportunity, whatever the potential cost. He eyed those that stepped forward first with some suspicion, looking them over. Before coming to this cursed place, he had scarcely seen other civilized races than his own - the occasional Orcish raiding party on the northern borders of his land, maybe, and a few half-elves in the columns of Ephreian regulars - and he sometimes felt that he was still getting used to their various oddities. In particular, he kept an eye on the big red lizard. Stur never let his guard down around those fortunate enough to be taller than him. There was a brief lull. He stepped forward. Gods, I could use a drink. "I am Stur." He let the name speak for itself. "I've pulled many free of the talons of death, sire. I'll find your boy for you."</s>	<\|message\|>Gentle The Minotaur stood in the shadows at the back, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible – how successful he was in that goal was up for debate, what with being a pretty damned conspicuous nine-foot tall horned monster and all – and tried not to let the crowd of would be heroes nervous energy get his blood pumping too fast. It was a pretty well known fact that getting a Bull 'Taur like him too excited was like to end in tears, and though he'd gotten a better handle on things of that nature in his old age it still didn't do to tempt the Gods. And seeing as he'd somehow managed to get the attention of not one, but two divine beings, he'd decided it would pay to be careful. Careful. Lot of that going around apparently. A goodly more than half the room had upp'd tails and left at the kings words, no doubt remembering that discretion was the better part of valour. Cowards, some would call them, but not Gentle. No, he was too long in the tooth to be throwing words like that around when people were showing good sense. Hell's, he just wished he could join them. Instead he watched the young, the able, the smart and the strong line out of the hall, and pondered just how desperate the king and the God's had to be for them to have to rely on an old, demonstrably-past-his-best-that-wasn't-even-all-that-good-anyway bull like him. Though he supposed that Torvelt was a desperate country, so he guessed they were in the place for it. His attention slowly shifted to those wannabe-worthies who hadn't been dissuaded by the kings words. First was the serious looking half-elf, she who moved like a chimera. The way those swords sat upon her hip; easy, free, and always within an easy pull, he was willing to bet she was almost as deadly as a chimera too. After her was a second half-elf, uncommon to see two at once in Koprust. She didn't move quite so assuredly as the first, though if she spoke true and she did make her living out of the forests of Torvelt then she would be more capable than most. Dangerous things lived in those woods, would take one cold-eyed killer to survive them. Following them was – rarest of rarities – a Dragonborn. He had an incongruously gentle voice, and a calming demeanor about him that seemed at odds with his reptilian visage, but if the stories of his race where to be believed then it would be a damned fool that underestimated him. Then there was the dwarf. Didn't seem like much to Gentle, but then to him most dwarves were barely knee high. He supposed Solveig looked fit enough, for a midget. Smelled like a condemned brewery though, which wasn't ideal. Behind the dwarf there was a human. He looked worn. Battle-worn, age-worn, world-worn, just worn. For a moment Gentle had the uncomfortable thought that if he'd been born human he'd probably look something like the man in front of him. Besides that he didn't think much of Stur. Humans brought little to the world in his opinion. They weren't graceful as the elves, sturdy as the dwarves, or strong like the 'Taurs. More like a hells-spawned plague than... The old Bull felt his blood getting hot and took a breath to calm himself. Probably not all that surprising that even after all this time living among the frails he could still fall back into his old prejudices so easily. Shows that some shackles are harder to break than others. Stur was stepping back now, sending a wary glance Antraro's way – showing good sense or displaying common human racism, Gentle couldn't decide. Regardless he sensed that the time was now upon him to introduce himself. He took a few lumbering steps forward towards the throne, though didn't bother with the bowing. He'd stopped bending the knee to frails in crowns a long time ago. Besides, he wasn't as limber as he used to be. If he got down he wasn't all that sure he could get back up again. "Call me Gentle," his voice came out like a distant rumble, thunder rolling across far off mountains, "The God's have tasked me with finding your boy, so . . . I'm doing it, I guess." He almost shrugged, slightly embarrassed that he couldn't have found fancier words. Everyone else had fancy words, even the bloody dwarf. If Apollokeos and Minoas really were watching him he was guessing they were hucking it up right now. Damage done, he was keen to get out. He cast around and spotted the two half-elves making their way out the door. "Reckon I'll follow them." That rumble of a voice sounded a touch less impressive now as he made after the women, more sheepish than bull.</s>
<\|description\|>Gentle G E N T L E The humans called us monstrous, so monsters are what we became. B A S I C S --- AGE 128 RACE Minotaur CLASS Cleric/Barbarian OCCUPATION Lay Brother of the Temple of Apollokeos ORIGINATES FROM Achea IF OUTSIDE TORVELT The Human Republic of Achea is a loose collection of city states far to the South-West of Torvelt. The climate is hot, and the terrain mountainous, though the people have risen to the challenge of taming such an arid land, becoming famed for their exports of grapes, olives, gold, and marble. The Achean's stand proud of their achievements, proclaiming that their society is the greatest in all the wide world, pointing to their democracies, philosphies, music and art as evidence of this, though it is whispered in courts around the lands that the prosperous country wouldn't be half as impressive as it is if it wasn't for the broken backs of the monstrous slaves it has all been built upon. P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Large even by Minotaur standards, Gentle stands taller than eight-and-a-half feet, over nine if you included the tips of his gently curving horns, which you probably should when measuring a Minotaur. He's broad too, as the 'proverbial' bull in fact, and hasn't he heard that one more than once since coming to Torvelt. His once bulging muscles and steely thews are running to fat a little in his old age and relative indolence, but he still possesses the kind of physique that would give even the most confidant pitfighter cause to pause. To his intense consternation his lustrous black pelt is being invaded by unsightly streaks of iron-grey. Swirling blue-grey patterns are tattoeed across his arms, shoulders, chest and back, intricate patterns of some hidden meaning which Gentle hasn't shared with anyone since arriving in Torvelt. Age has also stolen some of his vim, and the spring from his step, but his hands are still strong and his horns still sharp. It will do, he tells himself. STRENGTHS * Physically powerful * Experienced combatant * Access to divine magic * Rough wisdom WEAKNESSES * Large and heavy * Moderate rheumatoid arthritis * Fading eyesight * Rage P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Pragmatic – Melancholy – Ponderous – Wistful – Studious – Mercurially violent (though working very hard not to be) SEXUALITY Pansexual FEARS * Heights * Deep, fast moving waters * Large canines * Small, enclosed spaces * The ghosts of his past GOALS To find the prince, stop the Fog, and achieve personal salvation. S K I L L S --- Labyrinth Recall He can perfectly recall any path that he has taken. Great Weapon Fighting Perhaps unsurprisingly giant bull-men are pretty good at swinging large, sharp pieces of metal with the intent of hurting people. Who knew? Sense of Smell and Hearing A Minotaur's sense of smell and hearing is several times more advanced than that of a humans. Gentle has found himself relying on his more and more since his eyes started failing him. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Heavy iron bracers * Travellers pack (sleeping roll, tinder box, dried rations etc) * Icon of Apollokeos (Small golden pendant featuring a rising sun over a river) WEAPONS * Large wooden post (Functions as a quarterstaff/club) * Great Sword H I S T O R Y --- The Minotaur known only as Gentle first walked into Torvelt about fifteen years ago, with nothing more than the clothes on his frame and a rolled bundle of leather upon his back. From there he wound a slow and gradual path towards Koprust, eventually arriving in the capital city and taking on a slew of odd jobs, seemingly happy with working hard manual labour for minimal pay, simple food and somewhere dry to sleep. On those rare occasions that he was approached by those not intimated by his monstrous visage he was found to be polite, but distant, seemingly happy to nurse his ghosts in solitude. He eventually found himself working for the Abbott of the Temple of Clean Waters, a holy place that venerated Apollokeos , Lady of Dawn and New Beginnings. Gentle quickly fell into life at the Temple, becoming a lay brother and settling in for what he imagined would be a life of quiet contemplation and honest labour. The God's, it seemed, had other plans. He'd had nightmares for as long as he could remember, horrible and twisted visions from his past that tourtured him nightly without reprieve. However one night, when the horror had reached its zenith, he found salvation. The Lady Apollokeos visited him, in all her golden splendour, and explained that his redemption was in reach. She tasked him with joining the quest to find the Prince, and that through that labour he might just find the peace he so desperately desired. When Gentle awoke he thought the dream no more than that, the fantasy of a tired mind, but later that day he met a man who introduced himself as Minoas, the fabled absent father of the Minotaur race. Minoas reinforced Apollokeos commands, urging Gentle to join the quest before disappearing. One visit from a God he could ignore. Two would have been pushing it. Collecting his belongings and making his farewells, he made his way towards thee castle.</s> <\|message\|>Brynan Ianyre --- B R Y N A N I A N Y R E --- The half-elven warrior was seated on her haunches, her back braced against a cold stone wall and her gaze nailed to the doorway. She watched as one by one the volunteers filed inside; inspecting each closely with an unwavering and appraising eye. They made a varied group, which, she admitted, would count in their favour. But she had mixed feelings about some of them, especially the half-elf. Her face was beautiful but her slight build and timid demeanour put Brynan in mind of a newborn foal. She would be surprised if the girl lasted long enough for them all to learn her name. On the other hand, she was glad to see a dwarf and dragonborn enter the room. Theirs were races known for their fierceness in battle and, if these individuals proved to be at least somewhat honourable, she would be glad to have them fighting at her side. Regardless of her feelings towards them, each one that pledged their loyalty towards the cause and passed through the door received a nod as they walked in - an acknowledgement of her respect. They were a company now, for better or worse, and together they would face the threat engulfing Torvelt. However ... She rose and strode to the front of the room, slipping through those assembled with the lithe grace of a stalking cat. She stopped in front of Nathaniel and faced his mask with an expression that left no doubt about her feelings towards him. "I have a question," she said, loudly enough for all to hear. "Why are you assigned as our guide, Nathaniel?" Coming from her, the name dripped with disdain. "While you concern yourself with spells and trinkets, I've patrolled this land faced its dangers. I should be the one to lead us."</s> <\|message\|>Imalessa Sharis --- I M A L E S S A S H A R I S --- The utter bareness of the room made Imalessa uneasy. She was used to having many hiding places and perches among the branches, just as she was used to the steady weight of her bow on her back. Its absence was painfully noticeable, and she wished she had brought it with her. The idea of carrying a weapon into the castle, though, had set her on edge. She had been unsure how they would react to a strange half-elf, especially one who was armed. As she stepped past the threshold, the other half-elven warrior gave her a small nod. She did not return it. These people were new to her. Regardless of the fact this woman obviously shared her heritage, she didn't know who she could trust. Though she suspected she would be more at ease once she returned to the forest. She wouldn't let her guard down, no, but maybe she would feel comfortable enough to feel out the rest of the company. Her eyes scanned the room. She had only been around the race of men and elves, her father being the only full-blood elf she'd ever met, though she had heard tales of dwarves. The tiefling, dragonborn, and minotaur appeared dangerous, and Imalessa knew they could be, but it was the others that truly set her on edge. She knew enough about wolves to know that they weren't always grizzled and bloodthirsty. Sometimes they were calm, sleek and beautiful. It was those you had to watch out for. She moved to the edge of the room, keeping mostly to herself, and listened as the masked man - Nathaniel - spoke. The idea of yet another joining them bothered her. Not just because it was another person she would have to watch out for but because the trees would not like it. The forest did not like strangers trampling over their earth and leaves and twigs. Her sisters thought she was crazy, they thought something had broken inside her when her father had died. Maybe they were right. Maybe she only thought she could hear the trees because her father had loved them so dearly. But they were not of elven blood; they were fully human. Imalessa shook her head almost imperceptibly. The forest would not like this.</s>	<\|message\|>Gentle He passed a few more adventurers – companions, he supposed they should be called – on his way out the hall. First an impressively scarred Tiefling woman. If her mug was anything to go by then she dealt with most of life's obstacles by barging through them face first. A girl after his own heart. The horns were also a nice addition. Never could have too many horns on an expedition like this. After her came what he assumed was an Aasimir. Gentle didn't know what to make of him, slight little frail that he was. He supposed that looks could be deceiving, and the shield he lugged seemed sturdy enough, though the Achean's had been fans of big shields themselves, and Gentle had seen plenty of those shattered in his time. Maybe he was being harsh on the blonde boy, but if experience had taught him anything it was that the size of the dog in the fight definitely did matter a hell of a lot more than popular wisdom would have you believe. The last member of their little coterie was even skinnier than the Aasimir, bearing the sharp pointed ears and delicate features of an elf. In her case being fragile didn't seem like such an impairment. Elves had access to magics that featured in the other races nightmares, every calf knew that, and you didn't need biceps to cast hocus-pocus. Gentle had run afoul of a few spellcasters in his time, and wasn't keen to repeat the mistake. He'd walk carefully around this one. The crew filed back into the sitting room that they'd passed through on their way into the hall, to be met with the sight of a berobed, masked figure. Nathaniel didn't even have to open his mouth for Gentle to figure out he was a spellcaster. From the way he dressed, to the way he moved, everything about him said 'I'm quite interested in wizard bollocks'. Gentle didn't like him on principal, if for no other reason than his daft mask and the overbearing stench of his lavender perfume. Any man who wore that much perfume was hiding something. As if the mask didn't say that succinctly enough. Still, rules were rules, and Gentle wasn't about to start arguing with a mage without good cause. If Nathaniel wanted to act like the king-swinging dick, he was more than welcome to the role. Gentle had done his share of leading in his younger days, and it hadn't turned out pretty for anyone involved. He was happy to let the bemasked wizard bear that load. However it seemed like not everyone shared his sentiments. The sword-slinging half-elf, Gentle didn't know her name because she had quite helpfully declined to give it to the people she intended on leading, got up in the overly-perfumed mage's face and started acting hard. Gentle would have been more than happy to let them go at it – personal combat to decide which bull led the herd was pretty common in 'taur culture after all – and if this kind of confrontation was likely between the half-elf and the spell-man then it was better to get it out of the way sooner rather than later, but he couldn't help but wonder if this kind of ruckus would be seen as 'barbaric' to the more civilised amongst their numbers. He waited for someone else to speak up, to show support for one side or other, or maybe even throw their own hat into the ring. Nobody did. Looking around he wasn't sure what he seen on the faces of the others. He'd never been all that good at reading others. Imposing his own will on the people around him, that he could do, but divining what they wanted themselves was a skill that had always eluded him. He snorted audibly, and stepped forward. If no one else felt like speaking then he supposed he'd have to give it a try himself. "Does anyone else here care whether Nathaniel, the surely learned and powerful mage who can't remember the name of the place we're supposed to be going, or the lady elf so desperate to display the length and girth of her no-doubt titanic cock leads us 'honourable do-gooders'?" He did his best to emulate Nathaniel's painfully sarcastic tone, but wasn't sure he got the inflection quite right. "Personally I'm happy to form a square in the dirt outside and let them tear lumps out each other to decide, but then I am just a simple Minotaur. Whatever we decide I gotta point out that while I'm not a betting bull I think that the odds are good that if there is any sands left in the prince's hourglass, then they'll be trickling down quick while we're standing here. Even if they weren't the daylights burning and I'd like to leave some miles in our tracks before sundown." He realized that he hadn't managed to go all that long without insulting both a court-mage and a pretty dangerous looking half-elf. So much for staying in the magic-types good graces. Oh well, he'd never been all that good at taking good advice. Especially his own.</s>
<\|description\|>Gentle G E N T L E The humans called us monstrous, so monsters are what we became. B A S I C S --- AGE 128 RACE Minotaur CLASS Cleric/Barbarian OCCUPATION Lay Brother of the Temple of Apollokeos ORIGINATES FROM Achea IF OUTSIDE TORVELT The Human Republic of Achea is a loose collection of city states far to the South-West of Torvelt. The climate is hot, and the terrain mountainous, though the people have risen to the challenge of taming such an arid land, becoming famed for their exports of grapes, olives, gold, and marble. The Achean's stand proud of their achievements, proclaiming that their society is the greatest in all the wide world, pointing to their democracies, philosphies, music and art as evidence of this, though it is whispered in courts around the lands that the prosperous country wouldn't be half as impressive as it is if it wasn't for the broken backs of the monstrous slaves it has all been built upon. P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Large even by Minotaur standards, Gentle stands taller than eight-and-a-half feet, over nine if you included the tips of his gently curving horns, which you probably should when measuring a Minotaur. He's broad too, as the 'proverbial' bull in fact, and hasn't he heard that one more than once since coming to Torvelt. His once bulging muscles and steely thews are running to fat a little in his old age and relative indolence, but he still possesses the kind of physique that would give even the most confidant pitfighter cause to pause. To his intense consternation his lustrous black pelt is being invaded by unsightly streaks of iron-grey. Swirling blue-grey patterns are tattoeed across his arms, shoulders, chest and back, intricate patterns of some hidden meaning which Gentle hasn't shared with anyone since arriving in Torvelt. Age has also stolen some of his vim, and the spring from his step, but his hands are still strong and his horns still sharp. It will do, he tells himself. STRENGTHS * Physically powerful * Experienced combatant * Access to divine magic * Rough wisdom WEAKNESSES * Large and heavy * Moderate rheumatoid arthritis * Fading eyesight * Rage P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Pragmatic – Melancholy – Ponderous – Wistful – Studious – Mercurially violent (though working very hard not to be) SEXUALITY Pansexual FEARS * Heights * Deep, fast moving waters * Large canines * Small, enclosed spaces * The ghosts of his past GOALS To find the prince, stop the Fog, and achieve personal salvation. S K I L L S --- Labyrinth Recall He can perfectly recall any path that he has taken. Great Weapon Fighting Perhaps unsurprisingly giant bull-men are pretty good at swinging large, sharp pieces of metal with the intent of hurting people. Who knew? Sense of Smell and Hearing A Minotaur's sense of smell and hearing is several times more advanced than that of a humans. Gentle has found himself relying on his more and more since his eyes started failing him. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Heavy iron bracers * Travellers pack (sleeping roll, tinder box, dried rations etc) * Icon of Apollokeos (Small golden pendant featuring a rising sun over a river) WEAPONS * Large wooden post (Functions as a quarterstaff/club) * Great Sword H I S T O R Y --- The Minotaur known only as Gentle first walked into Torvelt about fifteen years ago, with nothing more than the clothes on his frame and a rolled bundle of leather upon his back. From there he wound a slow and gradual path towards Koprust, eventually arriving in the capital city and taking on a slew of odd jobs, seemingly happy with working hard manual labour for minimal pay, simple food and somewhere dry to sleep. On those rare occasions that he was approached by those not intimated by his monstrous visage he was found to be polite, but distant, seemingly happy to nurse his ghosts in solitude. He eventually found himself working for the Abbott of the Temple of Clean Waters, a holy place that venerated Apollokeos , Lady of Dawn and New Beginnings. Gentle quickly fell into life at the Temple, becoming a lay brother and settling in for what he imagined would be a life of quiet contemplation and honest labour. The God's, it seemed, had other plans. He'd had nightmares for as long as he could remember, horrible and twisted visions from his past that tourtured him nightly without reprieve. However one night, when the horror had reached its zenith, he found salvation. The Lady Apollokeos visited him, in all her golden splendour, and explained that his redemption was in reach. She tasked him with joining the quest to find the Prince, and that through that labour he might just find the peace he so desperately desired. When Gentle awoke he thought the dream no more than that, the fantasy of a tired mind, but later that day he met a man who introduced himself as Minoas, the fabled absent father of the Minotaur race. Minoas reinforced Apollokeos commands, urging Gentle to join the quest before disappearing. One visit from a God he could ignore. Two would have been pushing it. Collecting his belongings and making his farewells, he made his way towards thee castle.</s> <\|message\|>Stur Stonetalon, once celebrated by his people as Stur Sky's Fury STUR __________ Stur scratched a bit at his beard. He knew that by turning her back on him so pointedly, the half-elf was trying to wound his pride. Despite that particular bit of knowledge, he still felt himself rising to the bait, the words of an equally biting reply forming somewhere inside. Reluctantly, he clamped down on his tongue. The only thing that mattered right now was the mission, the the coin that came after. He needed that reward, needed it more than he needed life itself, and so couldn't afford to drag things out any more than they already were. He let out a long breath, still watching the half-elf as she leaned threateningly toward their masked guide-to-be, dispelling both the eager banter on his lips and the last remaining bit of mirth he had in his system over the situation in the first place. The elf - Aoné - introducing herself as a barbarian nearly started him up again, but Stur held firm, his face once again carefully composed. He listened to the introductions once more, names starting to become more familiar to him this time around. Solveig, Imalessa... the one that perpetually looked like she had swallowed a lemon was called Brynan. So she was in the king's employ, after all. And there it is: the shame, the frustration... the helpless, hopeless anger. The aging mercenary was all too well acquainted with feelings like those. He nodded just slightly to himself - he couldn't bring himself to care much, but he felt like he understood a bit better now. Gentle had moved off to talk directly to the huntress, Imalessa. Stur felt it was time to say his piece, again. He moved a bit to the front of the group, back in the vicinity of Nathaniel and Brynan. "Stur Stonetalon. My business of late is mainly breaking stubborn heads. Though," a quick glance towards the bull and the dragonborn, "looks like I've got some decent competition there. Fortunately for us, I'm a bodyguard of sorts, just like our Royal Protector here. I can keep the less... sturdy among us out of harm's way, if need be." That's not all he could do, of course. But that's all these few needed to know, for now.</s> <\|message\|>Imalessa Sharis --- I M A L E S S A S H A R I S --- Imalessa inclined her head to the minotaur. Gentle, he had said his name was. "I suppose you could try," she said, though she didn't particularly believe it would work. Imalessa simply wasn't the type to believe in gods. If there was a higher power out there, she couldn't believe they would just let innocent people suffer. Or they were nothing but a bunch of bastards high on power. Either way, she didn't put her faith in them. She looked Gentle over. Her father had once told her about the minotaurs. He'd told her a great deal about the outside world, but Imalessa never believed she would get to see it. "My father told me he had a run-in with a minotaur once," she said, changing the subject. She preferred not to talk too much about the forest. As much as she loved it, it had taken so much from her. The memories it held were a tangled mess of good and bad. "If what he said is true, he almost didn't survive it." She cocked her head, honey-gold hair spilling over her shoulder. "Is it true that your kind runs more . . . hot-blooded than most?"</s> <\|message\|>Antraro --- A N T R A R O --- Antraro watched and listened as the tension in the room grew and fell, his posture growing slightly smaller and more meek as he saw tensions rise. As he saw the intensity of the conversation lower and the respective assailants retreat to their corners, he returned to his usual posture, standing straight with his chest slightly pushed out, not in a display of strength but in a simulacrum of how his father once stood. His eyes drifted to his party members as they listed their strengths and proficiencies and he took their strengths into account in comparison to his own. The dwarven man would certainly be a Gods-sent gift for this group. Antraro would be sure to stick close to him, half for the reason that he could diffuse tension somewhat easily, while in comparison it was hard for Antraro to be quite as compelling. The other reason being that the two of them shared similar skillsets and would be on the same relative position on the battlefield, albeit one with more fire and discipline than the other. Stur, the human, was an iceberg. Antraro, with the time that he had living in Koprust after that fateful night, had some insight as to when someone was holding some of their cards. Antraro had a feeling that those cards would come to light during this trip, but it is not for him to decide when it will happen. Antraro empathized with Imalessa due to their shared relative youth. He felt a certain kinship with her, living as a hermit for most of his life with his father he knew what it was like to live isolated from most society and the dangers and boons that said isolation provided. He felt as though she would be a good friend in time. It was safe to say that Gentle intimidated him, not for the power that he wielded behind his frame, nor the sheer size of the older minotaur, but for the visible restraint that he had shown. To Antraro, it takes more strength to have power and choose not to use it freely than to have reckless abandon with said strength. He respected him but knew to never cross him. Antraro had seen Brynan a few times before on his sparse visits to the castle. He had come to the castle to accompany people who had requested his aid. Some simply wanted him there for the company that he provided and the image of a large lizard-man standing by them to bolster their confidence. Some visits were less than savory. Antraro remembered a time when a particularly prickly man who was a recent addition to the island had dragged him to the castle to demand that Antraro be confined in a cell for the safety of the city. Thankfully, the kind king had let him go free and apologized for the disturbance to him. Brynan had always been there, at the side of the royal family, poised for anything that may occur. Aone was a mystery to him, mostly. He gleaned that she was inquisitive, at least, due to her very observant behavior. She watched people and learned about them. Antraro only hoped that that curiosity that she had wouldn't lead to her knowing too much about him and the resulting fear that it may bring. Antraro at this point had been the only one to not speak as the group was ushered into the meeting room. He was nervous but steeled himself. Clearing his throat, the thrum of it being accidentally louder than the voice that escaped, he spoke, "As I said in the throne room, my name is Antraro. I am skilled in hand-to-hand combat and have stood toe to toe with armed opponents and bested them." Antraro fiddled with his clawed and scaled hands, "I also have the ability to fight with my senses impaired and have the ability to exhale flame. I wish to warn you of this fact ahead of time to prevent any...accidents in the future. I do not plan on using my breath in the forest extensively due to the risk of collateral damage that may occur," he adds, nodding respectfully in Imalessa's direction. "I am happy to be working with several skilled men and women and I hope that I may cultivate a kinship with you all." He finishes his statement with an awkward glance about the room while still fiddling with his hands slightly as he awaited a response.</s>	<\|message\|>Gentle Gentle's shovel sized hand scratched behind his ear as he considered the huntress' question. Hot-blooded? That was putting things mild. Hotter-than-a-dragon-with-heartburn would have been closer to the truth, and didn't he know it better than most. "Some of us hotter than others, but yeah, that's about the twist of it." He shrugged his heavy shoulders, equal parts contrite and embarrassed. This wasn't a subject he enjoyed discussing. Too many painful memories tied up with it. But, as Apollokeos taught, there can be no forigivness without acceptance, no redemption from cowardice. Better to face your fears than to live in their shadow. "Minoas' Gift, I've heard some 'taurs call it, though if it is a gift it's the kind he should have kept the receipt for. Course the humans refer to it as 'Baphomet's Hunger', which, while being more insulting by design, does cleave a touch closer to the truth of the affliction." He stopped himself from going more in depth, explaining the theological differences between the ancient God Minoas, and the horned demon Baphomet, and their respective roles in the Minotaur's creationist myth. That was a subject he enjoyed discussing, had in fact spent many an enjoyable evening debating the intricacies of the tale with Pytheas, the elderly Abbot at the Temple of Clean Waters, but he'd gotten the impression from her slightly-sour response to his offer to pray to appease the trees that the small huntress was a sceptic when it came to the Gods. He might have been living in a temple the last five years, but he still didn't like to think of himself as 'preachy'. He chose to change the subject. "Your father took on a raging bull 'taur and lived to speak about it? That's an impressive feat that few can boast of. Must be skilled. He teach you the bow? To survive in the wilds?"</s>
<\|description\|>Gentle G E N T L E The humans called us monstrous, so monsters are what we became. B A S I C S --- AGE 128 RACE Minotaur CLASS Cleric/Barbarian OCCUPATION Lay Brother of the Temple of Apollokeos ORIGINATES FROM Achea IF OUTSIDE TORVELT The Human Republic of Achea is a loose collection of city states far to the South-West of Torvelt. The climate is hot, and the terrain mountainous, though the people have risen to the challenge of taming such an arid land, becoming famed for their exports of grapes, olives, gold, and marble. The Achean's stand proud of their achievements, proclaiming that their society is the greatest in all the wide world, pointing to their democracies, philosphies, music and art as evidence of this, though it is whispered in courts around the lands that the prosperous country wouldn't be half as impressive as it is if it wasn't for the broken backs of the monstrous slaves it has all been built upon. P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Large even by Minotaur standards, Gentle stands taller than eight-and-a-half feet, over nine if you included the tips of his gently curving horns, which you probably should when measuring a Minotaur. He's broad too, as the 'proverbial' bull in fact, and hasn't he heard that one more than once since coming to Torvelt. His once bulging muscles and steely thews are running to fat a little in his old age and relative indolence, but he still possesses the kind of physique that would give even the most confidant pitfighter cause to pause. To his intense consternation his lustrous black pelt is being invaded by unsightly streaks of iron-grey. Swirling blue-grey patterns are tattoeed across his arms, shoulders, chest and back, intricate patterns of some hidden meaning which Gentle hasn't shared with anyone since arriving in Torvelt. Age has also stolen some of his vim, and the spring from his step, but his hands are still strong and his horns still sharp. It will do, he tells himself. STRENGTHS * Physically powerful * Experienced combatant * Access to divine magic * Rough wisdom WEAKNESSES * Large and heavy * Moderate rheumatoid arthritis * Fading eyesight * Rage P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Pragmatic – Melancholy – Ponderous – Wistful – Studious – Mercurially violent (though working very hard not to be) SEXUALITY Pansexual FEARS * Heights * Deep, fast moving waters * Large canines * Small, enclosed spaces * The ghosts of his past GOALS To find the prince, stop the Fog, and achieve personal salvation. S K I L L S --- Labyrinth Recall He can perfectly recall any path that he has taken. Great Weapon Fighting Perhaps unsurprisingly giant bull-men are pretty good at swinging large, sharp pieces of metal with the intent of hurting people. Who knew? Sense of Smell and Hearing A Minotaur's sense of smell and hearing is several times more advanced than that of a humans. Gentle has found himself relying on his more and more since his eyes started failing him. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Heavy iron bracers * Travellers pack (sleeping roll, tinder box, dried rations etc) * Icon of Apollokeos (Small golden pendant featuring a rising sun over a river) WEAPONS * Large wooden post (Functions as a quarterstaff/club) * Great Sword H I S T O R Y --- The Minotaur known only as Gentle first walked into Torvelt about fifteen years ago, with nothing more than the clothes on his frame and a rolled bundle of leather upon his back. From there he wound a slow and gradual path towards Koprust, eventually arriving in the capital city and taking on a slew of odd jobs, seemingly happy with working hard manual labour for minimal pay, simple food and somewhere dry to sleep. On those rare occasions that he was approached by those not intimated by his monstrous visage he was found to be polite, but distant, seemingly happy to nurse his ghosts in solitude. He eventually found himself working for the Abbott of the Temple of Clean Waters, a holy place that venerated Apollokeos , Lady of Dawn and New Beginnings. Gentle quickly fell into life at the Temple, becoming a lay brother and settling in for what he imagined would be a life of quiet contemplation and honest labour. The God's, it seemed, had other plans. He'd had nightmares for as long as he could remember, horrible and twisted visions from his past that tourtured him nightly without reprieve. However one night, when the horror had reached its zenith, he found salvation. The Lady Apollokeos visited him, in all her golden splendour, and explained that his redemption was in reach. She tasked him with joining the quest to find the Prince, and that through that labour he might just find the peace he so desperately desired. When Gentle awoke he thought the dream no more than that, the fantasy of a tired mind, but later that day he met a man who introduced himself as Minoas, the fabled absent father of the Minotaur race. Minoas reinforced Apollokeos commands, urging Gentle to join the quest before disappearing. One visit from a God he could ignore. Two would have been pushing it. Collecting his belongings and making his farewells, he made his way towards thee castle.</s> <\|message\|>Aoné Inalor --- AONÉ INALOR --- It wasn't long before the small party began their travels, Aoné much more at ease now that they had begun. She wasn't particularly in a hurry, not that what they were doing wasn't important and time was certainly of the essence, but she hadn't been blessed with the greatest patience nor the ability to stand by and do nothing whilst pursuing a goal. Both of which had estranged her from her family many years ago, and now she could sense those unwanted feelings creeping up on her again as she stood among this group of strangers. She hadn't said much in their short time together as they introduced themselves, save for the moments she had to, but she honestly preferred it that way. Knowing herself, the elf knew with the way the conversation had been going, she would've just caused trouble; however, it would've been funny had she. Now that the other half-elf, Imalessa, had received a new bow, an honest mistake of coming here without it, they had no more reasons holding them back. Aoné wasn't certain about how she felt toward the huntress, she respected her loyalty to the forest however vocal she was about it, and she didn't seem like someone who'd get in her way lest their tempers clash, other than that, she seemed like someone she could hang around given the time. The term "friends" would be taking it a step too far though. When it came to the other members of the party, Aoné could say she felt indifferent toward them. Not in any negative way, she just needed more time, although she did especially enjoy Gentle who managed to intrigue her the most, purely by the irony of his name. As far as she knew, minotaurs were an angry race; temperamental and ferocious. But judging by the one beside her, she'd have to look into it more. Perhaps she was wrong. As for Brynan...she was something else. Probably would've been fine taking on the task herself if a group wasn't required. Not that Aoné disagreed, just that she would have to keep an eye on her. To make sure she didn't do anything reckless to get the rest of them hurt. --- Luckily for her, horseback riding had been something she was taught from a young age, along with traveling for long periods of time, Aoné's trip to "Mudshit" or wherever was made a lot easier. Along with the essentials, she had managed to grab some medicines and herbs, as well as her journaling book, that was stashed away in a small satchel she carried on her horse. The rain had never ceased as they journeyed, only making her more irritable as her attempts to keep herself dry proved futile. And though light was fading pretty quickly, her darkvision proved useful as she was still able to see. Not too soon after, just as the rain had come to a light drizzle, the caravan in front of her slid to a stop in the mud. Both horses had sensed something and were now freaking out, Aoné struggled to take back control. At first the noise came. And then the putrid smell. Looking to the source, still steadily to maintain her grip on the reins she already knew what enemy lay ahead. "Trolls! Ready yourselves!" Damned fucking trolls. Hopping down and grabbing her satchel, she quickly moved to the rear of the group. Knowing she wouldn't be of any use up front, she prepared for any possible injuries they would suffer.</s> <\|message\|>Solveig Forgeheart --- Solveig Forgeheart --- Rather enjoying the new company, Solveig probably seemed the most nonchalant about marching to his doom. In fact, after they had left Koprust Solveig was obnoxiously whistling as they began to travel to this 'Mudshit'. Apart from the butting of heads between Gentle and Brynan, the rest of the group seemed to be rather introverted or at least withdrawn. Everybody had their secrets for sure, but the Dwarf would've preferred if everyone else weren't quite as reserved. Especially the Dragonborn. Ah well, beggars can't be choosers. Regardless of whether the rest appreciated his loud whistling, nothing brought Dwarves together like a bit of light-hearted rhythm. Perhaps it wasn't time to bust out a mining or drinking song but perhaps the theory could work here too. As rain began to pour, Solveig popped the collar up of his jacket more. He didn't have a hood so his hair and beard were starting to get drenched. However, Solveig kind of liked it. There wasn't any rain to speak of back at Tharum Kholdur, at least if you wasn't a Mountain Guard who watched the borders. Sometimes water would drip down but nothing like this. It was kind of relaxing. The tiny pitter patter of droplets reminded him of pickaxes striking the rocky earth of the Mountain. It was comfort. That was when a potent stench wafted over the party. Solveig held his nose as his face scrunched up. "Gentle! Please tell me that's not what Minotaur shite smells like!" He exclaimed as he tried to wave the smell away. However, the playful jab at Gentle was overshadowed by the call from Naldir. "Trolls! Ready yourselves!" Solveig turned on his heels to the direction of the hollering creatures. He watched as Stur was one of the first to step forward, beginning to draw a battle line. With a grin and a hearty laugh, Solveig joined as he pulled out his prized knuckledusters from his pockets. Punching his own fists together making clanging sounds that rang out, Solveig joined the large human's side with glee. Finally it was time for a punch-up! "RIGHT THEN YA BASTARDS! COME GET A TASTE OF DWARVEN STRENGTH!!!"</s>	<\|message\|>Gentle The day was going bad enough without throwing the stink of rotting meat into the mix. Gentle thumb a soaking forelock out of his eyes, wondering if he could get away with plugging his nostrils with grass when he noticed the pony's terrified looking stance. Rotting meat doesn't scare horses. He took several more deep sniffs, but couldn't work out what the stink belonged to. "Gentle! Please tell me that's not what Minotaur shite smells like!" The dwarf distracted him. He was still trying to lock onto the queer scent when he responded absentmindedly "Only after we eat dwarves. The rest of the time the scent is quite pleasant", shortly after that someone yelled troll, and Gentle's humour soured even more. He'd never met a troll before. Had never wanted to. By all reports they had a worse reputation than Minotaur's, which was akin to winning an award for sheer bastardy. He'd heard they were hard to kill. He guessed he was about to find out just how true that was. Kill. By the God's, he'd really hoped he was finished with killing, but it looked like this old bull still had to put down a few more matadors. Wasn't like he could still get this quest finished and do the God's proud while being digested in a trolls gullet, and if he'd heard right diplomacy rarely worked with these monsters. He gripped his staff tight - not quite willing to draw the sword on his back yet, still scared of the 'taur he became when that hilt was in his hand - and stepped forward to stand alongside the human, on the opposite side of the dwarf. The little bastard was screaming out taunts, and Gentle couldn't help but respect him for it. His hoof stamped in the dirt a couple of times while he tried to quell what he told himself was fear, but he actually knew was excitement. "You fight these things before?" He asked the axe-wielding human. Frail he might be, but he at least looked experienced, and handled that axe like a veteran. Gentle wouldn't like to sip from the same cup as him, but he trusted the man could fight. "They like to set traps?" He gestured off to their right. There was a riot's worth of noise coming from the left, but while Gentle knew next to fuck all about trolls, he had some experience with ambushes. If he was in the attackers position he'd make a lot of noise from one side, while assaulting silently from the other. Nothing wins a battle quite as fast as making the other guy look in the wrong direction while you stabbed him in the back.</s>
<\|description\|>Gentle G E N T L E The humans called us monstrous, so monsters are what we became. B A S I C S --- AGE 128 RACE Minotaur CLASS Cleric/Barbarian OCCUPATION Lay Brother of the Temple of Apollokeos ORIGINATES FROM Achea IF OUTSIDE TORVELT The Human Republic of Achea is a loose collection of city states far to the South-West of Torvelt. The climate is hot, and the terrain mountainous, though the people have risen to the challenge of taming such an arid land, becoming famed for their exports of grapes, olives, gold, and marble. The Achean's stand proud of their achievements, proclaiming that their society is the greatest in all the wide world, pointing to their democracies, philosphies, music and art as evidence of this, though it is whispered in courts around the lands that the prosperous country wouldn't be half as impressive as it is if it wasn't for the broken backs of the monstrous slaves it has all been built upon. P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Large even by Minotaur standards, Gentle stands taller than eight-and-a-half feet, over nine if you included the tips of his gently curving horns, which you probably should when measuring a Minotaur. He's broad too, as the 'proverbial' bull in fact, and hasn't he heard that one more than once since coming to Torvelt. His once bulging muscles and steely thews are running to fat a little in his old age and relative indolence, but he still possesses the kind of physique that would give even the most confidant pitfighter cause to pause. To his intense consternation his lustrous black pelt is being invaded by unsightly streaks of iron-grey. Swirling blue-grey patterns are tattoeed across his arms, shoulders, chest and back, intricate patterns of some hidden meaning which Gentle hasn't shared with anyone since arriving in Torvelt. Age has also stolen some of his vim, and the spring from his step, but his hands are still strong and his horns still sharp. It will do, he tells himself. STRENGTHS * Physically powerful * Experienced combatant * Access to divine magic * Rough wisdom WEAKNESSES * Large and heavy * Moderate rheumatoid arthritis * Fading eyesight * Rage P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Pragmatic – Melancholy – Ponderous – Wistful – Studious – Mercurially violent (though working very hard not to be) SEXUALITY Pansexual FEARS * Heights * Deep, fast moving waters * Large canines * Small, enclosed spaces * The ghosts of his past GOALS To find the prince, stop the Fog, and achieve personal salvation. S K I L L S --- Labyrinth Recall He can perfectly recall any path that he has taken. Great Weapon Fighting Perhaps unsurprisingly giant bull-men are pretty good at swinging large, sharp pieces of metal with the intent of hurting people. Who knew? Sense of Smell and Hearing A Minotaur's sense of smell and hearing is several times more advanced than that of a humans. Gentle has found himself relying on his more and more since his eyes started failing him. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Heavy iron bracers * Travellers pack (sleeping roll, tinder box, dried rations etc) * Icon of Apollokeos (Small golden pendant featuring a rising sun over a river) WEAPONS * Large wooden post (Functions as a quarterstaff/club) * Great Sword H I S T O R Y --- The Minotaur known only as Gentle first walked into Torvelt about fifteen years ago, with nothing more than the clothes on his frame and a rolled bundle of leather upon his back. From there he wound a slow and gradual path towards Koprust, eventually arriving in the capital city and taking on a slew of odd jobs, seemingly happy with working hard manual labour for minimal pay, simple food and somewhere dry to sleep. On those rare occasions that he was approached by those not intimated by his monstrous visage he was found to be polite, but distant, seemingly happy to nurse his ghosts in solitude. He eventually found himself working for the Abbott of the Temple of Clean Waters, a holy place that venerated Apollokeos , Lady of Dawn and New Beginnings. Gentle quickly fell into life at the Temple, becoming a lay brother and settling in for what he imagined would be a life of quiet contemplation and honest labour. The God's, it seemed, had other plans. He'd had nightmares for as long as he could remember, horrible and twisted visions from his past that tourtured him nightly without reprieve. However one night, when the horror had reached its zenith, he found salvation. The Lady Apollokeos visited him, in all her golden splendour, and explained that his redemption was in reach. She tasked him with joining the quest to find the Prince, and that through that labour he might just find the peace he so desperately desired. When Gentle awoke he thought the dream no more than that, the fantasy of a tired mind, but later that day he met a man who introduced himself as Minoas, the fabled absent father of the Minotaur race. Minoas reinforced Apollokeos commands, urging Gentle to join the quest before disappearing. One visit from a God he could ignore. Two would have been pushing it. Collecting his belongings and making his farewells, he made his way towards thee castle.</s> <\|message\|>Ola Al-Fares O L A A L - F A R E S --- Ola drew the sword fully through the trolls leg, the sharpened steel parting the rotting flesh and bone with barely a tug at her arm. It made her shudder inwardly and her nose wrinkled at the stench of the beast. Severing its tendon had a two fold effect; it slowed the troll down, but also caused it to lurch sideways and slam a hand down to maintain any semblance of balance as it launched the vile, green and black loogie she had ever seen. She was unable to follow the projectiles flight path, she was top busy dodging the crashing fist. She was close, maybe to close, the only danger of being a melee fighter when you ran into something undead. Mud spattered her face and cloak and she spat to try and clear the taste even as she scrambled back to put a even a few feet of distance between herself and the huge rotting hand. Only once she had gained a bit of purchase in the mud did she flourish her sword, sending the remnants of her first cut splattering into the mud away from her new allies, and then hack two handed at the arm that was in the mud. If she could sever another limb it might bring the creature down low enough for someone to destroy its other brain. Unless she was mistaken, and had certainly happened from time to time, if they destroyed the brains, the undead would cease to function.</s> <\|message\|>Stur Stonetalon, once celebrated by his people as Stur Sky's Fury STUR __________ The familiar jolt of the axe burying itself in flesh and bone rattled its way up Stur's arms and across his body, causing his teeth to click sharply together. At the same time, an unusually cold spray of blood spattered his face. Ordinarily, the mercenary would have welcomed a little blooding in a fight. But the strange wrongness of the stuff caused him to flinch away in disgust, and then a half-second later in pain. The cursed ichor began to burn and almost sap the strength from his body as anger and bewilderment continued to grow inside his heart. Eyes momentarily blinded, Stur instinctively yanked on the haft of the longaxe to free it from its resting place in the ruins of the troll's second head, but instead found himself tripping backwards in the mud as his hands failed to find a grip on the blood-slicked haft. He cursed loudly at the thing, throwing himself into a clumsy backwards roll, coming back to rights with his dirk firmly gripped in one hand and his right side splattered in mud, but now blessedly free of the troll's poisonous blood. Cautiously opening one eye, he took a moment to survey the situation. The troll was down a leg, scrambling for purchase in the mud with one hand thrust out for balance. His wayward axe was serving as a fair replacement for the abomination's missing head, haft jutting straight out to the side like a sapling grown into the side of a mountain. The new arrival was, to her credit, right in the thick of things, hacking away at limbs seemingly without a fear in the world. Stur felt a brief surge of respect for the woman, though whether she was to be trusted remained to be seen. The troll's ire was focused on Brynan, who was still knelt in the mud after her initial strike. Deciding that the quickest way to finish this was to get the enemy on its back, the battered warrior took advantage of his being behind the troll and undetected, slipping carefully up to its unprotected flank and plunging with the dirk towards the back of its one intact knee.</s> <\|message\|>Imalessa Sharis --- I M A L E S S A S H A R I S --- Imalessa's arrow had hit its mark, and yet the troll still had some fight left in it. Cursing under her breath, she marveled with a sick curiosity at how the thing was still kicking. But the arrow had seemed to do something, if not kill it. She nocked another, watching as it reached out and grabbed at Gentle, preparing to bite. There were no gods she believed in, let alone bothered to pray to, but she hoped she could get lucky once more and loosed her arrow.</s> <\|message\|>Brynan Ianyre --- B R Y N A N I A N Y R E --- Having sliced deeply into the trolls legs, Brynan came to a sliding stop in the mud, her lips pulled back in a grimace of grim satisfaction. She watched as it buckled, trying to regain its balance, only to have one of his legs cut out from underneath it by another blade - that of the sodden stranger. "Beautiful, woman!" she cried out. But she didn't pause to celebrate. The fight was far from over. She adjusted her grip on the scimitars and tensed her body in preparation for another attack. Aiming to slice at its throat, she looked up at the troll just in time to catch a face full of loogie. It covered one of her eyes, entered her parted lips and slid easily down her throat. White-hot pain immediately accompanied it, but Brynan cared little; all she felt was disgust. A primal scream tore from her burning throat and she launched herself at the diseased creature, both blade tips pointed at its distended belly. She would run it through.</s>	<\|message\|>Gentle Gentle brayed in pain, skin burning, eyes watering. What kind of diseased sack of poison was this thing? His hands itched, eager, he felt, to grip a sword pommel. Slide back towards being the monster of his youth, that's all that would achieve, he told himself. He had to keep a grip on the person he was now, even if that person was like to end up troll-food in the next few minutes. He stepped backwards, dodging snapping teeth, not so lucky when it came to sharp claws, feeling them peel through the skin of his chest. Felt the wound burn hot, probably infected, no time to worry about that, his feet were slipping from under him. He put a hand to the ground to steady himself, palm gripping on worn wood. His staff, the one the troll had knocked from his hand. It wasn't a sword, but it would do. Surging back to his feet he thrusts the staff like a spear, aiming straight for the ugly fucks chest, snarled curses on his lips, heartfelt prayer in his mind. Apollokeos, he intones silently so only she can hear, Goddess of second chances, help me make this one count. Help me bury this fucker.</s>
<\|description\|>Aoné Inalor AONÉ INALOR "I'm not sure you understand, so let me clear it up for you" B A S I C S --- AGE 102 in elf years RACE Elf CLASS Sorceress OCCUPATION Medic ORIGINATES FROM Havenloft IF OUTSIDE TORVELT An ancient and sacred forest to the north, known for being inhabited by elves. P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Not the tallest of elf, Aoné stands around 5 foot 8, while taking on the definitive pointed ears and slim features of her ancestors. While not the strongest either, she's surprisingly more toned than one would think having to wrestle down more than a few rowdy and wounded folk of Torvelt so she could work properly. A few scars lay scattered across her body when she learned the hard way what the more aggressive folk of the city were like, having been slashed at trying to do the same job, especially during the earlier time of her stay. She's certainly gotten tougher since and isn't afraid to act that way. STRENGTHS * With age comes wisdom * During her travels (and during her time in Torvelt), Aoné's come to know quite a few people * She's very quick to adapt to new situations WEAKNESSES * Working under pressure * Not well trained for intense combat, she usually needs someone to rely on to protect her * Doesn't posess the greatest people skills P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Intuitive \| Sharp-tongued \| Curious \| Independent \| Apathetic \| Distant \| Decisive \| Disciplined \| Perceptive SEXUALITY Lesbian FEARS * Being overly dependent on someone * People larger than her (She gets rather defensive) * Not being worth something GOALS * To travel the rest of the world * Gaining as much medical knowledge as she can S K I L L S --- A listing of skills, such as horseback riding, and natural abilities such as night vision - this also includes any racial edges. Nightvision Able to see 60 ft ahead of her with little to no light. Booksmart An arcane spellcaster, she knows quite a bit of knowledge of magic. Born to a wealthy family, she also had access to many sources of information, especially history and language. Meditation Unlike humans, Aoné doesn't need to sleep being an elf. Instead or around 4 hours a day, she meditates in a trance like state that equals that of 8 hours of sleep. Horseback riding Trained from a young age, Aoné has taken to horseback pretty easily. Having been traveling for awhile, she's only honed those skills over the years. M A G I C --- Cure Wounds Able to heal minor wounds, Aoné uses this skill pretty frequently. Mass Heal Wounds A more intense spell than the one above, this is able to heal greater wounds but at more of a cost. Draining energy faster, she doesn't use this spell nearly as often Cordon of Arrows A spell in which if she places four arrows or crossbow bolts in the ground and places magic upon them, any creature that gets close to 30 ft to them, one of the pieces will fly up and target them. Mostly used as a protection spell, whenever she's alone she uses this spell. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Two small bundles, one for medicinal herbs and another for spices. * A small journal she uses for taking note of the places she's been, some pages containing pressed flowers. * A basic grimoire, she carries this for her spells. WEAPONS * A medium sized staff, wooden and designed with intricate carvings. * A small dagger she keeps close by, just in case she needs to use it H I S T O R Y --- Born to a very highly known and wealthy family, Aoné was raised very nearly in the center of Havenloft among her many other siblings. The Inalor family is known to deal its hand in sorcery, creating many great elven mages throughout the generations. Not only that, they also trained in sword fighting and archery along with trade and politics. A jack-of-all-trades kind of family, it was only common sense to know of all the responsibilities and hardships one had to endure to uphold the family name. As being a part of this family, it was greatly stressed among Aoné and her siblings to further the family lineage with a strong ambition and strive for success, pride, and power. Fortunately and unfortunately, Aoné never was much interested in family affairs, she preffered to focus her studies in sorcery, spending most of her time in the library. But because her prowess in sword fighting and archery was less than proficient, and her attitude was considered crude by her elders, she could clearly see that favor was not in her direction. Her family often tried to "correct" her, but she found that with enough time and persistance they're lenience grew and so did her freedom. It was around this time when her curiousity for the outside world piqued, and soon after, she packed her bags and practiced the little spells that she knew before heading off. Leaving when no one was watching, she left only a letter addressing quite formally why she left and that she'd probably never return. Throughout her travels, she picked up the art of medicine, helping those in need along the way. She doesn't recall how long she's been traveling, nor how she heard about Torvelt, but she remembered how she felt when she first entered. Compared to other places, especially Havenloft, this place seemed in need for a change, one that she hoped she would bring. Aoné didn't dwell in the politics of this place too much, but when the fog began and she couldn't do anything about it, her curiousity took over and the hunt to find the cure began.</s> <\|message\|>Zosimos Blackcoil --- Z O S I M O S B L A C K C O I L --- Zosimos eyed the gathering of travellers in the royal court with suspicion from underneath her hooded cloak and nimbly side-stepped any who drew too close to her person. She kept to the back of the hall, sequestering herself in a nook behind a lit torch that was attached to the wall. There she hid in the dancing shadows the flames cast and observed those who came forward to answer the King's quest – a fool's quest. Many times, between setting foot inside the royal castle and leaving behind her reclusive life in Torvelt's mountain forests, Zosimos had questioned her own sanity following her decision to journey to Koprust to embark upon this fool's quest. As many travellers turned and filtered out of the King's hall after his wise words of warning, she mused that many shared her thoughts on the matter. Whilst Zosimos held the Prince no ill will, she did not desire to forfeit her own life in the search for his – and yet, her feet remained rooted to the spot. The very thought of banding together with an assortment of miscreants and would-be heroes had the Tiefling's pistris-like teeth tingling in her mouth. She watched closely as members of this band stepped forward and wondered what motivated them to do so. For some it seemed it was honour; for others perhaps it was compassion of some kind; and for those like herself, it was the promise of the King's reward should they succeed. It was that tendril of faith in this promise and what she would claim from it that finally gave Zosimos the nerve to walk through the remaining members of the Hall towards the King and Queen. She stopped in front of them and lowered her hood. She heard a few gasps and sharp intakes of breath as eyes fell upon her disfigured face and demonic features. Zosimos's hand tightened on her Warlock's staff. She gave a small bow to the King and then to the Queen before lifting her eyes – or rather, her one good eye – to meet theirs. "Zosimos Blackcoil. I pledge my staff in the quest to find your son," the Tiefling spoke calmly before moving off to follow her fellow companions.</s> <\|message\|>Naldir Kadim Naldir was ready to leave before the King even began to speak. As he stood in the great hall, standing among adventurers of every kind, Naldir felt out of his element. He had long surrendered his sword and shield, instead walking the path of a civilian. But why then did he feel so unfulfilled. His thoughts nagged at the back of his mind, as did the words of the divine interloper. For the past several nights the God Amaldi had come to him in nocturnal visions, pleading for him to return to the path of the just. And now for several days Naldir had attempted to ignore the pleas, as he did now, moving to leave the hall. It was then that the King began to speak with a mighty voice that had a quiver of sadness. Naldir turned back to hear what he had to say, owing the Lord that honour at least. As Naldir listened he pondered over the quandary that was the Fog. For many weeks he heard tales of it, how it swallowed people up forever. He had also heard whispers of the Prince disappearing, but it was still a shock when King Brand confirmed it. Naldir felt a knot form in his stomach as he remembered what it was like to feel like you have lost someone very close to you. He focused on that feeling as the King continued talking, even glossing over the reward. There was nothing physical that Brand could offer Naldir, he did not need riches or land. Naldir was painfully aware that no mortal could repair his soul, for he truly believed that it had been damaged. Naldir remained in the hall as many began to leave, obviously not ready for the danger required in dealing with the Fog. As Naldir began to think that everyone may leave, a Half-Elf approached the King and knelt before him, swearing herself to the cause. Immediately afterwards several others approached, first another Half-Elf, then a fearsome looking Dragonborn, a Dwarf and a Man, a Minotaur of all things, then a lady Tiefling. All pledged themselves to the cause. Most of the others had left the room and Naldir greatly considered following them. Surely this was enough heroes, as they all seemed quite capable. But Naldir remembered the lessons of a Paladin, that an extra blade in good faith is always needed. With the knot tightening in his stomach, Naldir stepped forward. "My name is Naldir Kadim, and I shall pledge you Lord my sword and shield," Naldir said as he knelt, "As I devote myself to returning the young Prince." Naldir looked up, locking eyes with the King. Realizing that there was no going back now, Naldir stood up and followed after the others who had sworn themselves to this quest. In the back of his mind he recalled the dreams of Amaldi telling him to follow the path to redemption.</s>	<\|message\|>Aoné Inalor Mingling somewhere among the middle of the crowd, Aoné listened closely to the words of King, her head propped up on her hands. She hadn't expected herself to be here, much less have stayed when the majority of the room cleared out at the mention of the amount of danger the fog held; however, this fog had a mysteriousness that she couldn't ignore. She didn't yet know how she felt about the reward for there wasn't anything she needed at the moment, but she was sure she'd come up with something. As of now, learning as much as she could was her top priority. Glancing around the room at the faces left standing, Aoné raised an amused eyebrow as they introduced themselves. Certainly a diverse cast they were. And certainly unexpected. She supposed that's because all the truly rational folk left while they could, though she wouldn't call herself irrational per se. Just intrigued. The tiefling, Zosimos, and minotaur, Gentle, were the ones that truly caught her eye, and although a bit intimidated, her eyes and thoughts lingered on them just a tad longer. Her eyes moved back to the King as a silence fell, signaling her turn to speak. Standing up slowly and raising her chin, her hands folded in front of her, Aoné began her introduction, trying to maintain elegance the best she could. "Your Majesties," she gave a small bow with her head. "I may not be one to meddle in the affairs of royalty, but I feel great sorrow and pain for the disappearance of your son, the Prince. And as not to waste any time, I'll finish by saying this: I will do as much as I possibly can to help find your son, and to find a cure to this terrible fog. My highest prayers to the safety of your son and the three of you the best of health for years to come." With a more dignified bow, Aoné turned and followed her newfound group, letting out the smallest of sighs. She hadn't been that formal since her last interaction with her family, but she didn't let her uncomfort show. Shoulders back, and head raised, she mentally prepared herself for the hard times to come.</s>
<\|description\|>Aoné Inalor AONÉ INALOR "I'm not sure you understand, so let me clear it up for you" B A S I C S --- AGE 102 in elf years RACE Elf CLASS Sorceress OCCUPATION Medic ORIGINATES FROM Havenloft IF OUTSIDE TORVELT An ancient and sacred forest to the north, known for being inhabited by elves. P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Not the tallest of elf, Aoné stands around 5 foot 8, while taking on the definitive pointed ears and slim features of her ancestors. While not the strongest either, she's surprisingly more toned than one would think having to wrestle down more than a few rowdy and wounded folk of Torvelt so she could work properly. A few scars lay scattered across her body when she learned the hard way what the more aggressive folk of the city were like, having been slashed at trying to do the same job, especially during the earlier time of her stay. She's certainly gotten tougher since and isn't afraid to act that way. STRENGTHS * With age comes wisdom * During her travels (and during her time in Torvelt), Aoné's come to know quite a few people * She's very quick to adapt to new situations WEAKNESSES * Working under pressure * Not well trained for intense combat, she usually needs someone to rely on to protect her * Doesn't posess the greatest people skills P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Intuitive \| Sharp-tongued \| Curious \| Independent \| Apathetic \| Distant \| Decisive \| Disciplined \| Perceptive SEXUALITY Lesbian FEARS * Being overly dependent on someone * People larger than her (She gets rather defensive) * Not being worth something GOALS * To travel the rest of the world * Gaining as much medical knowledge as she can S K I L L S --- A listing of skills, such as horseback riding, and natural abilities such as night vision - this also includes any racial edges. Nightvision Able to see 60 ft ahead of her with little to no light. Booksmart An arcane spellcaster, she knows quite a bit of knowledge of magic. Born to a wealthy family, she also had access to many sources of information, especially history and language. Meditation Unlike humans, Aoné doesn't need to sleep being an elf. Instead or around 4 hours a day, she meditates in a trance like state that equals that of 8 hours of sleep. Horseback riding Trained from a young age, Aoné has taken to horseback pretty easily. Having been traveling for awhile, she's only honed those skills over the years. M A G I C --- Cure Wounds Able to heal minor wounds, Aoné uses this skill pretty frequently. Mass Heal Wounds A more intense spell than the one above, this is able to heal greater wounds but at more of a cost. Draining energy faster, she doesn't use this spell nearly as often Cordon of Arrows A spell in which if she places four arrows or crossbow bolts in the ground and places magic upon them, any creature that gets close to 30 ft to them, one of the pieces will fly up and target them. Mostly used as a protection spell, whenever she's alone she uses this spell. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Two small bundles, one for medicinal herbs and another for spices. * A small journal she uses for taking note of the places she's been, some pages containing pressed flowers. * A basic grimoire, she carries this for her spells. WEAPONS * A medium sized staff, wooden and designed with intricate carvings. * A small dagger she keeps close by, just in case she needs to use it H I S T O R Y --- Born to a very highly known and wealthy family, Aoné was raised very nearly in the center of Havenloft among her many other siblings. The Inalor family is known to deal its hand in sorcery, creating many great elven mages throughout the generations. Not only that, they also trained in sword fighting and archery along with trade and politics. A jack-of-all-trades kind of family, it was only common sense to know of all the responsibilities and hardships one had to endure to uphold the family name. As being a part of this family, it was greatly stressed among Aoné and her siblings to further the family lineage with a strong ambition and strive for success, pride, and power. Fortunately and unfortunately, Aoné never was much interested in family affairs, she preffered to focus her studies in sorcery, spending most of her time in the library. But because her prowess in sword fighting and archery was less than proficient, and her attitude was considered crude by her elders, she could clearly see that favor was not in her direction. Her family often tried to "correct" her, but she found that with enough time and persistance they're lenience grew and so did her freedom. It was around this time when her curiousity for the outside world piqued, and soon after, she packed her bags and practiced the little spells that she knew before heading off. Leaving when no one was watching, she left only a letter addressing quite formally why she left and that she'd probably never return. Throughout her travels, she picked up the art of medicine, helping those in need along the way. She doesn't recall how long she's been traveling, nor how she heard about Torvelt, but she remembered how she felt when she first entered. Compared to other places, especially Havenloft, this place seemed in need for a change, one that she hoped she would bring. Aoné didn't dwell in the politics of this place too much, but when the fog began and she couldn't do anything about it, her curiousity took over and the hunt to find the cure began.</s> <\|message\|>Naldir Kadim Naldir had mostly remained quiet since the formation of the party. For one, he wasn't sure of this mixed bunch of adventurers. Also, he was unsure of himself. It had been several years since he had gone on this kind of excursion. He had almost abandoned the party as they were leaving town, as when he went to the tavern to talk to his boss, he almost remained. But he had given his word and Naldir did value that kind of contract, and was not ready to break it. So he gave the tavern keeper his notice, quitting his bar keeping job. As Naldir gathered his few belongings into his pack, the tavern keeper was already posting a help wanted sign. Naldir sighed, realizing that there was no turning back, before rejoining the adventuring party. The group then began their journey, marching down muck covered paths for several hours. Naldir was surprised by how light his large shield was in his hand. He would of thought that without using it for several years that it would be unfamiliar and heavy, but it felt like an old friend kept close. Naldir's years of training had left him strong and full of energy. Even as the sun set Naldir was not tiring and felt like he could go for several days more. Even as he sludged through the mud and rain, Naldir was surprised with how well this journey had gone so far. That sense that everything was good was interrupted when a foul smell rolled in over the hills. At first Naldir thought that they were passing a particularly vile bog. But then it dawned on Naldir what the odour was, as several yells off in the distance confirmed it. Trolls. Naldir had only seen trolls in the northern wild lands of his homeland. They were always an awful and deadly encounter. Many men had fallen beside Naldir to the clubs and spears of a troll. Naldir unintentionally gritted his teeth, his left hand quickly unsheathing his sword. "Trolls! Ready yourselves!" Naldir shouted as he raised his shield in front of himself. As Naldir shouted he saw that Nathaniel had cast some kind of spell to turn invisible. At first Naldir thought it was an act of cowardice, but he decided to trust the masked man, hoping that he had some kind of plan. Naldir wished he had a plan. He was out of practise in the art of combat, a fact that could get him killed. As his anxieties washed over his body, Naldir noticed that his shield felt just a little bit heavier in his hand. He once again gritted his teeth as he tried to steel up his body. "Come on. Focus." Naldir muttered as he tried to steady his hands and the weapons held within.</s> <\|message\|>Stur Stonetalon, once celebrated by his people as Stur Sky's Fury STUR __________ Stur murmured a low oath as the first bone-chilling yell drifted over their surroundings. He knew that sound instinctively; he'd had to deal with many a troll, back in the day. It was never pretty. He cast a quick look back over his shoulder, trying to make eye contact with any of the more long-range inclined types that happened to be paying attention. "They're faster than they look, and an arrow or two will probably only make 'em madder. Might want to stay behind us." He called tersely, us obviously indicating the sturdier members of the band. As it happens, the mercenary managed to glance back at just the right time to see their fearless leader Nathaniel completely vanish while standing in plain sight. "Fuckin' figures." He ground his teeth in frustration and swung back to keep his focus trained on the hill where the troll-cries were coming from, hefting his longaxe as he did so. Its worn haft thudded softly into the cold, yielding mud of the road. Couldn't rely on those gods-damned frilly casters to do anything useful when it came down to cold iron.</s> <\|message\|>Imalessa Sharis --- I M A L E S S A S H A R I S --- The rain and mud made traveling difficult, and Imalessa wished she had brought something other than her heavy cloak. It soaked up the water and weighed her down, and the mud sucked at her boots, threatening to pull them off her small feet. Of all the days for it to rain so much and so violently, or maybe she was just more unused to being under the open sky than she'd thought. The only thing that kept her from being in a positively vile mood was that every step brought her closer and closer to home. As the hours wore on and the sun sank lower and lower, exhaustion started to wear at Imalessa. The chill and damp made her bones ache. Her legs burned and feet hurt something fierce. She wondered when they would make camp . . . if they would make camp, but refused to ask. Forgetting her bow had already cost her; she didn't want to be seen as weak as well as unprepared. That bow lay across her back now. It was bigger than her own but of much better quality. She had yet to try it out and hoped that wouldn't prove too much trouble down the road. Soon the smell of rain and mud turned sour. Imalessa wrinkled her nose, cursing her luck that now she had to put up with such a fetid stench on top of everything else. It wasn't until the call cut through the patter of rain and creaking of the cart that she realized the danger. "Trolls! Ready yourselves!" someone shouted. Imalessa wasn't sure who. It didn't matter, not when she could barely hear over the pounding of her heart in her ears. She scrambled for her bow and struggled to nock an arrow. The rain and darkness wasn't nearly as debilitating as the trembling of her fingers. She'd thought her experience with hunting, with killing predators had prepared her for this, made her capable of this. But that wasn't the call of a wolf or bear, and Imalessa suddenly realized just how inexperienced she truly was. Her eyes strained to catch a glimpse. She struggled to bring her breathing under control and still her trembling fingers.</s>	<\|message\|>Aoné Inalor It wasn't long before the small party began their travels, Aoné much more at ease now that they had begun. She wasn't particularly in a hurry, not that what they were doing wasn't important and time was certainly of the essence, but she hadn't been blessed with the greatest patience nor the ability to stand by and do nothing whilst pursuing a goal. Both of which had estranged her from her family many years ago, and now she could sense those unwanted feelings creeping up on her again as she stood among this group of strangers. She hadn't said much in their short time together as they introduced themselves, save for the moments she had to, but she honestly preferred it that way. Knowing herself, the elf knew with the way the conversation had been going, she would've just caused trouble; however, it would've been funny had she. Now that the other half-elf, Imalessa, had received a new bow, an honest mistake of coming here without it, they had no more reasons holding them back. Aoné wasn't certain about how she felt toward the huntress, she respected her loyalty to the forest however vocal she was about it, and she didn't seem like someone who'd get in her way lest their tempers clash, other than that, she seemed like someone she could hang around given the time. The term "friends" would be taking it a step too far though. When it came to the other members of the party, Aoné could say she felt indifferent toward them. Not in any negative way, she just needed more time, although she did especially enjoy Gentle who managed to intrigue her the most, purely by the irony of his name. As far as she knew, minotaurs were an angry race; temperamental and ferocious. But judging by the one beside her, she'd have to look into it more. Perhaps she was wrong. As for Brynan...she was something else. Probably would've been fine taking on the task herself if a group wasn't required. Not that Aoné disagreed, just that she would have to keep an eye on her. To make sure she didn't do anything reckless to get the rest of them hurt. --- Luckily for her, horseback riding had been something she was taught from a young age, along with traveling for long periods of time, Aoné's trip to "Mudshit" or wherever was made a lot easier. Along with the essentials, she had managed to grab some medicines and herbs, as well as her journaling book, that was stashed away in a small satchel she carried on her horse. The rain had never ceased as they journeyed, only making her more irritable as her attempts to keep herself dry proved futile. And though light was fading pretty quickly, her darkvision proved useful as she was still able to see. Not too soon after, just as the rain had come to a light drizzle, the caravan in front of her slid to a stop in the mud. Both horses had sensed something and were now freaking out, Aoné struggled to take back control. At first the noise came. And then the putrid smell. Looking to the source, still steadily to maintain her grip on the reins she already knew what enemy lay ahead. "Trolls! Ready yourselves!" Damned fucking trolls. Hopping down and grabbing her satchel, she quickly moved to the rear of the group. Knowing she wouldn't be of any use up front, she prepared for any possible injuries they would suffer.</s>
<\|description\|>Kanman Ataru Nickname: N/A Age: 14 / 27 Gender: Male Height: 160cm (5 feet 2 inches) / 183cm (6 feet) Nature: Lightning Personality: As a child Ataru kept mostly to himself during his academy days. His mind was always off dreaming big dreams and living in his own fantasy world. He often could be found aimlessly dozing off and talking to himself, something other kids found odd. Ataru was truly a cheerful and kind young boy if other's truly got to know him. With being often alone, the young ninja found other interests in schoolwork and was very studious and full of curiosity, which helped him excel academically. Background: Ataru is only child of Yuu and Akari, two talented medical-nins of Konoha. They lifted their son whenever they could, assuring him that no goal was ever out of reach and that with persistence and hard-work he could accomplish it. Inheriting his parents knack for studying, Ataru did his best to become a top ninja at the academy. With a childhood full of love and warmth, Ataru was given every opportunity to exceed in whatever he wanted, and that big dream was to become one of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas. He wanted to prove that he could become strong, despite his small frame and physically weak disposition. Ataru wasn't the strongest shinobi, but he had the perseverance and heart to match with the others. Wanting to prove himself as one of the best from his class, Ataru was ready to prove it during the Chunin exams. Fighting Style: Ataru tries to avoid hand-to-hand combat as much as possible, since with his small frame and lack of rock hard muscle, a direct hit would lead to a lot of physical hurt. He does his best to support his teammates in any way possible, either applying pressure to the fight or strengthening his teammates abilities. Abilities: The three areas that Ataru can hold his own in are ninjutsu, fuinjutsu, and shurikenjutsu. Lightning Blade: Projectile Cutter - Ataru channels his lightning chakra into his kunai or shuriken before throwing it at top speeds. Lightning Release: Lightning Strike - The most basic Lightning Release technique, where Ataru is able to create an electric current, shooting it at his opponents. Lightning Release: Lightning Ball - Ataru creates multiple spheres of electrical energy around him, launching them and shocking his enemies. Lightning Release: Thunderbolt - Using both his arms, Ataru releases a large, wild discharge of electrical energy around him. It's uncontrollable and strikes anyone nearby. Acceleration Seal - Able to create a seal that boosters speed for a short period of time, only usable when attached to footwear. Twin Rising Dragons - Throwing up two scrolls, Ataru leaps in between the spiraling scrolls and conjurs up weapons where he's able to throw them in the direction of his opponents from a safe distance. Manipulated Tools: One Thousand Blades Attack - Summoning countless kunai, Ataru is able to send them barraging forward.</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi Mizo noted that smug glare from Kimiko while she was talking to Daichi. Bitch. Okay, that's probably a bit too harsh, considering Mizo and Kimiko are actually friends and such, but man can she be an ass sometimes. Being a princess must give you a big head, huh? In any case, she ignored Hoeskin ruffling her hair and stuff. "Sure, but we still have the Chunin Exams in the morning. Hoseki." Kana was minding his business, clearly. Mizo has no problem with her team at all, Hoseki had his heart in the right place, and Kana...well, he keeps others' hearts in the right place - physically speaking. Glancing at the blankets of golden flowers upon the hill, Mizo began strategizing, she didn't say anything out loud just yet, since they were right there. Would Emi and Daichi join them? Who knows. "Hmm..." Kimiko probably thought Mizo was thinking of a slugging match at this very moment, but that was a big lie. Mizo, in her head, was thinking about testing a new Jutsu on none other than the Bitch Queen her Smug-gesty. The Antlion Hole Jutsu. Mizo just knew that Kimiko would try and keep the flag for herself, probably thinking Kushizu and Ataru wouldn't be able to handle the I unimaginable responsibility of running from someone while hoarding scraps of cloth. Hoseki wouldn't notice, and would probably go in guns blazing - in a quite literal sense that his arms would be on fire - and Kana might hang back, maybe he'd catch wind? Either way, his style is lightning, so she'd have to be careful not to clash with him...Anyway, about Kimiko... She'd probably be right if they knew about her new Jutsu, which she hasn't even mentioned to Daichi and the others yet. Daichi would certainly be able to find her, since he's a Hyuga and all, but Hoseki and Kana would no doubt just literally walk right over her. She was imagining in her head the chakra forms needed for it. It was a pretty awkward jutsu, it was a trap. And springing it would be the hardest part for Mizo to execute. Hopefully she can do it. If she can manage the trap, it would be incredible in the matches tomorrow. "A cone...no, splitting apart, maybe..." Miso was a full blown Earth Style user, and that was no secret among anyone who knew her, Kimiko, Daichi, Emi, hopefully Kana, who is lightning. Thankfully, the terrain was a large forest, plenty of rocks and soft ground to tear up, hell, Mizo night even come up with some more Jutsu. The more you got in your pocket, the better.</s> <\|message\|>Kana Kinoshi KANA KINOSHI Kana stood with his hands in the pockets of the grey-ish cargo pants that he wore. His T-shirt was also an non-descript grey with a tight breathable long sleeve shirt under it the color of dull brown. A leaf head band tied to his right shoulder was the only sign of his position as a ninja. His short hair that fell just past his ears was wavy and swayed in the morning wind. He waited patiently for the signal to begin to be given. He could see Team 5 on the opposite side of the field. He did notice that the boys seemed to be enjoying the golden blooms. No doubt the source of the hill's name. Speaking of names, he could not recall any of theirs. It was not because he did not consider them important but because his mind classified anything not medical related as non-necessary for filing in his brain archives. There was no animosity but there was also no sense of camaraderie. Indeed, there was really no feeling towards them at all. One thing was for certain that he would run into a hail of shuriken and pull them out if need be. He sideways glanced at his own team. He would do the same for them too. Despite their rough nature, he knew that there were some deep feelings in those two. Very seldom are people so spirited as Hoseki and Mizu moved by weak feelings. Heck, Hoseki even manifested those feelings via his firsts and Mizu could literally build walls around her. If chakra was the melding mind and spirit then it would not surprise him if those two held deep reserves. Kana was not one to talk however as his feelings were very well kept inside him. They distracted him from the here and now. He always seemed to manage a smile or two but was not exceptionally good at it. Perhaps he should practice more. After all, if he was to become a medic, bedside manner was extremely important. A crooked smile started to appear on the left side of his face. To any onlooker it would seem like he was having a twitch that left his face comical looking. Just like Mizu, Kana wondered why they needed to be here. Surely the best recipe for a successful result to the exam was rest and relaxation. However, he knew that people such as Hoseki would rather expend some energy that be stuck at home. Well, whatever the case, he needed to finish this quickly. He had promised Akimi he would take her to see the fish at the Koi pond. She really liked the way they gobbled up the pieces of bread he took with him. This time, his smile was genuine as he felt a warmth for his little sister few would think him capable of. The smile almost immediately disappeared. Not because he was ashamed but because a new wave of fear, sadness and anger about Akimi's condition came to the front of his mind. Few knew this was the reason he was always researching, always perfecting any jutsu that could be connected to medical capabilities. Despite his aloof attitude towards this exercise, he knew that Akimi would reprimand him for not trying hard. Again the smile appeared and it stayed there longer than usual clearly visible to anyone. He craked his neck, a sudden sense of commitment towards the exercise visible in his countenance and his body posture. He surveyed the opposing team, as if seeing them for the first time. It would have helped if he had researched and known their abilities but he would just have to learn that on the fly. A plan started to form in his mind. He was no Nara but he was not a complete idiot….he thought…</s>	<\|message\|>Kanman Ataru It was hard for the Hyuga to ignore the question of the sole kunoichi on his team, knowing that she already had made up her mind even if he did respond to her. As Daichi was about to blurt out a response, he received the go-ahead from his old teammate, ready for the start of the Capture the Flag. Lifting his arm into the air, he swung it back down quickly in a slicing motion shouting. "Begin!" The tiny boy's mind fluttered as both his teammates began talking along with what felt like thundering voice of Daichi-sensei signifying the start of the game. Ataru's mind was always full of jumbled thoughts and ideas that fired left and right, always putting him in a daze. Somehow Ataru had ended up in Team 5, under the tutelage of Emi-sensei, who was one of the top kunoichi, if not one of the top ninjas in Konoha, along with two other students from his academy class, a lot of eyes have been on them. Kushizu wasn't too expressive or open about himself, even after their team was formed, Ataru didn't know much more about him than he had during their academy days. Of course, getting to know him wasn't something Ataru was going to initiate himself. All he knew about his teammate was that he had no parents, and he was extremely empathetic, a trait Ataru tried to inherit from him. Kushizu was a bit of a enigma, something Ataru's parents tried encouraging him to press on in order to become a better teammate and friend, something he was trying to work on. Kimiko on the other hand towered over everyone, not just with her height, but with her abilities and prowess, something Ataru envied. Ataru considered her the de facto leader whenever Emi-sensei wasn't around as her voice was the loudest and strongest of the three. She was confident in her own abilities, which is the one trait Ataru wanted to gain from her, whereas he lacked that self-confidence for sure. Ever since being assigned to Team 5 Ataru has been learning a lot about himself and who he should be to become a good ninja, something his teammates taught him. They showed a lot of respect and kindness, even if he was weird, and for sure he knew they all got annoyed of each other at times, but their success all really depended on how well they all did together. "I know we should probably stick with what we're good at, but let's try something different today." Ataru said as he got his head back to the game at hand. "Emi-sensei said we should have some fun today, so let's try that." On their past missions, Team 5 had a cut-and-dry strategy and formation that almost always worked. Emi-sensei would lead the team, followed by Kimiko, who was physically the strongest and most intimidating of the three; then by Kushizu, the most rounded teammate; and in the back of the team was Ataru as their support. "They have to come get the flag, so if we have Kimiko-chan here defending instead of me, that'll give them a disadvantage when it comes to one-on-one combat. If you and I charge in, it might not be as strong as having Kimiko-chan charging in, but it gives us the best defense while we try and take their flag, Kushizu." "Also... Not that I can't defend the flag," Ataru added, "but I don't think I can take one of Hoseki's punches if he's the one attacking. Pretty sure I could handle one of Mizo-chan's either..." With a nervous breath, he tightened his headband and pulled out a few scrolls from his pouch, kneeling and attaching them to his teammate's shoes. "These acceleration seals will help, but only for a few minutes until I can reattach some more." The white haired boy said. He was nervous, but there wasn't ever a time that anxiety didn't fill his body unless he was reading or dreaming of dungeons and dragons.</s>
<\|description\|>Kanman Ataru Nickname: N/A Age: 14 / 27 Gender: Male Height: 160cm (5 feet 2 inches) / 183cm (6 feet) Nature: Lightning Personality: As a child Ataru kept mostly to himself during his academy days. His mind was always off dreaming big dreams and living in his own fantasy world. He often could be found aimlessly dozing off and talking to himself, something other kids found odd. Ataru was truly a cheerful and kind young boy if other's truly got to know him. With being often alone, the young ninja found other interests in schoolwork and was very studious and full of curiosity, which helped him excel academically. Background: Ataru is only child of Yuu and Akari, two talented medical-nins of Konoha. They lifted their son whenever they could, assuring him that no goal was ever out of reach and that with persistence and hard-work he could accomplish it. Inheriting his parents knack for studying, Ataru did his best to become a top ninja at the academy. With a childhood full of love and warmth, Ataru was given every opportunity to exceed in whatever he wanted, and that big dream was to become one of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas. He wanted to prove that he could become strong, despite his small frame and physically weak disposition. Ataru wasn't the strongest shinobi, but he had the perseverance and heart to match with the others. Wanting to prove himself as one of the best from his class, Ataru was ready to prove it during the Chunin exams. Fighting Style: Ataru tries to avoid hand-to-hand combat as much as possible, since with his small frame and lack of rock hard muscle, a direct hit would lead to a lot of physical hurt. He does his best to support his teammates in any way possible, either applying pressure to the fight or strengthening his teammates abilities. Abilities: The three areas that Ataru can hold his own in are ninjutsu, fuinjutsu, and shurikenjutsu. Lightning Blade: Projectile Cutter - Ataru channels his lightning chakra into his kunai or shuriken before throwing it at top speeds. Lightning Release: Lightning Strike - The most basic Lightning Release technique, where Ataru is able to create an electric current, shooting it at his opponents. Lightning Release: Lightning Ball - Ataru creates multiple spheres of electrical energy around him, launching them and shocking his enemies. Lightning Release: Thunderbolt - Using both his arms, Ataru releases a large, wild discharge of electrical energy around him. It's uncontrollable and strikes anyone nearby. Acceleration Seal - Able to create a seal that boosters speed for a short period of time, only usable when attached to footwear. Twin Rising Dragons - Throwing up two scrolls, Ataru leaps in between the spiraling scrolls and conjurs up weapons where he's able to throw them in the direction of his opponents from a safe distance. Manipulated Tools: One Thousand Blades Attack - Summoning countless kunai, Ataru is able to send them barraging forward.</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi Little did Kimiko realize, that wasn't Mizo covered in water. After attempting to slam one of them in the face and getting drenched, she silently stood upwards and slowly, quite dramatically, turned to face Kimiko. Right about now was when Mizo would say something like "It's about to get really interesting." Or "Buy me dinner first." She would if she had a voice, which she didn't. Knowing full well that Kimiko was now out of range of the trap, and ready to square off with Mizo for real this time. Hoseki just backed away, and tapped the ground with his foot, to let the Mizo underground know that things were shifting a little. "This'll be fun. Hoseki said, dripping with sarcasm. Seeing the samurai bitch pull out one of those katanas and pointing it at Kizo? Who the fuck knew what was gonna happen? Especially when that was just a clone. Normally, the Wind Style wouldn't do much against Earth Style, but considering the fact that the Mizo which was now cracking its knuckles was made of mud and chakra, it was hard to say if any kind of Jutsu would work on Kiniko. And that's assuming a mud clone could even preform Jutsu. Hoeski made a mental note of the flag being tied around her neck, maybe he could singe it a little...made it fall off easier. In any case, It wasn't clear whether or not Mizo's trap would work at this rate, if it did, great. If not, well, she could always blast out of the ground with all the energy she conserved through the battle and really give Kimiko a run for her money. Thankfully, Hoseki's bakt didn't entirely give her position away, maybe Kimiko thought he was trying a new Jutsu himself, or maybe she really thought they were in kahoots. It didn't matter now. Mizo's clone was now staring down Kimiko, fists clenched behind her gauntlets. Looking the samurai bitch dead in the eyes, not a trace of fear or energy on her face. Was Kimiko expecting a reaction out of her rival? Hopefully not. The ensuing battle looked like it was taking hold of the game, fun. Kana was lucky, he didn't have to stick around to see the absolute cat fight.</s> <\|message\|>Kushizu Ienari Kushizu Ienari Uh, the water gun did not work as well as he thought. Usually the high pressure of the water gun technique knocks people back but, at least it landed on target. Maybe he did not put enough effort into it since this is just a friendly match. That is what Emi-Sensei said, at least. Did not feel like one since Kana took the flag from its spot and is now carrying it. Acting as a mobile flag point that they had to both reach and take the flag from him. Nothing was said in the rules about taking the flag, and none of the Jonin were saying anything. So anything goes so far in this friendly match. Getting Mizo wet did not really help but, it got Mizo off of Ataru's back for the time being. Then he heard a yell from behind him about Ataru and knew it was Kimiko. Ah, so she did hear that... guess he will see Kimiko have a chat with Ataru after the match is over. Which is a sight he will not enjoy to see if Kimiko is anything like herself. Or maybe there would be a change in pace, who knows. Either best not to focus on that now and see if they can win this. Kushizu noticed Mizo had turned to face someone and turned his head to see who that was. Only to find that it was Kimiko and noticed that she was wearing their flag like a bandanna around her neck. Oh, so we are doing that now too. Well, if the other team decides on cheating, then it is fair to cheat too to even the playing field. Also, seeing Kimiko raise her sword Kimiko at Mizo, Kushizu knew what that meant. So she wants to challenge Mizo, Kushizu sighed. That means he better stay out of her way during the impending fight. So he choose to reposition himself to cover her flank. Putting himself between Kimiko and Hoseki. Just in case Hoseki decides on intervening, Kimiko is the flag. So it is better to help protect her and even if she may not need or want it. Who knows how this match is going to go at this rate.</s> <\|message\|>Kana Kinoshi Kana did not have to be a medic to know that the Katanas the young lady was brandishing would deal quite a bit of damage. He was chagrined about the fact that the other team had copied his strategy. However, this made the other team less mobile. All their hope was placed on either protecting the sword woman or chasing after him to finish the fight quickly. It appeared that Team 5 was congregating around Hoseki and Mizo. While Kana was not by any means an exceptionally close combat fighter, he was actually a pretty good shot when it came to dealing with Kunai or shuriken. True he was no Uchiha or on par with any weapon user, but he had tried to hone his skills enough that he could be mostly accurate. He maintained a firm hold onto hi s original four Kunai which where were now outfitted with about 25FT of wire rope each and tied around his index and middle fingers on either hand. He shifted their location to the space between pinky and ring fingers and using the shuriken he had produced earlier during his plan formulation he moved closer at an angle to where the fight seemed to be concentrated. From his point of view, Hoseki and Clone Mizo where about five feet apart directly in front of him. Ataru seemed to be just to the left of the Fire bearing member of his team and the other male member of team 9 seemed to be closer to clone Mizo. Taking this into account he edged almost all the way a round until he was at a 30-degree angle with Mizo's clone. He let his two shuriken fly. They would travel 20ft outward and start curving in so that their flight path would find them aiming at the opposing teams shoulder and hip. They would be easy to avoid given the distance they were traveling. Kana's aim was for them to be avoided. If the genin facing Mizo's clone jumped forward, he would be closer to the clone and withing punching distance. If he jumped back, his forward motion would be stopped. Either case, the shuriken would continue to travel towards the second target, Ataru. It was really simple and not deadly but the aim was to harass and to distract while the front damage dealers took care of them.</s>	<\|message\|>Kanman Ataru With the sound of Kimiko's anger, Ataru picked up his pace. He was dead after the match, that's for sure. His mistake of not only falling down during a match, but it was his idea to have her cover the flag, something he knew for a fact was not what the samurai wanted to do. She was an attacker through and through, and the little frail ninja knew he made the biggest mistake as he watched her tie the flag around her neck, katakana in hand as she readied herself for a fight. Ataru was happy about how protective she was towards them, it showed that she actually cared, but he also knew that she used that same energy of protecting them in wanting to beat them as well for mistakes. It was all out of love, of course, according to Emi-sensei. Having his clone take the hit, and Kushizu covering him, Ataru took that as a chance to dash off again towards the flag carrying Kana. There was more distance between them now as Kana had a chance to make another run for it, but Ataru was still determined. With his electrically charged up shoes Ataru lunged towards his shinobi twin of Team 9 as shurikens came flying towards him. Ducking and dodging one, he quickly deflected the other with another pair of kunai. As he parried one of the shurikens he panicked, barely noticing the wire attached. In a swift movement, this time more graceful than the last, Ataru pivoted as far as he could from the shurikens before tossing his kunai towards Kana. Again roaring, "Lightning Blade: Projectile Cutter!"</s>
<\|description\|>Mizo Aberashi "There aren't many problems in the shinobi world I haven't been able to solve without a fist. The rest? Ramen. That's the universal sign of peace for shinobi. You could end wars with a steaming hot...fresh...bowl of...what was I saying?" Nickname: Post Time Skip, they call her the Mountain Sage of The Leaf Age: 14 \| 27 Gender: Female Height:5'4" 5'9" Nature: Earth Personality: Mizo is inherently levelheaded and peaceful, though she doesn't smile terribly often unless it's for a good reason, she can definitely cut loose and enjoy some ramen in town or get a kick out of life. She enjoys spending time studying the more far out aspects of the shinobi world, like senjutsu, the history of the Rinnegan and the Sage of Six Paths, or sealing jutsu that she rarely hears anyone talk about. Despite her kind and mellow nature, when somebody gets under her skin, they get a good solid fist slammed into their stomach. Mizo may appear to be a generally carefree shinobi, but over the years she has learned to appreciate where she came from, and is fiercely loyal to Konoha and everyone who lives there. She is proud to be a Leaf shinobi, and will never take that for granted. She will always do everything she can to protect the people of her nation, and anyone who calls her nation a friend. Before now, as a genin, she didn't think much of Konoha as a whole, she thought it was just a place, and that it wouldn't matter if the people weren't here. To Mizo's genin self, Konoha wasn't where the people were already, but where they are any time. It doesn't sound like it makes a lot of sense, but it did to her, it was about the people living on the land, not the land itself, that Mizo cared about. Of course, she began to understand that the "Land" in "Land of Fire" wouldn't be Konoha unless people spent countless generations making it what it is, so these days, everything about her home means the the world - literally - to Mizo. Mizo's come to think that she's make a pretty decent teacher, she'd love to pull together a genin squad and show them how to scrap like real shinobi one day. Granted, she's probably pound them into the dirt every day, tell them to walk it off with a big laughing smile, and buy them a round of ramen at Ichiraku's after they're able to walk again and call that their training. Oh, and maybe teach them the rock wall jutsu between stomach ruptures. Also, she has a toad skin flask that may, or may not contain sake, not that anyone would be able to tell... Background: Growing up in the ninja academy, Mizo struggled with things like the basic clone jutsu or substitution, though she was great at taijutsu, which wasn't special since most kids are. Mizo one day read a book on the earth style, and asked her teacher if she could try to learn the rock wall. Her teacher found it odd that a student who was underperforming at ninjutsu wanted to learn something like this, but also understood that everyone learned differently. As it turned out, Mizo was a natural at things like the rock wall and mud clone. Her newfound skill awarded her a pass, and her teacher gave Mizo an alternative learning path, she would still learn shuriken throwing and chakra control, but anywhere that a jutsu could be replaced with earth style, She'd learn differently. A few years later, in the middle of her chunin rank, Mizo journeyed to Mount Myoboku to learn senjutsu from the Toad Sages, and it was by this point that her training began to feel like it was really coming together in her mind. She put earth style on the back burner and devoted her time to Sage Mode, eventually interweaving the two into her own genuine fighting style. Fighting Style: Mizo is a very grounded fighter, she doesn't worry about fancy flips or disorienting an enemy. She hits them, and she hits them as hard as she can so they don't get back up. The better parts of her fighting style revolves around Myoboku Senjutsu, since she has trained endlessly to base herself around the techniques of nature energy. If an encounter doesn't last very long, she will simply fall back on the earth style and taijutsu, but if it's something more serious that demands her full attention, Mizo lets it be know why they call her the Mountain Sage. Abilities: Ninja Art : Summoning Jutsu Summons a toad from Mount Myoboku. She didn't learn this until a while after the chunin exams, when she learned senjutsu. Earth Style : Rock Wall A literal wall of rock. Like a shield. It's about ten feet high. Earth Style : Mud Clone Mud clone. Simple enough. Earth Style : Antlion Hole The ground beneath Mizo's feet slowly starts to crumble away until she sinks underneath, only to seal itself shut once she's buried underneath, she then listens for the vibrations in the ground, until somebody comes along for her to grab so she can have her way with them. Mizo didn't learn Senjutsu until she was around 16-17. Since then, she's changed up her fighting style to revolve primarily around senjutsu. Sage Art : Mountain Shield Like rock wall, but much bigger and stronger. Sage Art : Canyon Slam A ground punch that splits open the earth, for trapping. The small canyon is roughly 30 feet deep, and is best used in large, spacious area. Sage Art : Black Iron Sealing Pit Similar to Canyon Slam, but a straight drop deep into the earth, seals the target away with jet black chains that wrap around the target, pulling them deep into the dark chasm that closes behind them. Sage Art : Toad Oil Mizo inhales air, and exhales oil, very flammable oil that can be sprayed a decent distance for as long as she exhales. It burns well, but needs to be ignited by something like a paper bomb, or fire style. Sage Art : Toad Clay The ground becomes soft and mushy beneath one's feet until they fall through, when the ground hardens, they're stuck. It's not terribly difficult to break free, unless the ground is made of stone or something else stronger than dirt. Sage Art : Frog Axe Kick The one exception in Mizo's fighting style, what some more fervent taijutsu practitioners would get their jumpsuits in a twist over is that it's call a Frog axe kick, rather than a soaring axe kick. Sure, there's channeling chakra into the leg, but this is a toad taijutsu that involves charging at an enemy while going off the ground, and then spinning around to shatter some poor soul's arm and neck with the back of your leg. It's pretty satisfying to watch, actually.</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi In an instant, Mizo dipped into the field, running like she was on a mission. "I got a plan, there's a new Jutsu I'm working on that I haven't told you guys about yet. It's a trap. If I keep our flag, I can hide it along with myself while they look for it. At that point I can spring out from the ground and grab their flag, or not let them get any clue about ours." She told Kana and Hoseki while the three of them were on their way in. Mizo's pack was full of ninja tools. Smoke bombs, paper bombs, wire, that sort of thing. She had a lot of room for planning with the other two. She never did ask if their squad leaders were gonna join them. Not that it mattered, best case scenario was her teammates figured her plan out with Daichi's byakugan. Worst is Daichi somehow got in the way. Not that he would, after all, he's a Hyuga and knew that Mizo could come up with some good tactics. Most, if not all of her strategies revolved around the earth. Mizo just happened to be running into a large, spacious field of shaded, soft ground to play with. She could just feel the jutsu she was working on would be perfect for this scenario, and maybe she could win the battles in the chunin exams without a single punch. That would be something. "Kana, this jutsu I'm talking about would be ruined if you zap the ground, so be careful. Our chakras would cancel out." She told Kana. He was a pretty observant ninja, so it probably went without saying that he could disrupt her jutsu, but then again, Mizo knew he was a medical ninja, so it was safe to assume in her head that he'd hang back. "Hoseki, I think if you go full force like usual they'll be too busy worrying about your attack to notice me preform the trap. Of course, if anyone's got a better idea for handling those swords Kimiko has, I'm listening. Hoseki's fire would just be blown back by her wind style." Not that such a thing would stop, or even matter to Hoseki. His hot-hot headed nature would nearly compel the guy to just charge at them all. Mizo was pretty confident in her ability to come up with a plan, especially with a team that could execute it like this, but at this point in her life, full blown head to head combat like Hoseki's was in the passenger seat. Such a thing was why she made the Antlion Hole Jutsu, at least until she could fill the gap with even stronger fists. Sure, she was good at throwing punches, but the problem was that she needed the circumstances to be on her side, an even playing field would be the most she could handle without a plan in mind beforehand.</s> <\|message\|>Hoseki Rengoku Hoseki Rengoku --- Hoseki glanced up at Mizo from his concentrated gaze on his left fist, flames breathing and barking around it. "One second… " he uttered absently; hoping to buy time for himself. Then he joined her quickly dash towards them, willing the chakra to expand and grow stronger. He gave her a hard nod of agreement after she spoke. Her plan was a good one, he liked it but a part of him hated bogging down his brain with specifics. In the heat of battle, all he wanted to do was let loose. So he turned his attention back towards the team of ninjas ahead, who to him felt not completely like a team. He couldn't put his thumb on it and so he let the thought fly away. "Sounds good, do what you do, Mizo. I'm going to go bust some heads!" and he sprinted ahead of Mizo and Kana, his fist blazing with the fire he had been building up. The field of flowers was perfect for him, he believed. It set the stage for so many advantages. So he leapt and aimed at the golden flowers in front of him. He launched the blast of fire at such an angle that the hungry flames would initially flood towards Team 5 and their flag; spread by the flowers they would spread both towards and around Team 5. Potentially this was dangerous for all of them, if luck wasn't on his side but the first dozen moments were definitely his to play it; he had made it so. He landed with softly, satisfied with the flurry of yellow pedals dancing around him and the heat infusing in the air. "I'm too good at this," he said, smoking fist squeezed and arms tensed at his side. "Mizo take advantage of the chaos, they won't know what's coming!"</s>	<\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi Mizo dropped instantly behind Hoseki, firmly planted on the ground. "On it." She very quickly busted out two hand signs, horse followed by dragon, this resulted in the ground liquifying and rising up, it molded itself into a shape that took on the colors of Mizo. It was a mud clone. The idea was to keep Mizo's absence from being detected. The voiceless clone stood side by side with Hoseki as the real Mizo focused on another set of hand signs. "Watch your step-" Ox-Boar-Dog-Dragon-Serpent-Ram-Dog Earth Style : Antlion's Hole Jutsu! Mizo pressed her fist into the dirt as it caved in, a small sinkhole formed deep enough to cover Mizo's head. She gracefully fell in as the surface of the hole filled itself up. "I'll know if they come by here with the flag. If they slip past you, drive them towards me... With that, the real Mizo was gone from sight. Clone Mizo cracked her knuckles, and prepared a battle stance. It was common knowledge on team 9 that Mizo's clones had no voice, but they could fight with as much skill and power as the real deal while the real deal was focusing her chakra and pouring it into the earth to detect anyone on team 5, if the soft dirt was shaken, the vibrations would reverberate into the earthen chamber Mizo was hiding in. Presumably, while Kana and Hoseki knew what Mizo was planning, only Daichi was theoretically capable of detecting this trap, and the thick, rigid chakra surrounding it. "The trap is ready."</s>
<\|description\|>Hoseki Rengoku Artwork doesn't belong to me --- Nickname: Time-Bomb Age: 14 / 26 Gender: Male Height: 5'4" / 5'11" Nature: Fire Personality: Hoseki could be described in many ways, from delinquent to resident badass. He was a local legend at the school, known for snarky remarks, barely passing grades, and a tendency to lean towards violence. What many don't know and wouldn't tell you, is that Hoseki has a fondness for birds. That he reads, usually horror-fiction, but it raises question marks all the same from his peers. That some of the poorer, weaker kids are under his umbrella of protection. But mostly, the real juicy part, is that he's kind and something of a leader when he wants to be. Background: Hoseki's birth was bittersweet. The climax to his father's life many would say. The rest of said-life seemed to be a jab at his surname: Rengoku, which translated, meant purgatory. For when morning came that night, the nurses introduced him to his son and explained that something had gone wrong. It was never clear what had happened, just that his wife had fought tooth and nail in that delivery room. The man cried deeply at this, he fell to his knees and raked from his core all his pain. Till his tears dried up and all that was left was a husk. It went without saying that Hoseki's childhood was hard. His dad was not an abusive man and neither was he a ninja. That particular gene was maternal. No, his dad had been a gravedigger for Konoha's fallen. It was a job that built all sorts of callouses both seen and unseen. To be frank, his dad hardly spoke to him. It almost appeared to Hoseki that he didn't exist in the eyes of his father. If not for the two chairs at the table or the few things that did pop up that screamed, 'KID ALERT', Hoseki could've fixed that belief in his mind. Being on the lower-end of society didn't help things. There were bullies and teasing, there was that persistent look of pity from the adults, and there was a bit of shunning. But Hoseki was always good at lashing out. Never being heard or seen at home, even when he stood defiant, made him a loud, angry kid. As he grew older, certain things changed. Features grew clear, turned out that Hoseki was a rather good-looking fellow and people noticed that. Funny how that changed his situation, not at home of course but at school, dramatically. People were being nice and Hoseki hated it. How fake, he often thought. But at that age he could hardly articulate the problem well enough, so he lashed out as normal. He became the bully, the feared 'Time-Bomb'. That carried on for awhile and everyone started talking about him as if he was smeared in legend or myth. He fought a lot of people and that seemed to be the cornerstone of it all. So when he met his uncle, who would later change his perspective with a single punch, he cried with laughter. His mother's younger brother, Satori, had a gruff and deliberate voice. When he spoke it was purposeful and not a word was wasted. Hoseki liked that. He remembered being called a punk when first they met. How Satori explained he was in Konoha the night his mother died, then left the next morning, traumatized by the shock of it all. But when he got a letter from Hoseki's father years later, he couldn't say no to his request. 'He wants me to mentor you. I said yes. I'll beat you first; you're the type that won't listen otherwise.' A single punch was all it took. Ever since that day, they've worked together, usually on shifting his perspective. Hoseki has eased up on being a loner. He's more inclined to helping people as well and now carries a offhand code of sorts. Fighting Style: Hoseki, in the world of ninjas, is a oddity. In that his fighting style is no-style. He's a brawler for the most part, enjoying a good fist-fight up close and personal. That meant the first thing, Satori worked on with him, was developing an effective long-range ninjutsu. Hoseki is rather simplistic and that shows itself best when's in the middle of a good fight. Abilities \| Greater Vessel: Hoseki was born with an above-average vessel for chakra. The amount he's capable of storing is perfect for his straight-forward prowess. * Honed through Conflict: Sparring, brawling, missions; even as a ninja his instincts and body are honed to a greater degree than most his peers. He's a fighter. He was meant for it, born for it. Not many can say that and Hoseki's always used combat as a outlet. A big part of him actually enjoys it. * Fire Fist: An enhanced form of combat, one that coats his fist with fire and amps them up another notch. Its low-cost in chakra is perfect for drawn out fights and his already explosive strength. Furthermore, a straight-forward concentrated blast of fire can be thrown from his fist. This usually takes about five seconds to prepare but the wait is worth it, the damage output is about two-times that of his physical blows. * Fire God: For some reason, Hoseki has a resistance to fire-type jutsu. That and heat in general doesn't bother him as much as others.</s> <\|message\|>Kanman Ataru Konohagakure has been preparing for the start of the Chunin Exams for the past few months, and no other ninjas in the village have been preparing themselves more than the genin. Each youthful ninja is ready to prove their worth in a test of skill for the world to see. On the final day before the exams begin, Konoha's teams are taking their final steps of preparation for tomorrow's grueling tests as other teams from neighboring lands make their way to the village hidden in the leaves. The teams entering this year from Konoha have been training and honing their abilities, waiting for their best shot at succeeding. Two teams from the Hidden Leaf Village have caught the attention of many people, as they are led by two famous Jonin, who were mentored by the current Hokage, Sarutobi Gennosuke. Emi leads Team 5 with her carefree approach, nurturing her genin's talents for quick-thinking and recovering from their mistakes. Whereas her fellow Jonin leading Team 9, Daichi of the Hyuga clan, tries his best to mold discipline and tact into his young ninjas with boisterous personalities. --- Standing on the fields of the Twenty-Seventh Training Grounds also known as Flower Hill, both Jonin leading Team's 5 and 9 figured it would be best for their genin have a little fun before the exams, agreeing to a friendly match of capture the flag. "Rules are as follows," Daichi began, "first team to capture their opponents flag along with still having theirs wins. Any team member who falls off the hill is also out of the game." "It's a friendly match, but try your best and have some fun." Emi said with her bright smile. "Now if there aren't any questions, let's get to our sides." Ataru's eyes wandered the fields full of marigolds as he took in the refreshing scents the flowers were giving off into the air. Upon reaching their flag, the young ninja bent down and wafted the scent of the marigolds towards his face again, inhaling deeply with pure relaxation expressed on his face. "I don't get why we don't train here more often, it's so nice here." A wide smile ran across his face as he picked one of the flowers, oblivious to the game at hand that was just about to begin.</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi Hoeski and Kana were no doubt ready for this, after all, who wouldn't be? Not Mizo. She was cracking her knuckles and tightening the leaf headband that was tied around her forehead. It was scratched up from all the rough training she's done. Team 9 was standing directly in front of the gates, ready to start. She remembered to wear her chakra braces, a pair of arm guards made of a special metal that conducts the properties of one's chakra. If a wind style ninja wore them, their fists would be like knives. In Mizo's case, her fists would be like rocky shields, but she wasn't going to rely on some fancy gloves alone, no, she had a team. "Daichi sensei, should we be doing this? I mean, the chunin exams are tomorrow. Shouldn't we be going over some last minute stuff? Like, I don't know, what kind of taijutsu the other genin are gonna use?" Mizo knee Daichi was a more disciplinary shinobi, not that she had a problem with that, and she was certainly grateful that they had the chance to do something fun. But of all the times to do so, he chose now? The Hokage himself was sure to watch the exams, and Mizo could be working on her Antlion Hole Jutsu. "Is this really the time?" In any case, she'd surely have a chance to practice against others, but it would still be nice if she could learn about the genin she doesn't know about. That's the problem with Mizo, she just doesn't seem to know when to cut loose, when to know that she's done enough. At least she had a team to help her out in that way. Miso wasn't exactly stressed about the chi in exams, she had a great teacher, but it never hurts to know as much as you can about an opponent before you face them.</s>	<\|message\|>Hoseki Rengoku Hoseki was disgustingly quiet while Diachi-sensei explained the rules on top of Flower Hill, a cozy smirk rested on his face. But on the way there, all he was doing was talking tactics with the others. He believed Team-Five was going to lose; partly because they lacked a certain kind of spirit, mostly because they were up against him. Mizo was busy yapping about unimportant what-ifs. That part of her irked him but only because it tried to force sense onto chaos. He often wondered what she'd do if things didn't need to make sense. Probably sit on her ass until it did. Hoseki chuckled at that, even as Emi-sensei directed them to their respective sides. Hoseki ruffled Mizo hair with a quick brotherly gesture, "Yap, yap, yap. We have trash in front of us that needs to be taken out," he said with a gleaming grin. "That's all that matters isn't it. We get to prove to them that Team-Nine is leagues ahead of the others. Them included." His ruby eyes were cold as he observed the enemy, hands stuffed in his pockets. Team-Five was far away on the other side. Too far, he thought. "I wanna close the distance between us and them. Mizu, you can help with that right? and Kana, you'll save our asses if we get into deep shit won't ya?" He smacked his lips and his grin turned into a closed-lip smirk. Hoseki was an oddity, of that much he was sure. Not a speck of ninja-tools were on him, his gear was simple, and all he usually fought with were his fist. His black tank-top offered no defenses, his dark trousers were only accentuated by a thick leather belt, and his black ninja sandals were really only used to house the ends of said-trousers. He wore a silver ring on his left middle finger, a thin silver bracelet on the same hand, and of course his signature corded-belt chain was the hall-mark for useless. And still, with all the useless trinkets he managed to collect on himself, Hoseki still held supreme confidence in his ability to win. Fire started to lick at his fist and forearms.</s>
<\|description\|>Kushizu Ienari Nickname: Hermit Age: 13 / 26 Gender: Male Height: 5'3 / 5'9 Nature: Water Personality: Kushizu ever since his parents died has been a loner. Choosing to keep to himself because he thinks that if people knew who his parents were they would treat him badly. Though this does not hinder his ability to work with others. Often being reserved when dealing with others and tends to keep his opinions to himself. Behind his loner nature, Kushizu can be someone that can very loyal to anyone he considers a friend. Along with being friendly or understanding someone's problems. Even if he does not show it and has some hobbies like stargazing or reading sci-fi books. Background: Kushizu's life since he was born had been an interesting one. Born to two missing-nin from the Land of Water. Kushizu's early life was marked by moving from place to place as his family sold their services to the highest bidder. Though they tried to hide some of the more ruthless jobs from him, sometimes he could catch word of his parent's deeds would have mixed feelings about it. Kushizu loved his parents but, he could not quite come to grip with some of the jobs that his parents have done. Things would change for him after his parents finished a job in the Land of Fire near Konohagakure when a squad of Hunter-nin ambushed them. His parent tell him to hide while they fought off the Hunter-nin. While Kushizu hid inside of a hollowed-out log and he watched as his parents fought the Hunter-nin. While his parents killed some of the Hunter-nin, they were ultimately killed and Kushizu rushed towards their dead bodies. He only had a few moments to cry before the Hunter-nin forced him away while they destroyed the bodies and cut off his parent's heads as proof that they were dead. Once they were done, they were unsure of what to do with the young Kushizu and they simply pointed him to Konohagakure and left. After a couple of minutes of crying and mourning, Kushizu would go in the direction he was told and would curse the Hunter-nin that killed his parents. Saying one day he will find them and avenge his parents. Later Kushizu would arrive in the village and after finding out he was orphan, they directed him to the orphanage. He would not say what happened to his parents only that they were killed. Thinking how people would treat him if they knew his parents were missing-nin. Probably not well he thought and became a loner. Keeping to himself, for the most part, and would enroll in the academy. Showing potential to be a shinobi, mainly excelling in water release techniques and taijutsu. Now on the eve of the Chunin Exams, he hopes to pass and become and full-fledged shinobi. From there, though he knows how hard it will be. Perhaps find whoever killed his parents and get his revenge. Fighting Style: Kushizu prefers to be strategic when he fights, dodging attacks until he finds a weak point or opening in his opponent's movements. Then using all of his might to exploit the opening to end the fight as fast as possible. Which if he incorrectly times an attack, it leaves him open for a counter-attack. If a fight goes on longer then Kushizu wants then he will resort to a combination of ninjutsu and taijutsu to bring down a target. Using mid-range abilities when he first engages and moving to close range as time passes. Abilities: Water Release: Barrier - Summons a large seven-foot-tall wall that blocks incoming attacks. Water Release: Water Gun - Shots a torrent of water from his mouth that reaches up to six feet and can be used to keep a target in place if pinned to a surface. Water Release: Whip - Creates a whip made of water that is used to ensure targets and keep them in place. Water Release: Weapons - Can create various weapons made of water that range from swords to shurikens. Water Release: Bullet Swarm - Creates a barrage of water bullets and shoots the opponent in successive hits Water Release: Mouth Shot - A fast-moving blade of water that Kushizu spits out of his mouth, does not do a lot of damage. Mainly used to distract or weaken foes. Agile - Due to fighting style, Kushizu is good at dodging attacks though he does get hit sometimes. Water Blade - a combination of Water Release and taijutsu, Kushizu switches between punching and using a blade made of water.</s> <\|message\|>Kanman Ataru Konohagakure has been preparing for the start of the Chunin Exams for the past few months, and no other ninjas in the village have been preparing themselves more than the genin. Each youthful ninja is ready to prove their worth in a test of skill for the world to see. On the final day before the exams begin, Konoha's teams are taking their final steps of preparation for tomorrow's grueling tests as other teams from neighboring lands make their way to the village hidden in the leaves. The teams entering this year from Konoha have been training and honing their abilities, waiting for their best shot at succeeding. Two teams from the Hidden Leaf Village have caught the attention of many people, as they are led by two famous Jonin, who were mentored by the current Hokage, Sarutobi Gennosuke. Emi leads Team 5 with her carefree approach, nurturing her genin's talents for quick-thinking and recovering from their mistakes. Whereas her fellow Jonin leading Team 9, Daichi of the Hyuga clan, tries his best to mold discipline and tact into his young ninjas with boisterous personalities. --- Standing on the fields of the Twenty-Seventh Training Grounds also known as Flower Hill, both Jonin leading Team's 5 and 9 figured it would be best for their genin have a little fun before the exams, agreeing to a friendly match of capture the flag. "Rules are as follows," Daichi began, "first team to capture their opponents flag along with still having theirs wins. Any team member who falls off the hill is also out of the game." "It's a friendly match, but try your best and have some fun." Emi said with her bright smile. "Now if there aren't any questions, let's get to our sides." Ataru's eyes wandered the fields full of marigolds as he took in the refreshing scents the flowers were giving off into the air. Upon reaching their flag, the young ninja bent down and wafted the scent of the marigolds towards his face again, inhaling deeply with pure relaxation expressed on his face. "I don't get why we don't train here more often, it's so nice here." A wide smile ran across his face as he picked one of the flowers, oblivious to the game at hand that was just about to begin.</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi Hoeski and Kana were no doubt ready for this, after all, who wouldn't be? Not Mizo. She was cracking her knuckles and tightening the leaf headband that was tied around her forehead. It was scratched up from all the rough training she's done. Team 9 was standing directly in front of the gates, ready to start. She remembered to wear her chakra braces, a pair of arm guards made of a special metal that conducts the properties of one's chakra. If a wind style ninja wore them, their fists would be like knives. In Mizo's case, her fists would be like rocky shields, but she wasn't going to rely on some fancy gloves alone, no, she had a team. "Daichi sensei, should we be doing this? I mean, the chunin exams are tomorrow. Shouldn't we be going over some last minute stuff? Like, I don't know, what kind of taijutsu the other genin are gonna use?" Mizo knee Daichi was a more disciplinary shinobi, not that she had a problem with that, and she was certainly grateful that they had the chance to do something fun. But of all the times to do so, he chose now? The Hokage himself was sure to watch the exams, and Mizo could be working on her Antlion Hole Jutsu. "Is this really the time?" In any case, she'd surely have a chance to practice against others, but it would still be nice if she could learn about the genin she doesn't know about. That's the problem with Mizo, she just doesn't seem to know when to cut loose, when to know that she's done enough. At least she had a team to help her out in that way. Miso wasn't exactly stressed about the chi in exams, she had a great teacher, but it never hurts to know as much as you can about an opponent before you face them.</s> <\|message\|>Hoseki Rengoku Hoseki Rengoku --- Hoseki was disgustingly quiet while Diachi-sensei explained the rules on top of Flower Hill, a cozy smirk rested on his face. But on the way there, all he was doing was talking tactics with the others. He believed Team-Five was going to lose; partly because they lacked a certain kind of spirit, mostly because they were up against him. Mizo was busy yapping about unimportant what-ifs. That part of her irked him but only because it tried to force sense onto chaos. He often wondered what she'd do if things didn't need to make sense. Probably sit on her ass until it did. Hoseki chuckled at that, even as Emi-sensei directed them to their respective sides. Hoseki ruffled Mizo hair with a quick brotherly gesture, "Yap, yap, yap. We have trash in front of us that needs to be taken out," he said with a gleaming grin. "That's all that matters isn't it. We get to prove to them that Team-Nine is leagues ahead of the others. Them included." His ruby eyes were cold as he observed the enemy, hands stuffed in his pockets. Team-Five was far away on the other side. Too far, he thought. "I wanna close the distance between us and them. Mizu, you can help with that right? and Kana, you'll save our asses if we get into deep shit won't ya?" He smacked his lips and his grin turned into a closed-lip smirk. Hoseki was an oddity, of that much he was sure. Not a speck of ninja-tools were on him, his gear was simple, and all he usually fought with were his fist. His black tank-top offered no defenses, his dark trousers were only accentuated by a thick leather belt, and his black ninja sandals were really only used to house the ends of said-trousers. He wore a silver ring on his left middle finger, a thin silver bracelet on the same hand, and of course his signature corded-belt chain was the hall-mark for useless. And still, with all the useless trinkets he managed to collect on himself, Hoseki still held supreme confidence in his ability to win. Fire started to lick at his fist and forearms.</s>	<\|message\|>Kushizu Ienari Have some fun before the chunin exams tomorrow. A match with another team is not exactly what he would call fun, but, he supposed it could be. Having a friendly match with another team could help prepare them for tomorrow with what they may face. Kushizu cracked his neck by shifting it from left to right. Besides, it has been awhile; they have been on a mission. Nice to get some action in even if it is a simple game of capture the flag. Might even make Emi proud. He has learned much under Emi though she is not what he expected of a teacher. Her carefree approach to training threw him off, but, he has gotten used to it. Not many like her he imagined, and Kushizu sometimes wonders how it would be like if he was trained by someone else. Still, Kushizu liked Emi even if he did not show it. As for his teammates, they were okay. Ataru tends to have his head in the clouds, and Kimiko well is troublesome to work with. But, they are his team, so he has tried to make it work, which will show during this match and the chunin exams tomorrow. After arriving at their side of the field. Kushizu scanned the landscape. This place would make a great spot to stargaze. He could picture it now, lying down in the clearing in the center. Back to the ground with an ocean of stars above him. No one around and with minimum light pollution. A good night that is and mentally slap himself. Focus on the now rather the what could be, and Kushizu walked over to where Ataru was. Kneeling down next to him, "When you are done with the flowers, we got a match to do, and I would rather us have some kind of plan rather than winging it".</s>
<\|description\|>Kushizu Ienari Nickname: Hermit Age: 13 / 26 Gender: Male Height: 5'3 / 5'9 Nature: Water Personality: Kushizu ever since his parents died has been a loner. Choosing to keep to himself because he thinks that if people knew who his parents were they would treat him badly. Though this does not hinder his ability to work with others. Often being reserved when dealing with others and tends to keep his opinions to himself. Behind his loner nature, Kushizu can be someone that can very loyal to anyone he considers a friend. Along with being friendly or understanding someone's problems. Even if he does not show it and has some hobbies like stargazing or reading sci-fi books. Background: Kushizu's life since he was born had been an interesting one. Born to two missing-nin from the Land of Water. Kushizu's early life was marked by moving from place to place as his family sold their services to the highest bidder. Though they tried to hide some of the more ruthless jobs from him, sometimes he could catch word of his parent's deeds would have mixed feelings about it. Kushizu loved his parents but, he could not quite come to grip with some of the jobs that his parents have done. Things would change for him after his parents finished a job in the Land of Fire near Konohagakure when a squad of Hunter-nin ambushed them. His parent tell him to hide while they fought off the Hunter-nin. While Kushizu hid inside of a hollowed-out log and he watched as his parents fought the Hunter-nin. While his parents killed some of the Hunter-nin, they were ultimately killed and Kushizu rushed towards their dead bodies. He only had a few moments to cry before the Hunter-nin forced him away while they destroyed the bodies and cut off his parent's heads as proof that they were dead. Once they were done, they were unsure of what to do with the young Kushizu and they simply pointed him to Konohagakure and left. After a couple of minutes of crying and mourning, Kushizu would go in the direction he was told and would curse the Hunter-nin that killed his parents. Saying one day he will find them and avenge his parents. Later Kushizu would arrive in the village and after finding out he was orphan, they directed him to the orphanage. He would not say what happened to his parents only that they were killed. Thinking how people would treat him if they knew his parents were missing-nin. Probably not well he thought and became a loner. Keeping to himself, for the most part, and would enroll in the academy. Showing potential to be a shinobi, mainly excelling in water release techniques and taijutsu. Now on the eve of the Chunin Exams, he hopes to pass and become and full-fledged shinobi. From there, though he knows how hard it will be. Perhaps find whoever killed his parents and get his revenge. Fighting Style: Kushizu prefers to be strategic when he fights, dodging attacks until he finds a weak point or opening in his opponent's movements. Then using all of his might to exploit the opening to end the fight as fast as possible. Which if he incorrectly times an attack, it leaves him open for a counter-attack. If a fight goes on longer then Kushizu wants then he will resort to a combination of ninjutsu and taijutsu to bring down a target. Using mid-range abilities when he first engages and moving to close range as time passes. Abilities: Water Release: Barrier - Summons a large seven-foot-tall wall that blocks incoming attacks. Water Release: Water Gun - Shots a torrent of water from his mouth that reaches up to six feet and can be used to keep a target in place if pinned to a surface. Water Release: Whip - Creates a whip made of water that is used to ensure targets and keep them in place. Water Release: Weapons - Can create various weapons made of water that range from swords to shurikens. Water Release: Bullet Swarm - Creates a barrage of water bullets and shoots the opponent in successive hits Water Release: Mouth Shot - A fast-moving blade of water that Kushizu spits out of his mouth, does not do a lot of damage. Mainly used to distract or weaken foes. Agile - Due to fighting style, Kushizu is good at dodging attacks though he does get hit sometimes. Water Blade - a combination of Water Release and taijutsu, Kushizu switches between punching and using a blade made of water.</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi In an instant, Mizo dipped into the field, running like she was on a mission. "I got a plan, there's a new Jutsu I'm working on that I haven't told you guys about yet. It's a trap. If I keep our flag, I can hide it along with myself while they look for it. At that point I can spring out from the ground and grab their flag, or not let them get any clue about ours." She told Kana and Hoseki while the three of them were on their way in. Mizo's pack was full of ninja tools. Smoke bombs, paper bombs, wire, that sort of thing. She had a lot of room for planning with the other two. She never did ask if their squad leaders were gonna join them. Not that it mattered, best case scenario was her teammates figured her plan out with Daichi's byakugan. Worst is Daichi somehow got in the way. Not that he would, after all, he's a Hyuga and knew that Mizo could come up with some good tactics. Most, if not all of her strategies revolved around the earth. Mizo just happened to be running into a large, spacious field of shaded, soft ground to play with. She could just feel the jutsu she was working on would be perfect for this scenario, and maybe she could win the battles in the chunin exams without a single punch. That would be something. "Kana, this jutsu I'm talking about would be ruined if you zap the ground, so be careful. Our chakras would cancel out." She told Kana. He was a pretty observant ninja, so it probably went without saying that he could disrupt her jutsu, but then again, Mizo knew he was a medical ninja, so it was safe to assume in her head that he'd hang back. "Hoseki, I think if you go full force like usual they'll be too busy worrying about your attack to notice me preform the trap. Of course, if anyone's got a better idea for handling those swords Kimiko has, I'm listening. Hoseki's fire would just be blown back by her wind style." Not that such a thing would stop, or even matter to Hoseki. His hot-hot headed nature would nearly compel the guy to just charge at them all. Mizo was pretty confident in her ability to come up with a plan, especially with a team that could execute it like this, but at this point in her life, full blown head to head combat like Hoseki's was in the passenger seat. Such a thing was why she made the Antlion Hole Jutsu, at least until she could fill the gap with even stronger fists. Sure, she was good at throwing punches, but the problem was that she needed the circumstances to be on her side, an even playing field would be the most she could handle without a plan in mind beforehand.</s> <\|message\|>Hoseki Rengoku Hoseki Rengoku --- Hoseki glanced up at Mizo from his concentrated gaze on his left fist, flames breathing and barking around it. "One second… " he uttered absently; hoping to buy time for himself. Then he joined her quickly dash towards them, willing the chakra to expand and grow stronger. He gave her a hard nod of agreement after she spoke. Her plan was a good one, he liked it but a part of him hated bogging down his brain with specifics. In the heat of battle, all he wanted to do was let loose. So he turned his attention back towards the team of ninjas ahead, who to him felt not completely like a team. He couldn't put his thumb on it and so he let the thought fly away. "Sounds good, do what you do, Mizo. I'm going to go bust some heads!" and he sprinted ahead of Mizo and Kana, his fist blazing with the fire he had been building up. The field of flowers was perfect for him, he believed. It set the stage for so many advantages. So he leapt and aimed at the golden flowers in front of him. He launched the blast of fire at such an angle that the hungry flames would initially flood towards Team 5 and their flag; spread by the flowers they would spread both towards and around Team 5. Potentially this was dangerous for all of them, if luck wasn't on his side but the first dozen moments were definitely his to play it; he had made it so. He landed with softly, satisfied with the flurry of yellow pedals dancing around him and the heat infusing in the air. "I'm too good at this," he said, smoking fist squeezed and arms tensed at his side. "Mizo take advantage of the chaos, they won't know what's coming!"</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi Mizo dropped instantly behind Hoseki, firmly planted on the ground. "On it." She very quickly busted out two hand signs, horse followed by dragon, this resulted in the ground liquifying and rising up, it molded itself into a shape that took on the colors of Mizo. It was a mud clone. The idea was to keep Mizo's absence from being detected. The voiceless clone stood side by side with Hoseki as the real Mizo focused on another set of hand signs. "Watch your step-" Ox-Boar-Dog-Dragon-Serpent-Ram-Dog Earth Style : Antlion's Hole Jutsu! Mizo pressed her fist into the dirt as it caved in, a small sinkhole formed deep enough to cover Mizo's head. She gracefully fell in as the surface of the hole filled itself up. "I'll know if they come by here with the flag. If they slip past you, drive them towards me... With that, the real Mizo was gone from sight. Clone Mizo cracked her knuckles, and prepared a battle stance. It was common knowledge on team 9 that Mizo's clones had no voice, but they could fight with as much skill and power as the real deal while the real deal was focusing her chakra and pouring it into the earth to detect anyone on team 5, if the soft dirt was shaken, the vibrations would reverberate into the earthen chamber Mizo was hiding in. Presumably, while Kana and Hoseki knew what Mizo was planning, only Daichi was theoretically capable of detecting this trap, and the thick, rigid chakra surrounding it. "The trap is ready."</s>	<\|message\|>Kushizu Ienari "That sounds like a plan I can get behind and the thanks for the added boast". Kushizu smiled and got up. He liked Ataru's plan, even if it was different then what he is used to. Normally Kimiko would be in the lead with Ataru in the back supporting the team. It could throw the other team off or make it easy for them to win. Though with Kimiko as the flag's defender, getting their flag will not be easy. Granted that is if Kimiko agrees to the plan that is. Since he kinda doubted that since Kimiko was their strongest, that she would like to be a flag defender. Still, Kimiko may surprise him. Then he heard Daichi say begin and Kushizu watched as Mizo immediately rush on to the field. Followed by Hoseki shortly behind her. "Frick, looks like we are on", Kushizu rushed on to the field and stood in between the other team and the flag. Noting Hoseki's fiery display as fire moved towards them and around them. This guy does not care if he burns the whole field down. Which Kushizu would rather not get burned the day before the chunin exams. "What are they planning? Kushizu said under his breath as the fire raved. Preparing himself for a fight, Kushizu did a series of hand signs, used the Water Release to summon weapons made of water. Specifically, a sword made of water and held it in a defensive stance while his team gets into position. Kushizu in a way was a counter to Hoseki in that his fire techniques are weak to his water ninjutsu. Still, he is more of a bruiser and Kushizu may not last long against him if he lands a hit. But, Kushizu fighting style is around dodging attacks until an opening presents itself. So as long as he can dodge Hoseki's attacks and Kushizu is confident he can. It will not be a problem. Just needs to wait while his team gets into position on the field and then the game can really start.</s>
<\|description\|>Kushizu Ienari Nickname: Hermit Age: 13 / 26 Gender: Male Height: 5'3 / 5'9 Nature: Water Personality: Kushizu ever since his parents died has been a loner. Choosing to keep to himself because he thinks that if people knew who his parents were they would treat him badly. Though this does not hinder his ability to work with others. Often being reserved when dealing with others and tends to keep his opinions to himself. Behind his loner nature, Kushizu can be someone that can very loyal to anyone he considers a friend. Along with being friendly or understanding someone's problems. Even if he does not show it and has some hobbies like stargazing or reading sci-fi books. Background: Kushizu's life since he was born had been an interesting one. Born to two missing-nin from the Land of Water. Kushizu's early life was marked by moving from place to place as his family sold their services to the highest bidder. Though they tried to hide some of the more ruthless jobs from him, sometimes he could catch word of his parent's deeds would have mixed feelings about it. Kushizu loved his parents but, he could not quite come to grip with some of the jobs that his parents have done. Things would change for him after his parents finished a job in the Land of Fire near Konohagakure when a squad of Hunter-nin ambushed them. His parent tell him to hide while they fought off the Hunter-nin. While Kushizu hid inside of a hollowed-out log and he watched as his parents fought the Hunter-nin. While his parents killed some of the Hunter-nin, they were ultimately killed and Kushizu rushed towards their dead bodies. He only had a few moments to cry before the Hunter-nin forced him away while they destroyed the bodies and cut off his parent's heads as proof that they were dead. Once they were done, they were unsure of what to do with the young Kushizu and they simply pointed him to Konohagakure and left. After a couple of minutes of crying and mourning, Kushizu would go in the direction he was told and would curse the Hunter-nin that killed his parents. Saying one day he will find them and avenge his parents. Later Kushizu would arrive in the village and after finding out he was orphan, they directed him to the orphanage. He would not say what happened to his parents only that they were killed. Thinking how people would treat him if they knew his parents were missing-nin. Probably not well he thought and became a loner. Keeping to himself, for the most part, and would enroll in the academy. Showing potential to be a shinobi, mainly excelling in water release techniques and taijutsu. Now on the eve of the Chunin Exams, he hopes to pass and become and full-fledged shinobi. From there, though he knows how hard it will be. Perhaps find whoever killed his parents and get his revenge. Fighting Style: Kushizu prefers to be strategic when he fights, dodging attacks until he finds a weak point or opening in his opponent's movements. Then using all of his might to exploit the opening to end the fight as fast as possible. Which if he incorrectly times an attack, it leaves him open for a counter-attack. If a fight goes on longer then Kushizu wants then he will resort to a combination of ninjutsu and taijutsu to bring down a target. Using mid-range abilities when he first engages and moving to close range as time passes. Abilities: Water Release: Barrier - Summons a large seven-foot-tall wall that blocks incoming attacks. Water Release: Water Gun - Shots a torrent of water from his mouth that reaches up to six feet and can be used to keep a target in place if pinned to a surface. Water Release: Whip - Creates a whip made of water that is used to ensure targets and keep them in place. Water Release: Weapons - Can create various weapons made of water that range from swords to shurikens. Water Release: Bullet Swarm - Creates a barrage of water bullets and shoots the opponent in successive hits Water Release: Mouth Shot - A fast-moving blade of water that Kushizu spits out of his mouth, does not do a lot of damage. Mainly used to distract or weaken foes. Agile - Due to fighting style, Kushizu is good at dodging attacks though he does get hit sometimes. Water Blade - a combination of Water Release and taijutsu, Kushizu switches between punching and using a blade made of water.</s> <\|message\|>Kanman Ataru The action started with what seemed like no hesitation by the other genin on the field. Fire flew in Team 5's direction brought on by the flames of Hoseki, but was dodged or countered by Ataru's teammates with ease. The young ninja was able to come out of the flames untouched, but a bit toasty. Lunging forward, he started on their offense, following behind Kushizu. Taking notice of the two ninja's before them, his eyes scanned the field, counting the final member of Team 9 running off into the distance. Ataru and Kana were around the same height and carried almost the same build, so noticing someone who was oddly similar wasn't hard to notice. "Kana has the flag," Ataru said as he ran past Kushizu, gripping two kunai from his bag. "Cover me, I can try and get past Hoseki and Mizo!" It was strange that Ataru was taking initiative. It wasn't like him at all, but the thought floating in his head was that if their team were to finish this game as fast as possible and that meant that they would be able to have more free time before the exams started tomorrow. Making that extra amount of free time the real reward that the ninja wanted. Crossing his fingers before him, still holding onto his kunai, Ataru signed a quick and easy shadow clone technique, continuing his sprint across the flower field. Knowing for a fact that he couldn't take on Hoseki or Mizo, he left them up to his teammates, hoping they would be able to cover him as he ran towards Kana's direction. Knowing he wasn't out of trouble, Ataru and his clone spat out another technique, something he knew he was fairly good at. "Lightning Blade: Projectile Cutter!" Pivoting from running head on into the muscle of Team 9, Ataru and his clone both side-stepped to the right as they each threw out two electrically-charged kunai in their opponent's direction. As he pivoted onto his right foot and pushed off, his left foot slipped, causing him to ungracefully tumble down. It was utterly embarrassing. The fall felt like an eternity, but in reality it was a short few seconds as Ataru's clone quickly picked up the dirtied host. "Come on," the clone said, patting Ataru's back. His face was flushed, but he had a flag to get. He just hoped that his fall wasn't noticed by anyone else.</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi Mizo's clone didn't actually react verbally to Ataru falling on his ass, it was funny, sure, and the real Mizo felt it in the dirt, but the clone simply crackled her knuckles and charged right at Ataru and his two Kunai, dodging the lightning attack that the clone didn't even care to pay much attention to, she leapt towards Ataru's shadow clone with a right hook aimed at its jaw, the real Mizo noted how both Atari and his clone were alarmingly close to the antlion trap. Mizo was messing with the dirt underground, spacing out the ground to rig up a strategy that she presumed would work against some hopeless genin, nameless Kimiko, during the Chunin exams. The only problem is that this hole wouldn't be as big as the one she'd need for such a thing to work, knowing this, she simply rigged up a few Kunai to be stuck in the walls of her space, between each kuna was string that would presumably tangle the target up, and for good measure, smoke bomb for somebody to fall an and flail to get away from, tangling themselves even more...imagine Kimiko getting smoked like that...it almost made her chuckle.</s> <\|message\|>Kana Kinoshi KANA KINOSHI Kana had no time to be aware of the commotion happening not far from him. He had expected that his team mates would take the fight to the enemy and cause them to divide or coalesce but it appeared that team 5 was taking the initiative. He hurriedly dug in his Genin pouch that housed his ninja tools. His hand clasped the familiar shape of an explosive tag. He rolled the flag around the pole tightly and he slapped the tag onto it keeping the flag rolled. Worse came to worse, the young ninja would explode the flag denying the opposite team the victory. In real life, this would equate to a squad having to destroy sensitive information to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. That task being completed the proceeded to tie some metal wire onto about five of his kunai. He was taking advantage of the little time he had to prepare. His plan may have been too hasty but at least it had drawn the enemy as he had hoped. Now, he just had to keep them at bay while Hoseki and Mizo did the rest. His gaze fell on the opposite team's flag. It fluttered defiantly behind a female figure. Even from this distance Kana could sense the utter determination and offensive stance. The young aspiring medic was not very good at taijustu or any sort of fighting but even he could tell that the young woman standing on the opposite side of the field knew her stuff. He smiled at little as she reminded him a bit of Mizo. He would assume the fight be tween the two would be epic. It would definitely cause a major distraction as people would no doubt stop to watch. He actually hoped for that brawl. Mizo would not be happy until she beat up somebody. His gaze fell towards Hoseki where he now noticed that……A…At…Ataru! Yes that was the boy's name who he had ran into a few times at the library. Ataru seemed to have slipped. Kana grimaced but knew that the best quality of a ninja was to take advantage of any situation. The young medic was actually a bit jealous that Ataru seemed to be able to use the Shadow clone jutsu. That was something he would hope to add to his knowledge base. He tightened this grasp on the kunai he held and looked determinately towards the incoming team. He was not really good at rumbling but he was exceptionally well at dodging.</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi After the great blast of fire scorched the field, Hoseki jumped backwards, almost right over Mizo's trap. He remembered that spot, knowing full well that she was trying to get Kimiko to walk right over it, so he didn't step on it. Instead he positioned himself behind it so if Kimiko charged him, she's run into it. Hoseki watched as Kana readied an attack nearby, while that one guy - what was his name? - stormed off. Not like he's find Kana's flag like that or anything. "Hey, Samurai Bitch! You want the flag? Come get it!" He deliberately tried to distract Kimiko, taunting her with name calling, that was the one thing he knew about Kimiko, she didn't like name calling. Hoeski's fists picked up flames from thin air, like he was ready to punch her lights out. "What? Scared?" What he didn't realize was that Kimiko's wind style would make short work of his fire style, possibly blowing it back in his face. --- Meanwhile, Mizo's trap was ready. The small hole was big enough for two people, and wires were suspended from the walls to tangle someone who fell in. Smoke bombs with carefully placed at Mizo's feet, 4 of them to be exact. One was enough to really mess someone up, but knowing Kimiko, she'd cause a scene and blow a single one away, so 4 would work. She could feel Hoseki's chakra burn the air, Mizo knew he was trying to lead her directly into the trap. That's team 9 for you....The plan was to spring up from the hole as fast as possible, grab hold of Kimiko long enough to to take the flag, and slam her into the hole as fast as possible, lighting the smoke bombs and tangling the wire around her. "Yeah...that's right...gimme that flag, Kimiko...</s>	<\|message\|>Kushizu Ienari Things were certainly heating up on the field, both figuratively and literally thanks to Hoseki and his fire jutsu. He watched as Ataru ran passed him and gave the heads up that Kana has the flag. So the flag is mobile, that changes so things but, Kana can not run forever and with the battlefield being a flat field. It should not be too hard to spot him and caught up to him. However, it seems that Ataru has taken up the role of getting the flag and wanting Kushizu to cover him. That was unexpected, Kushizu is used to Ataru being support and not going to the frontlines. He wondered what caused this change but was not bothered by it. It was kinda nice to see Ataru take the initiative for once but, whether or not it will work out has yet to be seen. Then Kushizu watched Ataru fall to the ground unceremoniously. Kushizu's face noticeably turned as the fall happened. Though Ataru was able to get back up quickly with his shadow clone helping him up. Kushizu decided not to bring up when the match was over. One bump on getting to Kana does not need to be repeated. Especially to Kimiko and hopes that this stays unheard by her. With the plan to cover Ataru, Kushizu moved closer to Ataru as Mizo got in range of Ataru. Watching as Mizo about to punch Ataru's shadow clone in the face and rushed to cover his teammate. Handling Mizo should be easier to deal with Hoseki. Should being the keyword, and Kushizu did expect her to be an easy target. When he finally got in range, Kushizu aimed with his mouth at Mizo and used Water Release: Water Gun. A torrent of water was launched out of his mouth and headed straight towards her. Now let's see if this can get Mizo off of Ataru's back.</s>
<\|description\|>Kushizu Ienari Nickname: Hermit Age: 13 / 26 Gender: Male Height: 5'3 / 5'9 Nature: Water Personality: Kushizu ever since his parents died has been a loner. Choosing to keep to himself because he thinks that if people knew who his parents were they would treat him badly. Though this does not hinder his ability to work with others. Often being reserved when dealing with others and tends to keep his opinions to himself. Behind his loner nature, Kushizu can be someone that can very loyal to anyone he considers a friend. Along with being friendly or understanding someone's problems. Even if he does not show it and has some hobbies like stargazing or reading sci-fi books. Background: Kushizu's life since he was born had been an interesting one. Born to two missing-nin from the Land of Water. Kushizu's early life was marked by moving from place to place as his family sold their services to the highest bidder. Though they tried to hide some of the more ruthless jobs from him, sometimes he could catch word of his parent's deeds would have mixed feelings about it. Kushizu loved his parents but, he could not quite come to grip with some of the jobs that his parents have done. Things would change for him after his parents finished a job in the Land of Fire near Konohagakure when a squad of Hunter-nin ambushed them. His parent tell him to hide while they fought off the Hunter-nin. While Kushizu hid inside of a hollowed-out log and he watched as his parents fought the Hunter-nin. While his parents killed some of the Hunter-nin, they were ultimately killed and Kushizu rushed towards their dead bodies. He only had a few moments to cry before the Hunter-nin forced him away while they destroyed the bodies and cut off his parent's heads as proof that they were dead. Once they were done, they were unsure of what to do with the young Kushizu and they simply pointed him to Konohagakure and left. After a couple of minutes of crying and mourning, Kushizu would go in the direction he was told and would curse the Hunter-nin that killed his parents. Saying one day he will find them and avenge his parents. Later Kushizu would arrive in the village and after finding out he was orphan, they directed him to the orphanage. He would not say what happened to his parents only that they were killed. Thinking how people would treat him if they knew his parents were missing-nin. Probably not well he thought and became a loner. Keeping to himself, for the most part, and would enroll in the academy. Showing potential to be a shinobi, mainly excelling in water release techniques and taijutsu. Now on the eve of the Chunin Exams, he hopes to pass and become and full-fledged shinobi. From there, though he knows how hard it will be. Perhaps find whoever killed his parents and get his revenge. Fighting Style: Kushizu prefers to be strategic when he fights, dodging attacks until he finds a weak point or opening in his opponent's movements. Then using all of his might to exploit the opening to end the fight as fast as possible. Which if he incorrectly times an attack, it leaves him open for a counter-attack. If a fight goes on longer then Kushizu wants then he will resort to a combination of ninjutsu and taijutsu to bring down a target. Using mid-range abilities when he first engages and moving to close range as time passes. Abilities: Water Release: Barrier - Summons a large seven-foot-tall wall that blocks incoming attacks. Water Release: Water Gun - Shots a torrent of water from his mouth that reaches up to six feet and can be used to keep a target in place if pinned to a surface. Water Release: Whip - Creates a whip made of water that is used to ensure targets and keep them in place. Water Release: Weapons - Can create various weapons made of water that range from swords to shurikens. Water Release: Bullet Swarm - Creates a barrage of water bullets and shoots the opponent in successive hits Water Release: Mouth Shot - A fast-moving blade of water that Kushizu spits out of his mouth, does not do a lot of damage. Mainly used to distract or weaken foes. Agile - Due to fighting style, Kushizu is good at dodging attacks though he does get hit sometimes. Water Blade - a combination of Water Release and taijutsu, Kushizu switches between punching and using a blade made of water.</s> <\|message\|>Uesugi Kimiko Ten The young shinobi darted about the burning flower field like rats while Kimiko, the lazy housecat, watched them scurry with a mixture of loathing and aloofness. Sure, her instincts urged her to stalk, prowl, and pounce, but she knew better. She held the cheese that the rats so desperately craved. Sooner or later, their hunger would overwhelm their fear, and they'd crawl just a little...too...close. And then she would strike: lopping off their diseased little heads and presenting their mangled corpses to her master - a gift. A display of her superior hunting prowess and a promise of future success. Nine But, as the girl settled into her fantasy, one of the rats opened its big rat mouth and vomited up some truly disgusting sounds in a vain attempt at speech. She narrowed her gaze at the little loudmouth, measuring his worth. "BITE ME!" she spat back at him. She had been wrong in her assessment - he was no rat. Why, he was no more than a flea. A pesky, meaningless flea. She could crush him. She should crush him. She would crush him. But not yet. She had given her word. The other two would retrieve the flag and this stupid little game would come to an…end? … ...wait… ...where was the flag? Eight Kimiko gazed past the chirping insect towards the other end of the field. She had been certain there was a flag there...where the actual fuck did it go? It couldn't have simply vanished...could it? Was that something one of those rats could do? She returned her gaze to Hoseki. No flag. The ugly toad-rat then? How in the actual fuck did they hide a colorful piece of cloth on a damn pole that quickly? Seven The increasingly agitated kunoichi scanned the field once more. She noticed Ruru actually taking the lead. The actual stones on this kid. She was impressed. More than that really. She was proud. Her little kitten was now acting like a proper predator. He was… Slipping. On. His. GOD. DAMN. ASS. Six "RURU, YOU LITTLE SHIT! GET YOUR GODDAMN ASS UP!" the raging Mama Cat roared, all her previous feelings of pride now acting as fuel to the white hot inferno of wrath burning away the girl's patience and goodwill. She wasn't suited to the backlines. Her instincts were becoming harder to resist. How the actual fuck was she supposed to trust her teammates if THEY COULDN'T EVEN HANDLE FUCKING WALKING?!! Five That ugly toad-rat threw a punch at Ruru. As unbelievably angry as Kimiko currently was, she actually managed to surpass it and reach levels of rage the girl thought before to be impossible. Her knuckles were tiny mountains dusted with snow as the tension wound her grip around her sword's hilt and sheath to painful levels. This waiting thing was getting REAL OLD, REAL FAST. …! Four Kimiko's head snapped towards the tiny rat gazing at her. It held in its greedy little paws a pole. And around that pole was the little piece of fabric that marked Team Nine's flag. That. Dirty. Little. Shit. Three Was that cheating? Well...nobody said you COULDN'T move the flag. Actually, there really weren't any rules mentioned besides getting the other flag. A horrid grin stretched across Kimiko's face as she relaxed her body. Fine. If that's the game those little shits wanted to play, that's the game they'd play. Kimiko turned and walked towards her team's flag pole. She quickly drew her sword and sliced the rope tethering the flag to the pole. As the fabric fell, it got picked up by the wind, floating carelessly over to the girl. She snatched it out of the air and examined it before tying it around her neck like a bandanna. If those rats wanted their cheese, then they'd have to pry it from her cold, dead, claws. Two Kimiko stood unmoving for a moment or two after donning the flag. Then, she turned towards Hoseki. She lingered there for a moment. Then she took a step. And another. Three steps towards the boy. Kimiko stopped and frowned. Something wasn't right. She couldn't exactly place her finger on it, but that hotheaded fuckboy not charging in was a red flag. Whatever he had planned, she didn't give a fuck. He wasn't important. Not yet anyway. Sure, he ran his fat rat mouth, and she'd surely carve him up eventually, but she had another target in mind. Kimiko turned towards her boys engaged with the ugly troll toad rat abomination and dashed towards them. She arced around Hoseki, not getting any closer, yet also not running away. If he wanted to fight, it would be on her terms. Sure, she could always go after that nameless little Ruru-wannabe. She could cut him down real quick then take the flag...but where was the fun in that? Kimiko trained her eyes directly on him, her killing intent on full display. Ruru and Kuku had been pushing towards him on one side, but the little coward liked to run. Of course he did. What else could frightened little rats do but scurry? But no, he would also get a pass for the moment. Which left only... One That idiot. That absolutely ignorant waste of air. She had fucked up. She had royally fucked up. She had placed her FILTHY RAT PAWS on KIMIKO'S PROPERTY. Those boys of hers, as fucking useless as they may be, were still HERS. And NOBODY would harm HER PROPERTY without her permission. Surely Mizo knew that? She couldn't POSSIBLY be so arrogant as to think that there would be no PUNISHMENT for her crimes? As Kimiko grew closer to her teammates, she slowed, coming to a complete stop about ten yards away from the two. Casting a quick glance over her shoulder towards Hoseki to see if he had reacted to her sudden repositioning, Kimiko raised her left hand and pointed her sword towards the thing she thought was Mizo, wordlessly challenging her. Her arm trembled in excitement. Her face contorted into a mixture of rage and pure, sadistic bliss. GO! She was going to hurt somebody.</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi Little did Kimiko realize, that wasn't Mizo covered in water. After attempting to slam one of them in the face and getting drenched, she silently stood upwards and slowly, quite dramatically, turned to face Kimiko. Right about now was when Mizo would say something like "It's about to get really interesting." Or "Buy me dinner first." She would if she had a voice, which she didn't. Knowing full well that Kimiko was now out of range of the trap, and ready to square off with Mizo for real this time. Hoseki just backed away, and tapped the ground with his foot, to let the Mizo underground know that things were shifting a little. "This'll be fun. Hoseki said, dripping with sarcasm. Seeing the samurai bitch pull out one of those katanas and pointing it at Kizo? Who the fuck knew what was gonna happen? Especially when that was just a clone. Normally, the Wind Style wouldn't do much against Earth Style, but considering the fact that the Mizo which was now cracking its knuckles was made of mud and chakra, it was hard to say if any kind of Jutsu would work on Kiniko. And that's assuming a mud clone could even preform Jutsu. Hoeski made a mental note of the flag being tied around her neck, maybe he could singe it a little...made it fall off easier. In any case, It wasn't clear whether or not Mizo's trap would work at this rate, if it did, great. If not, well, she could always blast out of the ground with all the energy she conserved through the battle and really give Kimiko a run for her money. Thankfully, Hoseki's bakt didn't entirely give her position away, maybe Kimiko thought he was trying a new Jutsu himself, or maybe she really thought they were in kahoots. It didn't matter now. Mizo's clone was now staring down Kimiko, fists clenched behind her gauntlets. Looking the samurai bitch dead in the eyes, not a trace of fear or energy on her face. Was Kimiko expecting a reaction out of her rival? Hopefully not. The ensuing battle looked like it was taking hold of the game, fun. Kana was lucky, he didn't have to stick around to see the absolute cat fight.</s>	<\|message\|>Kushizu Ienari Uh, the water gun did not work as well as he thought. Usually the high pressure of the water gun technique knocks people back but, at least it landed on target. Maybe he did not put enough effort into it since this is just a friendly match. That is what Emi-Sensei said, at least. Did not feel like one since Kana took the flag from its spot and is now carrying it. Acting as a mobile flag point that they had to both reach and take the flag from him. Nothing was said in the rules about taking the flag, and none of the Jonin were saying anything. So anything goes so far in this friendly match. Getting Mizo wet did not really help but, it got Mizo off of Ataru's back for the time being. Then he heard a yell from behind him about Ataru and knew it was Kimiko. Ah, so she did hear that... guess he will see Kimiko have a chat with Ataru after the match is over. Which is a sight he will not enjoy to see if Kimiko is anything like herself. Or maybe there would be a change in pace, who knows. Either best not to focus on that now and see if they can win this. Kushizu noticed Mizo had turned to face someone and turned his head to see who that was. Only to find that it was Kimiko and noticed that she was wearing their flag like a bandanna around her neck. Oh, so we are doing that now too. Well, if the other team decides on cheating, then it is fair to cheat too to even the playing field. Also, seeing Kimiko raise her sword Kimiko at Mizo, Kushizu knew what that meant. So she wants to challenge Mizo, Kushizu sighed. That means he better stay out of her way during the impending fight. So he choose to reposition himself to cover her flank. Putting himself between Kimiko and Hoseki. Just in case Hoseki decides on intervening, Kimiko is the flag. So it is better to help protect her and even if she may not need or want it. Who knows how this match is going to go at this rate.</s>
<\|description\|>Aya Lynn Germain Nicknames/Aliases: N/A X-Men Code Name: Cosmos Gender: Female Age: 18 Physical Description: Height: 4'10" Weight: 81 lbs Skin: Medium-fair Eyes: Black (Green pre-mutation) Hair: Dark brown Distinctive Markings: Freckles, a mole above her mouth Mutations: Astral Projection Aya is capable of extending her consciousness outside of her body. Invisible to others, her spirit form is capable of passing through solid objects or going into dangerous situations or environments that she otherwise would avoid. She can also create projections of other people if she's touching them, separating their consciousness from their bodies. She has to be touching them to bring them back for the astral plane, however. If Aya snaps back to her body without touching the other person's projection, then the person will be stuck there until she snaps to the other side again to bring them back. When on the astral plane she can also enter the mind of an unconscious person if she touches their form. When maintaining her projection, her physical body is more or less helpless, and she is oblivious to her surroundings. Due to her projection's intangible nature, she's also unable to influence her spiritual environment or talk to anyone through it. She still knows very little about her powers -- she doesn't know how long she can keep it up for yet, or how far away she can travel from her body. Her current record is 3 days and about 15 miles, at great physical cost. She also seems to have some level of control over the astral plane; Aya can sense otherworldly entities in it and has demonstrated the ability to push other beings out of th astral plane, though she doesn't yet know how she did it or how to replicate it. Aya is still uncomfortable with the fact that she's a mutant and so tends to not use her powers, though with Professor Everose's guidance she's steadily learning how to control them better. She can now activate her powers on command, though it's not always perfect, and she only very rarely uses her powers on accident. She can now also maintain a sense of awareness over her body if she deliberately uses her powers -- she can hear sounds and feel whatever her body goes through physically to a certain degree. Personality: Aya is quiet and reserved, equal parts mature and insecure. Her introverted nature makes it hard to connect to the people around her, but when she does open up, she reveals a sensitive heart, a sharp mind, and a sardonic sense of humor. Background: Originally from the island of Oahu, Aya is the only child of an American father and Japanese mother. Her childhood was fairly normal. She played piano, danced hula, went to Japanese school after her normal school day finished... then her father was diagnosed with lung cancer when she was 11, and life got a bit harder. Her mother, unable to deal with the emotional hardship, simply up and left one day. She tried to take Aya with her, but the little girl screamed and cried, refusing to go back to Japan and abandon her father. Aya's relationship with her today is still strained, to say the least. Her dad finally succumbed to his cancer when Aya was 17, just two weeks before she graduated high school. She doesn't like to talk about him. After graduating she decided to come to Ashford. While she's highly intelligent, her grades had suffered during her last few years of high school due to Aya devoting all her free time to working and caring for her dad, and so her college prospects were abysmal. Ashford was her best option for escaping the island she'd spent her entire life on, and she hopes the school will give her enough control over her powers so she never uses them again. Recap of your mutations awakening: Aya was 16 years old and at the only high school party she'd ever attended. When the night finished she and her classmate, Kainoa Young, were found unconscious on the bed in his room, Kainoa on top of her. At first everyone just laughed, assuming they were about to get it on when they'd passed out from drunkenness. But then no one could wake them up. Eventually Aya and Kainoa were placed in a hospital as doctors struggled to figure out why the two teens were in comas -- they were healthy, young, and while they'd been drinking at the party there were no signs of alcohol poisoning. Three days passed. Then Aya finally woke up. Her eyes, which were once a rich green color, were now black as coal. She seemed shaken and disoriented. She claimed not to remember anything from the party, or why they'd both passed out. Kainoa never woke up. The longer he slept, the weaker and weaker his body became. Kainoa deteriorated until he needed to be hooked up to a machine to even breathe. Then finally, after months of being on life support, his body simply shut down. When the school held a ceremony after his death, Aya was the only student absent.</s> <\|message\|>Veronica 'Ronnie' Arleen Malcolm ᴠᴇʀᴏɴɪᴄᴀ "ʀᴏɴɴɪᴇ" ᴍᴀʟᴄᴏʟᴍ --- 9 am \| Danger Room Ronnie's peripheral vision caught movement. Her attention tracked it as she turned her head to the source. She spotted 'Tazer-girl' displaying her phone to another student, the brown-haired troublemaker. Ronnie found that odd, but she only made a note of it. The girl must've had an issue hearing or a mental condition. Thankfully, at least one student had the ability to relay information. Else it would've slowed them down much more than Ronnie liked. It took the teacher long enough to realize the issue as subtitles then appeared in thin air. She found herself more unnerved by each new rule of reality the room broke. It was like they were in a cheap netflix movie with lame subtitles. Fiction only belonged in the imagination, not in the real world. Her fingers tightened about the spiral edge of her notebook. It rested against her hips as she debated on if she should ask more questions or let the matter rest. Upon the teacher's bubbly voice, she held her tongue. She doubted she would get useful information. When Ronnie watched the others converse, pain stabbed into her heart. It just reminded her of what she missed. Her allies, routine, and normalcy to the point her whole future was planned out. It all cracked when her mutant ability happened. She couldn't salvage anything from her old life. It is my fault for being a mutant. Ronnie caught the run down of what Heidi gave, but didn't take the lead. She found it suspicious how Heidi knew everyone's ability when she just arrived a few days ago and never demonstrated it. For now, she just pushed past the discomfort. She didn't know enough about everyone to trust them. Trust given freely just lead to disappointment. It meant she had to take things into her own hands. It was hard to wait around and do nothing when their issue stood before them.</s> <\|message\|>Mathew Frakes Mathew Frakes --- Location:Danger Room --- Interactions & Mentions:@Silver Carrot,@Fallenreaper, @Chev,@ViolentViolet,@webboysurf --- --- Taking off one glove, Matt moved toward the door, where the padlock hung. Reaching out his hand he stopped; thinking of what Heidi had said. Looking back at the group. "I can show you the combination. This can go one of two ways. Either, the chain is electrified or it is not. Whichever, the case if... Heidi is it?" He asked quizzically before moveing on. "If she is right, then any of you with combative abilities should ready yourselves. I am not much of a fighter myself but once you pick a target keep your eyes one it and I may be able to provide a disttaction for you." Matt thought about his discusion with Professor Finn. The Professor had asked if if he had to "rewind" and seemed to think he should be able to go directly to a desired moment. He had no idea of how to do that but drawing off every book he ever read and a couple Sciencw Fiction TV shows he figured it had something to do with concentration. He pictured the lock open in his head and focused on that image as he grabbed it with his ungloved hand, making sure the others could see the lock as well. A wave of dizziness hit Matt and he had a sudden sensation of falling. He gripped tighter. Soon the images jumped out sharp and crisp. Matt felt like he was going to vomit and swallowed hard to stave it off. Professor Tabitha North stood in front of him clicking the lock shut. Matt realised she had just tested the lock and quickly rewound the memory. Images blurred again but only for a second. Then he let the memomry play out. Not only was she working the lock but saying the combination aloud. Matt hoped that was enough as he let go of the padlock the room returning to normal. His projected image gone. "Tell me someone got that. I really don't wanna do that again for a bit." He still felt dizzy but the sensation was fading fast. Matt clumsily put his glove back on then; without realising what he was doing, perfectly copied what Professor North had just done unlocking the chain. His head lurched from the vertigo. He grabbed forward with both hands one grabbing the center chain the other the handle of the door. The room spun and he lost his balance pulling as he stumbled back, both removing the chain and opening the door.</s>	<\|message\|>Aya Lynn Germain The Mall - 9:50 AM --- --- Aya thanked the Lyft driver as she climbed out of the blue sedan. It'd been a quiet ride - after taking a look at her red, tear-stained face, the middle-aged driver had seen fit to leave her to her thoughts. He barely looked back at her as she closed the door, no doubt eager to run from a stranger's problems. Pulling her bag strap over her shoulder, Aya made her way into the mall. It was wide and open, more of an enclosed street than a single building. Shops lined the path, doors open, wafting their perfumes or music or flashing screens, beckoning potetial customers. Aya couldn't focus on any of them. She felt the phantom weight of the envelopes in her bag, making each step heavy. Aya spent the next hour or so wandering the mall, trying to distract herself. At one point she meandered into a shop stuffed to the brim with bath products - candles and lotions, colorful loofas hanging along a wall, glittery soaps, and body creams in wide, pastel jars. Aya had never liked these kinds of stores. The warring scents were too overwhelming, giving her a headache. But today, Aya found herself wandering through bright aisles, fingers trailing along the glossy labels. She paused on a bottle of lotion labeled Vanilla Dream, with the word tester written beneath it in thick Sharpie. Aya looked down at it. She picked it up, popping open the lid and squeezing a small dollop onto her hand. She rubbed the lotion into her hands, continuing her walk down the lotion aisle, eyes scanning the labels again. Minty Morning. Aya put a small squirt into her hand and then rubbed that into her skin, too. She brought her hands to her nose and gave a small sniff. Immediately Aya's nose wrinkled, and she pulled her hands away. It was an odd combination, the mint smell overpowering the sweetness of the vanilla. Embarrassment flooded her. Aya left the store, hurrying to the bathroom to wash the lotion off her hands. The scent lingered. She eventually found herself in a small, empty cafe, soft indie music playing over the speakers. She stared down at the stack of black envelopes on the table. They seemed to stare back at her. Aya felt her anxiety building in her stomach, up her chest, clogging her throat, coating her tongue. She took another sip of her half empty mocha. The paper bag that had once held her breakfast sandwich sat in a ruined ball in her other hand. Aya tried to swallow, tasting the chocolate of her drink, suddenly too sweet. She pulled Professor Everose's notebook from her bag, flipping it open. The messy words of her last, chaotic session gave her pause - she hadn't realized she'd written in Japanese. Aya stared at them a moment longer before flipping to a new page. She gripped her pen too tightly in her hand, tip hovering just over the paper. Aya bit her lip. Then she picked up the second envelope and closed her eyes.</s>
<\|description\|>Itimpu -- Panther Man -- "AAAAH WHAT IS THAT?" No, not that Black Panther. Inspiration: Terror Is A Man! Appearance: Standing at a height of 6ft 6in, this monster of muscle, built through a series of horrifying genetic engineering experiments, is in peak physical condition. They sport a full covering of black fur, ran through with scars, as well as bright yellow eyes, a very feline face-- complete with apex predator teeth and whiskers, and a tail long enough to help them balance. Their black claws are at the ends of thick half-human fingers. They sport a set of thick digitigrade legs, like the hind legs of a cat, and their feet are far more pawlike than their hands. Usually, the attire Itimpu wears is a simple set of cloth shorts but, when necessary for them to go into public, they manage to fit into a... Power Ranger's Halloween Costume. Abilities/ Skills: Speech Of Cats -- Naturally or Unnaturally, Itimpu has the ability to communicate with anything feline, with ease. He's even convinced a rather large group of Jaguars, Tigers, and House Cats to follow him around as a sort of "gang". Very Strong, Very Tough -- Thick skinned and as strong as at least FIVE men, Itimpu is also very long lived, with no signs of age slowing him down. They've been shot, stabbed, thrown off cliffs, close to explosions, and even set on fire, and have recovered from all these things in time. There's definitely a way to kill him, of course, but it would take quite a lot. Carnivore's Senses -- Enhanced smell, night vision, and acute hearing accompany their abilities, along with slightly faster-than-normal reflexes and running speed. They can't leap very high but they can climb very well and survive quite a long fall always landing on their feet. History: The first of his kind was a surgical amalgamation of human and panther parts which, after being sent out to sea in a boat, eventually found its way to an uncharted island in the Philippine island chain which, of course, was home to your classic MAD SCIENTIST. Several experiments later and the perfect "new-perfect-super-soldier-to-sell-what-could-go-wrong" was produced. And like all of these stories, the product had different ideas. Itimpu was created and almost immediately went on a murderous rampage. Decades passed. They earned their name in the wilderness and jungles. Somehow, they got into mercenary work. More time passed. And they just so happened to cross paths with a guy, who knew a guy, who knew a woman, who introduced them to Dracula, and they actually became... friends of a sort? Look, everyone knew that Itimpu's loyalty could be bought but was it really paid in fish as the rumors say? And his gang of cats? It's rather widespread. House cats here-- bobcats there-- lynxes, jaguars, lions, even the odd witch's familiar or two-- it's a well known fact he has eyes and ears in the weirdest of places and, simply put, clearly has a way with words, as plenty of cats join "his side" quickly. In terms of sheer numbers, no one knows quite how many "work" for him. One thing's for sure-- Itimpu sure doesn't talk much. Goals: Itimpu has very murky goals, to say the least, and they seem to change based on the situation but, the theme is quite clear when one see what said goals have in common-- Survival Notes: A THEME SONG YOU SAY?! Rumors -- "Supposedly he communicates a lot sub vocally, as cats do." "I heard he doesnt even speak English? Or maybe he was just ignoring me. I dunno." "Apparently he's got this spot behind is ear that he really likes scratched..." "Weaknesses? WEAKNESSES?! HA. A laser pointer!" "...and he's got a whole cardboard fortress..."</s> <\|message\|>Lawrence Talbot; has been operating for the past 2 generations under assumed identities in order to maintain ownership of the Talbot estate; current alias is one "Frederick Talbot". Lawrence anxiously handled his own letter as he listened, patiently, or at least politely. It wasn't difficult for him to make arrangements, and see to his affairs for the duration of his absence while on "holiday". This turn of events, though, troubling as it was, did have the wheels turning in his head. Once Erik had spoken his piece (loony as it was), he took the opportunity to make his own remarks on the apparent state of things. "Well, that certainly was a... 'colorful' performance, Monseur Garnier, but I do think there are some rather pressing issues, more so even than your..." He paused, for dramatic affect, "Fanciful notions. Surely, though this is highly unusual, it wouldn't be the first time that Dracula has taken a leave of absence. This letter, speaking of his likely whereabouts, is not, to my faculties, anything more than what you would have preferred. The simplest and most reasonable assumption is that he is in South Africa, isn't it? There's no reason to assume anything else." He stood, and gesticulated a bit as he continued in his Posh accent, "Accounting for his eccentricities in all of this, and this whole... Hullabaloo is hardly cause for concern, save the inconvenience of it. Surely, if we simply consult his people, we'll find a plan in place, and if not, it would be far more prudent a course to simply... Delegate some manner of stewardship in his absence? Practical, as well, far more so than... Buggering off to Paris, as you seem inclined, regardless!" He left out that he absolutely had someone in mind for the assumption of leadership. After all, as others would point out, he himself has a fair amount of real leadership experience, and is one of the oldest members of the council. Combined with how loyal he'd been to Dracula, he was convinced his qualifications were obvious, and his nomination inevitable. He leaned on the table, "And what of this 'New World' of yours? Had it not occurred to you that if such an idea were manageable, nay, even practical, Dracula might have done it himself by now?" He allowed a bit of a laugh in the last words, a subtle jab. He avoided professional politics, lest his persona become just a little bit too public, but in his shadowy dealings with this council, he certainly developed a taste for politics, all the same. "Even if we were to take this seriously, has it never occurred to your 'brilliant' mind, that a many of us stand to lose far more than we might gain, by investing in this venture? I can assure you, I've worked far too hard for what I've managed to piddle it away on the prospect of... What? Splitting the rent on one of those caves you tinker away in?" Another affected laugh, "No, no, sir, I think we all know better than to 'jump the gun', as the Americans would say; this is not a time for rash behavior, let us instead learn what we can of the situation, and act accordingly." He sat himself down gently, concluding, "And, if we can find no pre-determined course of action or instruction, or, for that matter, Dracula has not returned by such a time, then further action may be appropriate." He looked around the room, "The rest of you lot? You can do as you like, 'playing with matches'; I hardly assume authority, but... I, for one, don't care to be present if Dracula should return to find we've 'burned the house down'." Or raided the pantry, he thought to himself- Lawrence, if you play this right, you may finally be free. Just keep asking yourself: What Would Dracula Do?</s> <\|message\|>Simply called "the creature" by those who discovered him, his true name is unpronounceable by human tongues. When in a human disguise, he goes by the name Marsh, which his colleagues have taken to calling him. Marsh was in Istanbul when the letter came for him. Or rather, he was close by it, plumbing the depths of the Black Sea. It was a difficult task, but a rewarding one, as the salt content of the sea required constant adaptation to breathe within its depths, but the host of ruins along its floor were exquisite. Marsh had almost come to have an appreciation for human history, given his long decades searching through the remnants of their past. The letter came as a small surprise, as Marsh was only so close to Transylvania because Dracula had summoned him a few years earlier. He traveled very slowly, preferring to go alone by water routes, as public transportation made him feel unnecessarily exposed. Luckily, he had no need for such measures this time. The vampiric servant that had tracked down Marsh's encampment on the Sea's shores had come by means of a rugged automobile, and was prepared to chauffeur him back to Dracula's castle. The few days of travel that followed were awkward and uncomfortable. The vampire sent to collect Marsh obviously found him as repellent as normal humans did, and suffered constantly from his foul odor and insidious presence. Marsh similarly did not care much for the undead, and particularly not vampires. As much as he would like to think that such perversions of nature were a uniquely human creation, there were similar monsters in his own time. The Grey Weavers of the tunnel-kingdoms, servants of the Spinner in the Dark came to mind. Once they were free of the prying eyes of common humans, Marsh let his disguise slip, and resumed his natural form. A scaly fish-man that perspired foul, ranine mucous sat looking very out of place in the passenger seat of an offroad vehicle. He didn't expect Dracula to bill him for the cost of having the car reupholstered. They would probably just have to burn the thing to be rid of the smell. Despite being so close, Marsh was one of the last to arrive, probably due to the difficulty inherent to finding him. He came stomping in, his webbed flippers leaving soggy marks on the rug, as the human, Garnier his name was, was going on his rant. "Humans," he gurgled contemptuously, "No bloody sense of proportion." Marsh had to partially transform his laryngeal structure to even be capable of uttering sounds resembling human speech. The result was... barely adequate. An awful, wet croaking that sounded like a man gargling mud. "Do you have any idea how many of you buggers there are? Nearly eight billion. We, the others, number in the thousands-- a million at best. There are simply too many of them and too few of us to ever make a difference. You can take the city, but you won't hold it. Much worse than that, is that you'll make life unmanageable for those of us content where we are. There'll be no hiding after that. They'll kill themselves by the million just to get rid of one of us. They'll do it, too. It'll take time, but they'll do it." Marsh flexed his webbed hand, admiring the sharp black claws that tipped his fingers, before his inhuman gaze snapped back to Garnier. "You're a madman and a fool, and I'll curtail your errand myself before you get a chance to doom us all."</s>	<\|message\|>Itimpu -- Panther Man -- "AAAAH WHAT IS THAT?" The courier found him alright-- just like the others had. Deep in the jungles surrounding Mount Sicapoo, the courier placed a package atop a mossy, ruined, and forgotten stone pillar in the thick of the underbrush. Truly, this had been something of a suicide mission and, just as the courier counted their blessings for having 'made it out alive', they were promptly pounced upon and turned into ash. Which was no fun. Why had he been sending the newbies so often lately? This would have been the question running through the intelligent half-man mind of the 'Killer Panther' had he, well, had more intelligence and patience to give to the thought. As it stood, Itimpu looked at his ash covered man-paws, then promptly hustled around in a frantic circle-- confused as to why the Human in his Territory had just exploded into Nasty Dirt. He hated that. Why was it that sometimes they exploded into Nasty Dirt but other times they-- the package caught his eye and was batted off of the pillar. As it had been designed to do, the box withstood a few more seconds of his Batting it around the jungle floor, before he finally understood it had Latches. And the smell-- oh the smell was familiar. Yes, it was of the Pale King Dressed In Black, this scent, which meant box must become open. Slowly and rather delicately, he pried open the box with is claws, before revealing the contents inside. First, there was some paper-- boring, dis-interesting, who cares? Itimpu gingerly placed it aside. There-- ah, here it was. A shark's lower jaw, teeth still attached, wrapped in the skin of a Human, with the black chain of Itimpu's former shackles-- this was a signal between he and the Pale-Black King. Itimpu lifted the object in to the moonlight, holding it toward the sky, before he placed it over his head. --- Likely, he was one of the first to be summoned, simply due to the distance, but certainly not the last to arrive. When eventually he arrived near the Pale-Black King's manor, he paused, catching a rather... odd scent on the wind-- A baby? Why was there a baby here? Sniffing and snuffling, Itimpu navigated the woods at night, his senses locked upon the scent of a misguided youngling-- how was a baby lost up here? Every instinct prohibited him from continuing up the path until he found it-- a small boy, wandering up the path toward Dracula's manor. Why, only certain people knew where this place was, and where to go. Surely, this small child was summoned in some manner-- was he the child of Dracula? Could Dracula make babies? It didn't matter. From the shadows Itimpu lept, landing next to Gael silently. He snuffled a greeting before promptly picking the child up, by the collar of his shirt, with his cat mouth, and beginning his rapid sprint up the path to Dracula's Manor. Quite easily, he ascended the path, then the side of the house-- ensuring that the small boy didn't bump up against anything-- before he climbed through an open window. He dangled Gael over the windowsill and into the room before releasing him. Immediately, Itimpu was confused. Where was the Pale-Black King? Why were there so many others here that weren't him? Who invited the Sea Beast? Itimpu glared but remained silent as he slinked into the room, smelling about with soft whiffs, as the others began talking. Whatever they were speaking about, it didn't matter, because Dracula was not here. If he was not here then, obviously, he must be somewhere else, which meant that Itimpu needed to go to him. He sniffed at the letter to South Africa, even going so far as to leave his mouth open, to process more of the scent bouquet. Itimpu began to sniff other objects around the room afterward, his paws moving to slowly, ever so slowly, push things here and there onto the floor. There was a trail here, he needed but only find it, and no ink-well-- or weird ornamental cup-- was going to hide said trail underneath it on his watch. edit: added a link</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // A bumpy ride, it was really the only way to describe the pelican ride. Grikgar did not have the physiology to properly sit in the seats like the two humans that accompanied him. He had only arrived the day before and had been staying in a makeshift room on top of a space elevator. The Unggoy had been pulled from active combat with direct orders to get his gear and board a frigate heading for earth. At the very least he was briefed on what he had been chosen for by his commander on the way out. Now he was on his way to meet his new commander and serve with the humans that helped them to end the Great War. It was a strange job in an ever changing world of new possibilities something the Unggoy jumped at the chance for. Another adventure to chalk up to his many accomplishments. At least the humans, although wary didn't out right try to bully him. He can't blame them though, it's not every day one would see a grunt like him. Taller, more robust, no look of fear or being timid towards the humans around them. At the very least he was able to get some sleep on the ride down somehow. The human that was tasked in taking care of him while on the station was a brute of a man with red hair and an accent he called "Scottish" it was always interesting to meet new humans, they were all so different. This one called Sargent Abernathy, was strict around the other soldiers however the man did let Grikgar go through the more recent human music files. This activity kept him up for most of the long hours before his departure from the space elevator. The Unggoy was woken suddenly when the back door to the pelican opened and he not so graciously got up from his spot and looked at the two new soldiers dressed in black. He did catch a quick chuckle from one of the marines in the pelican, more than likely because he was being clumsy. Stepping outside the pelican revealed a grand city, tall spires that reached into the sky one not matching another. It reminded him of the cities of their planet Reach, the engineering of the humans and their ability to build such buildings was always something to be admired. "This way." One of the men in black spoke to him in a gruff and annoyed voice. They definitely were not amused by him being here and didn't seem to want to wait around for the grunt to stop ogling the sky scrapers. Soon he found himself being led through a few corridors only to wind up in a large bright room with many humans moving around. They all looked to be very busy with whatever it was they were in such a hurry for only a couple of wandering eyes found themselves glancing toward him or over to a much larger figure in front of him. He couldn't quite make out the red armor at first but soon it became clear as his escort met up with two others that were escorting a Sangheili in red and white shining armor. By the looks of him and the description of the elite that would be his new commander this one matched the description. "Vael 'Virisusai? Grik has been told a lot about you, it is an honor to have a Sangheili such as yourself as our commander." Grikgar spoke using the Sangheili language in a formal tone as he looked up at him.</s> <\|message\|>Tasumameyofaxre "Tasuma" Tasumameyofaxre<< Mgalekgolo Hunter >> << HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6 >> Tasuma was... happy. That is what the ODSTs said. Yes, it was looking forward to it, and it felt pride, when the medal was pinned to its breastplate. Like it felt when Iteyimeyokosa, its bond brother, taught it the traditional meditations and poems. This pinning of the metal was also traditional, to humans, and the Lieutenant told him the history of it and the meaning. Pinned to the breastplate of the black and grey camouflaged armor was a silver winged parachute, with a large golden star in the middle. Five plus combat drops with the ODSTs. The Lieutenant said Tasuma had earned it, and there was a celebration. Then Tasuma had to leave, and go here, to Australia. Though, the platoon he had fought alongside with for so long strong armed their way into ensuring Tasuma had an escort there. Tasuma had already been in the city for a week, and the UNSC kept it and the five ODST escorts in a nearby base. But today was the day. The truck Tasuma was riding in was dark, with no windows, and the driver went slow. Its companions sat in hastily mounted seats, and they conversed casually, talking about the local food and booze. Some of what they were talking about seemed appealing to Tasuma. Soon the truck halted, and the door opened, revealing the building surrounded by walls. The five fully armored ODSTs quickly unbuckled, one picking up a satchel, and filed out of the truck. Tasuma followed at his own, slow, pace. There were other humans there with a forklift, presumably to transport the box containing Tasumas equipment, one was talking to the ODST Sergeant with a clipboard in hand. As soon as they saw it, they stopped what they were doing, and the man dropped his clipboard. The Sergeant promptly shook the shocked mans shoulders. "I said, do not even scratch the paint," The Sergeant pointed at Tasuma, "of his Assault Cannon and shield!" The Corporal chuckled, and then walked over to the Hunter. He opened his satchel, "So Tas', me and the boys got you a lil' somethin'!" He pulled out a crimson bundle of cloth, and unraveled it in front of the Hunter. It was a shoulder cloak, meant for his right side judging by the leather shoulder pad, and emblazoned in the middle of the large cloak was the symbol of the Swords of Sanghelios in ivory. Tasuma stared in silence. "Alright, alright now don't get all teary eyed on us, you gotta look your best for your new boss." He said, he approached the Mgalekgolo and the other ODSTs helped the Corporal clip the leather pauldron onto the massive colony. The Corporal rubbed some grime off the Hunters helmet before turning to the Sergeant, who was standing with his arms crossed. The Sergeant nodded with approval, and they began to move towards the tower. The people in the courtyards of Bravo-6 gave the Hunter a wide berth, and the five ODSTs surrounding the Hunter ensured it. It wasn't long until Tasuma stopped in its tracks, and the ODST escort halted with it. The six spikes lifted slightly from its back, then it turned and began walking in a separate direction. The ODSTs followed without question, and it became rapidly apparent as to why. As the group rounded the corner of the building, they saw that they were walking towards an Unggoy and a Sangheili.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael had been tolerating the wait, though it seemed like he would be meeting at least some of his team before the Humans actually brought them beyond the atrium. The presence of an Unggoy had few other explanations at the headquarters of the UNSC. Of course, the Unggoy also wasted no time in confirming that fact. Vael had been, to his knowledge, the first chosen by the Swords of Sanghelios for this team, but he was not the one choosing those who would serve underneath him. He did not know what the composition of his team would be and simply had to trust that his own leaders were making the correct decisions. However, it did seem like those being selected were at least being told about him. "I have not yet been informed of the members of my team." Vael replied, also in Sangheili. One of the Human guards beside Vael looked up towards him. "You shouldn't talk about anything unti-" Before the guard could get close to finishing his sentence, Vael's gaze darted down to the Human, followed by a growl. So far, Vael had, from his perspective, given the Humans far more patience than had ever should have been required. Had most other Sangheili been given his position, there would already have been "incidents". But, even Vael's patience was not unlimited. The guard's firm demeanor had diminished almost immediately. He hesitated for a few seconds, weighing in his mind how important it was to push the issue. Ultimately, as long as they were speaking in Sangheili rather than English, he decided to back down. Ignoring the guard entirely, Vael took out his personal data pad and looked down at Grik. "Unggoy…ultra." He said, observing the Unggoy's armor. "What is your full name and specialization?" He asked. Vael's tone was dry and his question straight-to-the-point. He was not dismissive nor irritated towards the Unggoy, but neither was he friendly. He was simply professional. The presence of either a Sangheili or Unggoy who were obviously not refugees was unusual on Earth. At least in a place like this. Civilians passing through the atrium who happened to see them would usually be surprised, and give them a wide berth. However, the approach of a five-and-a-half ton Mgalekgolo could be felt through the metal floor before it could be seen. When the Hunter stepped into view, all eyes were already upon it. The same guard that had tried interrupting Vael stepped forward with his alarmed gaze on the nearest ODST, rather than the Mgalekgolo itself. "Don't bring that…thing in here! It's going to give a civvie a heart attack." He said somewhat frantically in a hushed voice, though he also offered nothing in the way of an alternative. The atrium was essentially the only area on this floor that a Hunter could stand without mostly blocking passage around it.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 Ben-E218 followed the others, keeping a close eye on Rex and the Hunter. For what it was worth, he occasionally looked at the Grunt. No suspicious behaviors. Perhaps he was just being paranoid. Of course, he was paid to be paranoid. That's what Epsilon's company unofficial slogan was, at least. Paid to be paranoid. Not that there was an Epsilon company on any official record. The mention of war games snapped Ben out of his reverie. "War games. I think it's a good idea. Any sniper will tell you that they key to getting one-shot, one-kill is constant practice. Like Simo Häyhä said." He had a feeling that the Finnish Sniper from the Winter War would go over the heads of most of the assembled crowd, but Häyhä had been Ben's idol in training, even more so than any of the Spartan IIs. Ben sat next to Grikgar, one of the only seats available. He turned to look at the Unggoy, finally answering his question. "Of course we're going on a mission. They didn't bring us here for fun. This isn't a child's game." "If I may, Ben, don't hold it against him too much. Unggoy raised by the Covenant were tossed into battle from a young age after being put on an extensive regiment of drugs and given little time to learn anything apart from combat, and were often trained in a rather haphazard manner. Intelligent as he is for his species, much of this must seem like a game to him. At least, that's my assessment." Strangely enough, the way the Grunts had been treated offered some eerie parallels with the Spartan IIs and IIIs. Taken into the military from childhood, frequently drugged up, and a childhood with nothing but war and training for war. Of course, Phong's analysis was hardly perfect. Unggoy aged at a vastly different rate than humans did, even though they kept several features which humans at least would consider child-like; high-pitched voices, frequent naps, cowardice in battle, the frequent lack of footwear, and a fairly 'cute' appearance in terms of proportions. Of course, the average adult Unggoy was actually quite heavy next to most normal humans, and the parallels could only go so far. If anything the Brutes were the closest species the Covenant had ever had to humans, and the comparisons between the two species fell flat on most accounts. "Are we just about ready to get on with things?" He wasn't sure if promptness or patience was appreciated by the Sanghelli, but he had a feeling that this was taking longer than the group leader would have liked.</s> <\|message\|>Tasumameyofaxre "Tasuma" Tasumameyofaxre<< Mgalekgolo Hunter >> << HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6 >> Tasuma rose its head, seeing that Aviza glanced to the Sergeant, it followed her gaze to the Sergeant. It knew the ODSTs were a stubborn bunch, he would never verbally say an apology. The Sergeant finished grilling the guard, and moved back to escort Tasuma. More humans appeared, and there was even a number of Spartans, from the humans warrior-clans. It heard tales from Iteyi, of the 2nd Clan, and 3rd Clan. The 4th, "Gen IV"s were the latest, and the most numerous. As the group began to move, Tasuma and the ODSTs followed, and Tasuma continued to ponder about the humans. It knew some of the IV's, the squad who had protected its bond-brother were elevated into the 4th Clan, but even then they fought alongside other human warriors, with support from vehicles and aircraft. The tales that Iteyi spoke to Tasuma of told of green armored, golden eyed demons, who mostly fought alone. They caused terrible casualties on their own, and more than a few pairs of Mgalekgolo were felled by their hands. The group stopped outside of a room with double doors, and the ODSTs caught Tasumas attention by lightly slapping his arm. It was the Sergeant. "Alright Tas' this is where we split. We gotta grab our orders from somewhere else. Remember Tas', you end up in trouble, give us a call. We'll find a ride to you." The Sergeant said, patting Tasuma on the helmet. The other ODSTs patted the Hunter similarly, and then the five humans left the group. Shortly after, an Elite next to him spoke up in Sangheili, "Your rapport with your human friends bodes well for this venture, mgalekgolo. Perhaps the rest of us are able to win their trust as well." Tasuma looked to the Elite and nodded slowly. Perhaps. Even they, the ODSTs who regarded it with much affection, hated it at first. How could they not? It took months and years to reach where they were with their friendship. When the doors opened, and the humans inside began to file out, Tasuma waited. Thinking. Now that the ODSTs were gone, it was truly alone. Even surrounded by other humans, and the aliens that the Lekgolo regarded as allies, alone. It would take time for it to get used to these new allies, it was among the last to get into the board room, and it was easily apparent that the seats weren't suited for a Mgalekgolo. So it opted to stand in the back of the room, as to not block anyone.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Major Robinson and Captain Leroux --- "We will not be rushing out of the room to get to the ship, but we will not be making any delays to this mission. We have reason to believe that our target will be acting within a few days." Major Robinson answered to Yalu. At the very least, there were no objections to skipping training, but she viewed such enthusiasm as a double-edged sword. The Spartans would likely be able to work together intuitively, but they all needed to learn how to coordinate together, despite vastly different military backgrounds. Against the type of odds they were likely to be facing over the course of their missions, they would not likely be able to rely purely on individual skill to get them out alive, much less complete the mission. For this first mission, though, there was no choice but for them to act quickly. Still, there needed to be some measure of patience at the moment. "I do not questions your combat experience, Spartans, but I do recommend you take preparation seriously. I know some of you have coordinated with Swords of Sanghelios teams before, but none of you have ever been a part of one. All of you will need to learn to fight together as efficiently as you would among your own respective species. At any rate, we will begin the briefing once Captain Leroux has arrived. He has the most recent mission files." Fortunately for Aegis team, the Captain was not far behind the rest of them. It was only a few minutes before he entered the conference room as well. He calmly waited for the door to slide shut behind him before he continued to the table. Unlike many of the others who had seen Aegis team, he had no hint of surprise or discomfort. Even the sight of the Hunter did not influence his composure. He was a man in his late thirties, perhaps early forties, with fair skin and light brown hair. He wore a grey and black UNSC naval uniform that prominently displayed his rank. The Captain stepped up alongside Robinson. After they exchanged a salute, he spoke, perhaps unsurprisingly, with a distinctly French accent. "Aegis Team. I apologize for the delay. May I assume you have all had time to become acquainted?" "Yes, we can get straight to the briefing." Major Robinson answered rather quickly. She consciously avoided sounding too brusque. The Captain gave a nod, then inserted a data crystal chip into the holotank in front of him. The AI within soon manifested its avatar near the center of the table. The avatar had a mostly uniform, light blue tint and depicted a Chinese woman wearing the clothing of a 19th century sailor. "Shih, if you please?" Captain Leroux remarked. The AI acknowledged the Captain, then brought up a hologram of two CCS-class battlecruisers and one SDV-class heavy corvette at the center of the table. "The clan of the Brute war chieftain Brakabus. It is a rather minor, independent clan of Brutes that splintered off from the Covenant after Truth's death. Their chieftain likes to boast about their strength as survivors, but basically, they took a few ships, gathered as many weapons as they could possibly horde, and ran away once things started to fall apart. At first, they ran far from any settled part of space, but presumably, they quickly realized that they couldn't actually eat guns and had to start raiding for supplies. For all of their bragging about their strength, their leader is at least somewhat pragmatic. Over the last five years, they've only raided easy targets, then ran before a response fleet could get to them." Pausing a moment, Shih displayed several images showing what seemed to have been a massacre of twenty or so Humans inside what appeared to be a prefabricated structure, commonly used on colony worlds. Aside from being a rather gruesome sight, what could be easily gathered from the images was that the damage to the bodies, as well as the interior of the structure, was done primarily with plasma weapons. "Last month, this attack was carried out in the Lulnanit province of Andrakis, a colony in one of the Joint Occupation Zones. The victims were the recently-elected governor of the province, and anyone else who happened to be in the building. It was a quick, brutal, and efficient massacre. An EMP attack took out the settlement's power, and by the time any reinforcements could come, the attackers were gone. How does this relate to the Brute clan? Well, our analysis of a few weapons that were seemingly left behind found some subtle, but distinctive markings that link back to Brakabus' clan. Now, nothing about this attack matches the normal motivations or methods of this Brute clan, but we did manage to locate their ships. Based on initial investigations, we believe these Brutes have made a deal to trade some of their weapons to a rebel group for supplies. We have not identified the rebels in question, but we believe their objective is to spark conflict between the UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios. Tensions have already been rising between Human and Sangheili colonists on Andrakis as a result of the assassination."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern It was in Aviza's belief that the Human members of Aegis Team would be lead by a human fire team leader, while the ex-covenant team members would be lead by Vael 'Virisusai. All while staying in communication with each other. This assumption was based off the fact that she had seen such practices be put into use through her lengthy career with the UNSC. Though, times were changing and perhaps she had been mistaken in her assessment. Aviza knew she could easily adapt to what was being requested of her and her fellow humans, and would follow orders swiftly and to the letter regardless if they came from a human or Sangheili. There was a want to comment on this bit of information, though she decided to ask her questions when appropriate, and allow the briefing to continue. With the arrival of Captain Leroux, Aviza would swiftly salute the man then return to her comfortable position, though now crossing her left leg over her right and leaning back in her seat. The captains inquiry had caused Aviza to nod her head once at the man, but this was apparently unnecessary, Major Robinson had responded for them once again. Spartan Aviza hoped this was not going to become a common occurrence, she was plenty capable of responding on her own to any questions that found themselves pointed at her. Perhaps Major Robinson just wanted to get the briefing moving, perhaps she felt above the rest who were present, there was no way to tell why she had done this. The thought was quickly pushed out of her mind though, as Captain Leroux addressed the A.I. known as Shih, informing her to begin the detailed briefing. Holographic images of two CS-class battle-cruisers and one SDV-class heavy corvette suddenly appeared in the middle of the table, Aviza leaned forward slightly to get a better look at them while Shih began explaining the current situation at hand. She had not heard of the Brute war chieftain Brakabus or his clan before, but she knew all to well what fighting those giant ape Berserkers was like, and they were no push over. The fact that they had only only raided easy targets over the last five years did not add up, Brutes were more aggressive than that, perhaps this one was playing it safe at the moment? A few scenarios ran through Aviza's mind while she remained paying close attention to all that was being said. Once Shih had finished with the briefing, Aviza saw her opportunity to ask a number of important questions that she had been holding onto in the back of her mind. Once more in her calm and collected voice, she spoke. "Major Robinson, you said that we will be part of a Swords of Sanghelios team? I have absolutely no problem with this but I was under the assumption that the the Human members of Aegis Team would be lead by a human fire team leader, while the ex-covenant team members would be lead by Vael 'Virisusai? Perhaps I am mistaken in this? As for Brute war chieftain Brakabus and his clan, the fact that weapons with the clans distinctive markings upon them were found at the colony may suggest that they have been trading with the rebel group for a while now. It is even possible that the rebel group attacked the colony. Do we have any information on what kind of numbers and firepower both hostile groups have?"</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Major Robinson, Vael 'Virisusai, and UNSC AI SHI 1203-8 --- Major Robinson, this time, wasted no time in addressing Aviza's questions, at least to an extent. "You are partially correct. The UNSC and the Swords of Sanghelios have come to an arrangement for the leadership of this team. It is…unconventional, and it will mean you will need to learn to work more closely together than you may have been expecting. We will address the command structure of Aegis Team at the end of the briefing. As for the rebels, they almost certainly are the guilty party for the attack. This Brute clan has just those three ships, and barely enough Brutes and Grunts to operate them. Their Jackals left them years ago. However, the Brutes are not your primary target. They are hardly more than a pest; it is the rebels that are dangerous. We know little about them, other than that they are likely a small, but well-trained group. The most concerning detail of your mission, and the primary reason that Aegis team has been selected for it, is to where we have tracked the Brute ships, and most likely the rebels: Sarcophagus." Vael's eyes widened slightly upon the mention of Sarcophagus. Not everyone present would even know about its existence, likely just the Spartans that had been trained on the world as it had once been known: Onyx. Although, the world that they knew had been replaced by something far different. The secret was not so tightly kept outside of the UNSC, but Vael had only been informed of it as a result of his selection as a leader of Aegis Team. The description he had been given had felt almost unbelievable. The AI Shih resumed her briefing once prompted by the Major. "An ONI Prowler tagged the Brute ships and tracked them into the interior of Sarcophagus, formal designation Shield World 006. We believe that the Brutes are making another deal with the rebels for more of their weapons, which means that Paxopolis is almost certainly their next target. The heads of security for the settlement, Franklin Mendez and Kasha 'Hilot, have been informed to prepare for threats, but we would prefer this be dealt with quietly, and especially without danger to the colony. So far, the settlement has not detected the presence of the Brute ships." Vael had put aside his data pad and now looked curiously at the artificial construct. "How is it that capital ships, even just in a small group, could go undetected by the settlement? I had been told that both of our people have fortified the settlement with warriors, and even ships." "You don't understand how massive Sarcophagus truly is. I doubt anyone in this room does. However large you think it is, you are wrong. It is larger. Halo rings? The Ark? They look like children's toys in comparison." Shih explained, though she soon decided to represent it visually. She first created a hologram in the center of the table that almost reached to the ceiling depicting a star, one not too different from the sun. Then, she "zoomed out" to show the orbit of a planet around the star, then again to show a second planet farther out…then yet again to show a third. Only after the third planet did she zoom out far enough to show the Dyson shell around the star's entire inner solar system. At this point, the hologram covered nearly the entire room, which she had no doubt done intentionally for emphasis. "Sarcophagus is a solid shell that orbits at about one astronomical unit. It has an approximate surface area of two hundred and fifty-fife quadrillion square kilometers, and has three planets orbiting a star inside it. Our settlement, our little 'city of peace', is just a speck on its surface." As stoic as he usually was, even Vael's awe showed through in his demeanor. Even just trying to imagine the scale of this creation of the Forerunners felt like an impossible task, and a reminder of the incredible power their kind had once wielded. Major Robinson too hesitated, but she did eventually speak up. "As Shih has…demonstrated, Sarcophagus is a place where the rebels could very easily go into hiding, despite our presence there. Your mission is to follow these Brutes, observe their deal with the rebels, then follow them back to their main encampment. Once you find them, you will strike quickly and decisively. Capture their leader alive if possible, but your main priority is to ensure that their operations are ended permanently. We cannot afford to let them get away, so you must remain undetected until you have identified the rebel encampment."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker The SPARTAN-IV listened to the briefing in silence, absorbing the details and going over them from his experience in the ONI black ops team. Something about this didn't make sense, even with the presented facts. It wouldn't take rocket science to know that the UNSC would investigate the source of the weapons before launching accusations at the Swords, not with the tenuous peace that both sides had already worked so hard to achieve. However, he waited for the rest of the briefing and the additional information, before he spoke up, keeping the specifics of his time with ONI intentionally unmentioned. "Are we sure that these aren't Remnant? That last attack was messy, and leaving weapons behind intentionally? I don't think they're trying to ramp up tensions, they're testing how the Swords and UNSC respond to it. In my unit before I became a SPARTAN-IV, we did similar tests during the war so we knew response times, what the response teams consisted of and what the best ex filtration routes were with the lowest chance of being spotted or intercepted. We may be walking into something much larger than simple rebels."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai "It is possible your intuition is correct, Spartan." The Major answered to Ryker. "ONI has accepted that as a possibility as well. Should you arrive to find the situation is drastically different from our predictions and are unable to contact us, then you should exercise your best judgment to act in the interests of the UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios. But, the evidence we have does lean more strongly towards rebels being the guilty party. Shih, if you please." The AI brought up a different set of images, this time close-up shots from multiple angles of the weapons recovered from the attack, two plasma rifles and an energy sword, as well as detailed shots of some of the plasma damage on the walls. "The markings were found on the energy sword, and were not prominent. Based on previous patterns where it has been seen, it may be a custom of this particular Brute clan to mark trophies they take, perhaps as an insult to the previous owner. They could have been mistaken for battle damage, and the rebels may have not realized they planted marked weapons. If we are right, their goals with the attack were still successful. We may be careful and methodical in our investigations, but the court of public opinion is not so patient. Tensions on the planet are already rising as the colonists blame each other. The rebels may be taking the strategy of driving a wedge between us and the public." "Whether it is rebels you find or another threat, it is still our job to act. Aegis is not merely a strike team. You all were not just chosen for your combat ability, but also your loyalty, judgment, and adaptability. In this mission, and others, you will be called upon to go into uncertain situations that are too dangerous or time-sensitive for traditional espionage. You will need to investigate on your own and act in the best interest of our respective governments." Major Robinson added.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Major Robinson and Vael 'Virisusai --- For once, the Major did not have an immediate answer when Grik posed his question. Despite his surprisingly insightful comments regarding the Brutes, Robinson had not paid him too much attention, even when he broke one of the chairs. However, his question caused her to raise her brow. "You mean the Flood?" She knew what he was referring to, but the connection to why he was bringing it up was not immediately clear to her. Vael, however, understood Grik right away. He had already given the Unggoy a low growl out of annoyance for his clumsiness, but he did not do the same for his mention of the parasite. Normally, he might chastise an Unggoy, or any other of his warriors, for cowardice, but Vael too had the misfortune of having to face the Flood during the war. It was the one opponent to which Vael felt no shame in saying he feared. The parasite was a horror he would not wish upon even the San'Shyuum. "These shield worlds were intended to preserve life when they used the rings. The researchers at Sarcophagus have found no presence of Flood." Vael answered to Grik, basing his words off of the information he had been reading from his data pad. "Yes, well, you all have your orders." The Major continued. "I will also ensure you all have access to the relevant mission files when you arrive on the ship. Now, as to the matter of Aegis Team's command structure, the UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios have come to an agreement on a non-standard command hierarchy. Depending upon the context of your individual missions, either the UNSC or Swords will be given operational authority. Meaning, the command of the team will be given to either Vael, or myself. However, as I am not a field agent, it will be one of you taking command in the field. Spartan Aviza Morgenstern, in light of your service history, you have been authorized a promotion to Fireteam Leader. For this mission, the UNSC has been given operational authority, so you will be in command of Aegis Team. Also note that Vael will be considered your second-in-command, and when the Swords have operational authority, you will likewise be considered his second-in-command."</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Shield World 006, sometimes known as Sarcophagus but more commonly known as ONI Research Facility Trevelyan had become partly-common knowledge among some of the UNSC. Aviza remembered hearing about the joint UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios Onyx United Research Project and that it contained a growing settlement with a population in the thousands. A few scenarios as to why the Brutes and or Rebels would want to attack such a colony that was undoubtedly heavily protected ran through the Spartans mind, perhaps it was for the Forerunner technology that was undoubtedly being integrated into humanities own, to create unrest among the UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios as had been suggested, or for some other unknown reason. Regardless their reasons, the fact that they would be traveling to Shield World 006 drew great interest for Spartan Aviza. From her knowledge, Shield World 006 was the largest Forerunner creation known to the galaxy, and being able to explore such a place caused a small flare of excitement. The mention of Remnant forces was oddly something Aviza had not considered until the moment, but then decided that if the Remnant had indeed carried out the most recent assaults, they would have been much more clean, precise, and well executed. The Remnant were more of a threat than the brutes, in all areas, and fighting them would prove quite a challenge. The Unggoy known as Grikgar had broken the chair he had be leaning back in, but had also brought up very good points that she had somehow over looked for the time being. He was correct, if the Brutes were as hungry as they appeared to be, why would there have been human corpses laying about? Clearly, Grikgar was much more intelligent than his fellow Unggoy, the thought of Yap Yap the Destroyer ran through her mind but was quickly pushed back at the mention of the flood. Aviza had heard of the Flood, seen videos and images of them, and even fought against simulations of them in War-Games but fighting them first hand was nothing she had experienced, and in all honestly, was not something she ever wanted to do. Thankfully though, Vael 'Virisusai explained that it was impossible for the Flood to be on Shield World 006. What happened next came as a surprise to Spartan Aviza Morgenstern, she knew Vael 'Virisusai and Major Robinson were in command of Team Aegis, but being selected as the Fire Team Leader caught her off guard. Still with her calm and collected demeanor, Aviza responded by standing then giving a momentary firm but crisp salute. "It is my honor to not only be chosen as Fire Team Leader but also to work with the Swords of Sanghelios, I will carry out my orders in the best interest of the UNSC and the Swords of Sanghelios as a whole." Once she was finished speaking, Aviza would grab onto her helmet with her left hand, assuming that they would be departing very shortly.</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 This was not what Ben had expected, but he went with it. "Ben, be advised that our team leader has not been briefed on your-" Ben silenced the AI by focusing his eyes on an option to silence Phong which had been programmed into his HUD. Vael knew at least some of Ben's background as an assassin whose real mission was to shoot traitors, cowards, and anyone who would threaten the fragile alliance between humans and the Elites, but Aviza might as well have been Grikgar for all she knew about him. And Ben was under very clear orders NOT to let more people know about his true purpose; he might as well have outranked any of them for the purposes of preventing an interspecies incident. If the mission had to fail in order to keep the peace, Ben wouldn't hesitate to make that happen. They could always deploy a second team, guaranteed, but there was no guarantee that humanity could survive another war. Still, he was also under orders to cooperate while the mission proceeded, and following Aviza was temporarily a part of that. He swallowed his disgust for the Spartan IV program and spoke up to Aviza. "Just make sure that the team keeps to its mission and that we do nothing to jeopardize the alliance. I hope the seriousness of the situation isn't lost on anyone. The human race nearly died in the last war, and that was before the Halo rings were discovered and all sapient life was nearly exterminated. I trust we will all be on our best behavior." "Do you want to see the odds that you're going to have to kill at least one of the team? They're getting higher every minute. The success rate of a mission led by a Spartan falls with every generation after the Spartan IIs. Even when-" Ben muted Phong once more, taking great care not to show any emotion or distrust by his body language. He had kept his helmet on the entire time, so nothing showed from that front.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Captain Leroux and Vael 'Virisusai --- Once the briefing itself was concluded, Shih returned to the data crystal chip, which Captain Leroux pulled from the holotank. After getting a brief confirmation from the Major that she was done, he addressed the team. "The ship to which Aegis Team has been assigned is the Autumn-class Heavy Cruiser, UNSC Chorus of Thunder. My ship. Now, I do not know the customs of the Swords of Sanghelios navy, so for the sake of clarity, I will say now that the Captain is the ranking officer aboard a UNSC vessel, regardless of your branch of service. That means that, as far as my ship is concerned, I have the final authority. As long as that is understood, there is a Pelican waiting outside to take you all to the ship in orbit. Given the needs of your missions, the Thunder has been outfitted for light ground support. A War Games Simulation module has been installed for your use, and you will all be given officer's quarters for the duration of your assignment to my ship. Apart from you, Tasuma." He said, looking to the Mgalekgolo. "Given your…unique requirements, a section of one of the hangers has been converted into a space suitable to your needs. For the Swords personnel present, your weapons have already been checked into the armory, and any other personal effects delivered to your quarters." --- After they were dismissed by the Major, Aegis Team were shown outside to their Pelican. While Tasuma did take up quite a lot of space on its own, a Pelican too was quite a sizable dropship. As long as the rest of the team kept to their seats, there was more than enough space for the Mgalekgolo to stand in the back. Their flight path had already been cleared before take-off, so the flight into orbit did not take too long. Although, even after their Pelican touched down in the cruiser's hanger, the team was not put in any particular hurry. They were deploying on their mission that day, but it would still be a few hours before the ship was ready to depart Earth. In the meantime, Aegis Team's members were free to do as they pleased. Vael was among the first to step out of the Pelican into the hanger. Vehicles and supplies were being loaded onto the ship and taken into storage, so the many of the crew were almost too busy to notice the ship's new set of passengers. Almost. He looked around with at least some slight curiosity. For Vael, this was not his first time aboard a Human warship, but it was his first time aboard as an ally to them. The last time he had walked through one of their corridors, it had been in a hail of bullets and plasma.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko The most eager allies took point ahead of Yalu. He made sure to find a place after Commander 'Virisusai so as not to steal unearned glory, though he was not hesitant. Morgenstern threw herself out of the pelican, then 'Virisusai, then Tasuma, then Ryker, and then Yalu loped out with the momentum of his human machine gun. He followed Ryker until just under the tail of the pelican, ducked across to the right of the pelican's rear, and lowered himself. He the spin of his weapons barrels required a bit of correction as he levelled his aim, and then... Shields flashed on the sentinels. They banked from the gale of high calibre rounds as bright flashes lit up the underside of the dropship tail. Sparks flew at the first two bullets that broke through the instant before a sentinel burst and fell with a heavy clatter. Yalu stopped firing to line up with another cluster of targets. "One down!" he shouted. More noise and tracers leapt out of Yalu's weapon. Another sentinel directed its beam across his energy shield a moment before it was overwhelmed by rapid fire. He had an arc of beside Tasuma and Ryker covered for now. A couple more beams and he would have to withdraw to recharge.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Planets Surface Grikgar waited for the Lekgolo to move out as it seemed a few of the humans where the first to get out and into the fray. Their tactics mirrored his own being the first out and last in just not as well trained to begin with. Tasuma rushed forward after a few others making itself a living barrier between them and the trench the pelican had made. A Spartan took up a position behind the hulking alien, he seemed to be using weapons better suited to go after the sentinels that didn't have shields. Grik moved quickly up behind the hunter pressing his methane tank up against the armored giant. He did this to ensure that his weak spot was better protected and so that he could move with the Lekgolo's movements and not against it. Running head first into the thick of it was how he inspired the best out of the grunts he used to lead, never backing down, never running. Charging his pistols the Unggoy began to fire the balls of tracking green plasma in two directions. One was being fired towards the robots low to the ground and the other was being fired towards the ones still coming down. Charged plasma fire was very good at downing and destroying the machines on their own at times let alone their ability to strip shields and stop electronics. This also had the chance of killing the sentinel without it setting off its secondary explosive and rendering it partially intact. There were still more targets highlighted on his visor but the grunt focused on the bots that were closest to them while staying out of the way of the Lekgolo's footsteps. "Watch for secondary explosions!" he called out.</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 Ben opened fire on the nearest sentinel, downing it with a well-places sniper shot. He had to conserve ammo on that rifle, so he found that he had to switch to his pistol for the time being. After downing four more with his pistol, he realized that his rounds were running out on that gun as well. His arms configuration on this mission had been optimized for taking down a few high-value targets, not a swarm of what might be deemed low-tier trash. Thinking quickly, he ran over to one of the fallen drones, discarded his pistol, and ripped out a beam turret from the construct, hastily checking to see if the weapon was still intact. He aimed the turret at an incoming sentinel and fired, releasing a potent line of thermal energy. It worked, and when it inevitably ran out of power, he'd simply be able to pick up another from one of the fallen sentinels. Why exactly the Forerunners included hand controls on a weapon meant to be fired by a robot without limbs was beyond him, but it didn't matter right now. He ran over in the direction of Grikgar and Tasuma. He knew that, unusually, the Unggoy was shielded, but Tasuma was not. The Mgalekgolo's armor was strong, but unlike an energy shield, it didn't recharge; all damage between repairs was permanent. Incredibly durable though Hunter armor was, it could be burned through eventually. It also had a weak point in the back which was left wide open to attack. And as the sentinels kept coming, the odds that one of them was going to fire its beam into the Hunter's exposed back grow greater and greater. "Tasuma, behind you! Ah!" Ben had leapt between Tasuma and a sentinel beam, taking the blow for the Hunter. Fortunately, Ben's shields had been almost at maximum durability when the beam hit. As such, he could take the blow head-on and return fire with the beam turret, quickly downing his assailant.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern "The number of Sentinels attacking us could grow if we do not tread carefully." Said Aviza over her coms as she snapped to her left and picked another Sentinel before firing upon it. The Forerunner construct fell to pieces after a sustained burst of fire from her MA5D, littering the ground in debris, some of which was burning with a vibrant blue flame. There was a momentary pause in fire from Spartan Aviza as she quickly moved to the right side of the Pelican and took cover behind one of the wings that had dug itself into the ground. "Not that many left, keep firing upon them while I contact the Marines in control of the Mammoth." It was at the time that she noticed that the ONI Spooks were making a mad dash for the Mammoth in the near distance. "You two, get back here and stay in cover, now." Said Aviza in a much more commanding tone, different from her calm and collected voice. She would be responisble if the two were killed under her command, and expected everyone to follow her orders to the letter. After crouching down to give herself better cover, Aviza contacted the crew of the Mammoth and gave them orders, if they could not move to the Mammoth at the moment, the Mammoth would have to come to them. "Move the Mammoth to our position, most of the Sentinels have been destroyed and should pose much less of a threat at the moment." The Mammoth could easily hold its own against the Sentinels, due to the heavy weaponry and armor plating installed upon it.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Shih --- If nothing else, Vael could see that the members of the team were quick to act, took initiative, and were deadly in a fight. Even just simple accuracy with their weapons set them apart. The sentinels were falling much quicker than they would against an average squad of marines, or lance of Swords warriors. Vael was keeping track as best as he could of their enemy; there had been seventeen Forerunner machines to start, and ten had fallen. Unfortunately, more sentinels had arrived within motion sensor range, a fact about which Shih was quick to alert the team, but the number of opponents within range to threaten them had still been temporarily thinned. Taking the opportunity, Vael dashed out from underneath the wing to the wreckage of one of the sentinels. He knew just what he was looking for, so it did not take long for him to holster his weapon and rip from the broken frame the sentinel's weapon. In his experience, the true best weapons against Forerunner machines were their own. It took only a moment for Vael's suit to identify the weapon and paint a reticle on his HUD. The internal battery of a sentinel beam did not last too long when disconnected from a sentinel's power source, but it would certainly be enough for this fight. Vael picked the harder-to-hit targets: the ones flying higher or faster. The intense orange beam hardly took more than a second of sustained fire to deplete the shields and cut through the sentinel's frame, and with no deviation and effectively no travel time, he could fire it with pinpoint precision. Three times Vael fired a burst of the beam, and each of the three times a sentinel came crashing to the ground. Though, as his weapon overheated, two of the remaining sentinels focused their weapons onto Vael. Despite having shield strength appropriate to his rank, the Forerunner weapons were enough to deplete his shields and scorch his chestplate before he could get back into cover under the wing. The nanolaminate plating held, though Vael could feel the heat it had absorbed. "Shields are down!" Vael called out. Vael was not the only one being pressured. Another beam from a different sentinel was cutting across the ground towards Grikgar, while another sentinel that had been damaged accelerated forward towards Ben, likely aiming to kill him with the secondary explosions of its own destruction. With the Spartan's shields weakened as they were, he was vulnerable. At the same time, the Marines radioed back to Aviza's request quickly. "Yes ma'am. Telemetry shows there is a plateau in the way, so we'll have to go around. ETA…two minutes." "More sentinels on approach, and they're spreading out. Looks like they're going to surround the crash site." Shih warned the team.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Tasumameyofaxre "Tasuma" Tasumameyofaxre<< Mgalekgolo Hunter >> << Shield World 006 "Sarcophagus >> The team worked well together, fanning out and splitting into teams quickly as the leader ordered. Surprisingly it wasn't just Grik to be beside him. Spartan Ryker was behind Tasuma not far behind, and the Spartan finished off the two sentinels that the Hunter had weakened. As the Hunter shielded itself from one beam attack, the Spartan peaked around Tasuma and emptied his SMG magazines into the attacking drone. "I got your six, Tasuma. Wouldn't do to not have each other's backs, right?" The Spartan said. Tasuma let out an agreeable grunt, the Spartan was correct. Another sentinel aimed at Tasuma, this time at its rear, but this seemed like a coordinated attack. Multiple sentinels attacked their group, one fired a beam towards Grik, and another, already damaged, dived towards them. A second Spartan leapt to Tasuma's defense, taking a beam to the shields, allowing Tasuma to act. It fired a burst of incendiary gel bolts at the the sentinel firing at Grik, the bolts tracking and smacking against its shield, depleting them. Tasuma had no time to finish it off, it would have to rely on its team for that. Tasuma turned its attention to the diving sentinel, waiting a second for the right moment, then it lifted its shield and swung it. The two ton shield smashed against the damaged sentinel with a loud clang, sending it careening away several meters and into the dirt.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker The left SMG came alive once more to gun down the Sentinel that was firing on Grikgar just before its beam reached the Unggoy and he shifted targets quickly, the remainder of the SMG's magazine went into the next Sentinel to come into the Spartan's sight along with most of the right SMG's. He fired the remaining rounds at an approaching Sentinel to make it veer off before he reloaded. "We should fall back some, use the Pelican's troop bay as a holding point til the mammoth gets here." Another Sentinel came at the group, but it made the mistake of passing too close to Lucas, who caught its underside and swung up on top of it before plunging the wrist mounted energy dagger into it. After gliding a few more feet, it fell to the ground and slid a few feet as Ryker leapt off. Once it stopped, he sliced it open with the self-same energy dagger and pulled out its weapon. "If more are moving into position around us, we might be in trouble. I've seen swarms incinerate large ships with a combined blast."</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko The new sentinels sweeping up over the terrain were not close enough for Yalu's machine gun to focus on. Their shields radiated with stray hits but the spread bullets only knocked them a little off course. Then in an instant he processed a sentinel gunning for Grikgar. He hardly noticed himself whip out his carbine before his machine gun clattered, dropped at his feet. "Danger close, Ultra!" Four sharp shots went straight into the damaged sentinel's 'eye'. Gravity pulled it to the dirt, thankfully unexploded. "Enemy down!" Yalu shouted. He had his primary weapon out now. There was not a moment in the chaos to pick his machine gun back up. "These machines won't be intimidated, either!" Yalu added to Ryker's comment between downing one across under the pelican's tail, trying to cover for Commander Virisusai. Yalu put his head down and darted to the Spartan Ben to help yank up him to his feet. "Honour yourself; do not bleed!" He turned his weapon to the side and strode, scanning for more.</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 "I don't think these things are in the mood to talk! Ben wasn't exactly bleeding, but Yalu's point was taken. The number of drones seemed to be endless, but Ben had been informed that Forerunner facilities rarely sent more than a few dozen drones out at a time at most, unless the flood was attacking. The Spartan-III heard the telltale sound of his shields recharging. He counted himself very lucky that he had never taken a blow which damaged his suit's battery. More thermal lances short out from the drones, forcing Ben to duck down. Grikgar would have been struck if not for his much shorter stature. "Just keep fighting! These things seem to be programmed to send a set number of themselves out against intruders! We just have to reach it and they'll stop coming!"</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Planets Surface Grikgar was paying close attention to the flight patterns of the surrounding sentinels. The team around him seemed to be doing rather well at choosing targets and keeping out of harm's way. The Spartans and even the other elite were calling out targets and the actions they were taking. This was no simulation but at least it showed him that they could work together. Well most of them anyways. The hunter and the other Spartans seemed to be quick to cover the blue Spartan and take out the sentinel's aiming for himself and the Lekgolo. Yet when the hunter shifted Grik could see a few small groups of circling sentinels group up just for a moment before continuing to circle. The Unggoy was quick to holster his right pistol and remove one of the plasma charges from his belt. Quickly molding it in his hand to the shape of a plasma grenade and waited for a moment. "Take Cover!" the grunt shouted throwing the charge into the combined mass of two smaller groups of sentinel's on similar flight paths. Following the charge with his pistol the demolitions expert discharged a short 4 round burst from his pistol striking the charge in the air near the grouped up robots. Twisting himself around the other side of the Lekgolo to use them as cover from the blast. He didn't know if it was close enough but at the very least the EMP or shock wave from the charge might do something.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern The advanced HUD that was built into Aviza's ARGUS-class Mjolnir armor showed that the Mammoth was now nearing their position, they would hopefully be able to retreat to the vehicle shortly. "The Mammoth is almost in range, get ready to fall back into it and provide each other with covering fire." said Aviza her into helmets coms. As the massive vehicle approached, Aviza stayed in cover, still behind the G79H-TC/MA Pelicans right wing, only taking opportune shots at the sentinels with her MA5D when available. So far, they Sentinels were not posing much of a threat as the group was primarily working well together, of course the two ONI Spooks who had ran off in hopes of getting to the Mammoth first did not exactly fall under this. As Spartan Aviza's old instructor once said to her, the best way to learn is upon the field of battle, and the current situation reinforced that statement. When Grikgar had yelled out for everyone to take cover, Aviza had already been safely positioned behind the Pelicans right wing, loading yet another clip into her MA5D Assault Rifle, but also getting ready to move out towards the rapidly approaching Mammoth. Thankfully, the EMP had no effect upon her suit, due to it having protection against such an attack. The shock-wave was felt, but due to the other attacks from the rest of her squad, was mostly drowned out. The low rumble from the Mammoth only grew with every second that passed, and Aviza had decided that it was now time for them to move to the M510. "Mammoth has arrived, everyone fall back and provide cover to the rest of the squad." said Aviza through her helmets coms as she stood up and away from the cover of the crashed Pelican. Once the M510 Mammoth had reached them, the large door upon the rear of it opened, allowing them to enter while the automated rocket pods upon the vehicles exterior locked onto the remaining sentinels and fired volleys of their armament. Aviza was the first of her squad, separate from the ONI Spooks, to board the Mammoth and enter its vehicle and cargo bay. The Spartan turned around and made sure her squad had all entered, still alive and in one piece. "Is everyone alright? Any injuries that need to be tended to?" Asked Aviza.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai With the assistance of the rest of the team in thinning out the sentinels and drawing fire away from him, Vael's shields recovered quickly. Ultimately, they only had to hold a few minutes, a feat of which this team proved more than capable. The machines, despite the power of their weapons, behaved predictably, so the team could easily manage the angles from which they could be threatened while supporting one another. Grikgar's attack was well-timed. The charge cleared a cluster of sentinels, and weakened the shields of a few beyond them, shortly before the Mammoth could be heard on approach. Vael moved out from under the wing for long enough to replace his sentinel beam with a fresh one, then rushed out to give covering fire as soon as Aviza gave the order to move. Most of the team was equipped to take some damage, but the Pelican's pilots, who followed Aviza's signal to move, were more vulnerable. Just as before, Vael found it easy to target the sentinels with the beam, and especially for those with already-damaged shields, they fell quickly. Vael sprinted out ahead of the group until he was about halfway to the Mammoth, then turned back to cover those behind him. Fortunately, they had cleared enough of the machines before making their run that it was not too difficult of a task. He simply focused his fire on any sentinel that seemed to be pointed towards any of his more vulnerable allies. Rockets from the Mammoth provided support as well, though they naturally could not target too close to their position. As Vael finally reached the Mammoth, his shields flared from a sentinel beam striking across his back, but this time, they held until he could make it up the ramp. Once the last of them were inside, the ramp raised up and closed them inside the safety of their mobile base. Even stripped down and lightened as it was, the Mammoth's armor was still much thicker than that of the Pelican and could handle the sentinels' weapons. The sentinels would pursue for a time, but as long as the Mammoth moved away from whatever it was they were protecting, they would not follow forever. Vael could feel the sting of a burn on his chest. His armor's plating dispersed the heat effectively enough to avoid serious injury, though, so he did not find it worth mentioning. "We're fine." The Pelican pilot responded. The co-pilot looked to be catching his breath, though he nodded in agreement to the pilot. "Holy hell, you guys don't screw around…" He said, looking over at the rest of the team. Indeed, for the average soldier, the capabilities of a team such as theirs was nothing short of astounding. A normal squad of marines or Swords lance likely would have faced significant casualties in such a situation, if they even survived at all.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker When the call to fall back to the Mammoth came through, Lucas was already hopping to cover his teammates, letting them move before he did and firing bursts of his SMGs to try and somewhat deter the machines from following too closely. Eventually, he was up the ramp and with the rest of the team, with Tas close behind him. The call for a wellness check prompted Ryker to check his chest plate, where a Sentinel beam had glanced off his shields. Patting it down revealed a level of warmth, unsurprising since the shielding stopped the beam itself, not the heat transfer, but undamaged beyond that. Satisfied, he spoke up in response. "Spartan Ryker, alive and ready to roll." With his check-in done, he gave the eye to his unshielded teammates and made sure that the Sentinels hadn't managed to connect any shots. Satisfied they were fine, the Spartan went and found a seat and then set about taking his SMGs apart and cleaning them after removing the magazines and clearing the breaches. An uncared for weapon was a weapon that could malfunction after all.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Grikgar's grenade whined to a full charge a moment before Yalu dove for cover. The sound of metal blasting apart joined a flash on the walls of the pelican. He stood back up with his carbine levelled to shoot the surrounding sentinels down like flying animals. Relief didn't come too soon as far as Yalu was concerned. He moved as prompted, though was sure to escort one of the human pilots by his upper arm to ensure he was covered by Yalu's energy shield. The human barely kept pace. No sooner was he in the Mammoth than Yalu let the pilot go and spun around to cover Tasuma's retreat. Only when the large doors shut did he habitually replace the magazine of his carbine in three rapid movements. "Major 'Suumko still effective," Yalu responded to Aviza. He had little else to add.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre The combat sim control panel was of Human design, like most of the equipment in Paxopolis. This meant Tar needed several tries to get the settings correct; none of the preset scenarios tested the skills she was instilling in the recruits. She growled in frustration as even the smallest digit on her hand still entered the wrong enemy combatants. Starting again, she skimmed past the human configurations like 'Insurrectionist hijackers' and 'angry urban mob' to access Covenant-era hostiles. Sangheili Zealots <- No Mgalekgolo Pair <- No Yanme'e Swarm <- No Jiralhanae Stalkers <- Perfect She locked them in, selected the number and overall skill level, then checked the rest of the settings before confirming. Lights shining from the high ceiling switched from amber to green, another Human design which meant they were ready to begin. Satisfied the simulation was ready, she turned back to her recruits. Four young Sangheili males stood awkwardly in the centre of the cavernous, empty sim room. They clutched their energy swords and stared suspiciously around as Tar walked quickly over to join them. Among recruits to Paxopolis' defensive garrison, there were few who were truly "green", as the Humans would say. Among the UNSC, it was a secret facility, so they intended to insist upon soldiers with proven loyalty and ability. However, that did not mean that new recruits could simply be integrated right away. They still needed to be evaluated and trained to perform their duties. For some, it could be more difficult to train them than fresh recruits, as some had just enough experience to be stubborn. As Tar drew closer, she could see the four Sangheili recruits were awaiting the start of the simulation with varying degrees of eagerness or irritation. The farthest to the left, from Tar's perspective, was considered by some to be an ideal recruit. He strictly adhered to hierarchy and would obey any order from a superior to the letter, without question or hesitation. However, he also seemed to lack much creativity himself. He was actually the most experienced among the recruits, but not the highest rank. The second in line was one who generally received little respect among his peers. Or at least, not from other Sangheili. He was often hesitant to fight, and though capable when motivated, he seemed to have little drive to improve himself. The third was the one among them who had ascended to Major rank. He was quite tall and strong, even for a Sangheili, and he already had proven skill in combat, but he was far from humble. He had already openly shown disdain for this extra training he was being put through, and he seemed to be somewhat dismissive towards Tar. The last in line was a recruit who was easy to forget about. He has no special experience nor accomplishments, though also no overt flaws. He tended to speak only when spoken to, and generally only said the bare minimum of what was required of him. All four of them drew up to their full stature as Tar entered their space, as she'd noticed was usual for young males. She returned all of their stares to make sure they were listening before briefing them. "Brute Stalkers have infiltrated the base. Their objectives are unknown, but they've infiltrated the Command room and deactivated our defenses. They're contained within the Command complex, but the lights have been disabled and they'll fight hard to break free. Our mission is to insert and kill or capture them all. Any questions?" After a few moments of silence, the second Sangheili, the young warrior named Jurna, started to move his mandibles to speak, but the Major soon spoke over him, loudly and with no shortage of confidence. "I require nothing more than a target. We are not helpless younglings who have never gripped a plasma rifle. We shall slay these mongrels quickly and be done with this nonsense." Jurna did not continue his original thought, and neither of the others spoke up as well, for differing reasons. In any case, each recruit did seem to be ready to enter... They would be armed with simulations of their chosen weapons once the scenario had begun. Tar chuckled at the Major's arrogance. She moved closer, until she stood within an arm's grasp. "Stalkers do not present targets - they are ghosts. Move too quickly, and they will tear you limb from limb. Split from your team, and they will slaughter you. Follow my instructions, stay in formation, and protect your unit, and you may all make it out alive. If you put your team at risk, I will kill you myself, am I understood?" She moved closer still, her head tilted slightly back to meet his gaze fully. The Major just growled, exhibiting a string of body cues that spoke volumes about his displeasure. Tar smiled and looked at the other recruits before hitting a button on her wrist interface. The amber lights above them began flashing. "Prepare yourselves, the simulation starts in thirty seconds."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael could still hear the muffled sounds of explosions from within the Mammoth as the rocket turrets fired back on the pursuing sentinels. He could feel that they were moving, likely at close to the Mammoth's maximum speed. Sentinels, unlike organic foes, held no grudges. Once they were beyond the area the machines were defending, they would no longer pursue. Although the Mammoth was a massive vehicle, its thick armor allowed for less interior space than it might have appeared from the outside. It was not exactly cramped, but to accommodate a ten person team, plus the Mammoth crew and the two pilots, they would have to use their space efficiently. The two Warthogs were held along a rail above the vehicle bay, so there was a fair amount of open space on the lower deck. The middle deck above them had some modifications to better accommodate its role as their mobile base. Just to the right of the entrance to the cockpit was a space that had been designated for use as the equivalent of a medical tent, while to the left was storage for their rations and other extra supplies. To the rear of the deck was an expanded armory, equipped with both Human and Covenant weapons. The top deck was mostly unchanged, apart from the removal of the mini-MAC. In its place was the improved communications equipment and sensors they had been provided for their mission, though it was covered by retractable armored plates when not in use. For anything else that the team might need on an extended mission, they would need to make due with what they had and improvise. Until it was needed again, Vael intended to secure his captured sentinel beam in the armory. Though first, he approached the pair of ONI agents. He had allowed the female to make use of his carbine, but he found little to approve of in either of their actions. They had moved without orders, and did not return when ordered to do so. They were fortunate that the sentinels had not focused their attention on them when they moved beyond cover. Were they his warriors, Vael would have ensured they were punished for their insubordination, but at this stage, he felt it best to allow the Human commander to be the one to deal with the Humans. Still, his displeasure did come through with his tone when he spoke to Corporal Cohen. "Return my weapon." He ordered simply.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 Ben scanned the area, using his helmet's built-in scopes to look around. No threats were incoming from any direction, and his radar's IFF readings didn't show any hostiles. Satisfied that things were calm for the moment, he turned his attention to Grikgar "Grik, be careful with those things. No one really knows how Forerunner tech works, and we don't need to risk disabling the Mammoth in an explosion. What are you trying to make, anyway?" "If I may bring something to your attention, Ben. The UNSC is currently working with reverse-engineered Forerunner equipment to integrate it into new warships, including the UNSC Inf-" Not for the first time, Ben muted the "dumb" AI. As a Spartan, Ben was capable of a number of sophisticated tasks, such as operation of almost every weapon in the UNSC arsenal, piloting ships of every class, operating artillery up to and including MAC cannons, and even training with building and defusing bombs. He had built and planted bombs on several occasions, usually with the goal of taking out a target marked for "pacification" by ONI. As he had said, few if any people still alive understood the intricacies of Forerunner machinery; he even suspected that this knowledge was limited even among the Forerunners themselves. While he didn't dismiss Grikgar's skills entirely, he had to question how much training the Unggoy had in this area. It could have been bias talking, but he didn't see a Grunt- cannon fodder- as being able to deal with this safely. Not by himself. Grunts and explosives tended to mix very poorly for the sake of the former. "Maybe I could lend a hand? I've handled explosives since probably before your grandparents were born, ever since I was barely taller than you." It just occurred to Ben that he had admitted handling explosives since he was about 10. "ONI made Spartan recruits do things that children don't normally do. Let's just leave it at that."</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre Just as he was ordered, Ryssa was the one to take the lead, storm rifle in hand with a needler at his side. "Move forward." He said aloud through their comms to those behind him. He had neglected to give any specific instruction as to the order in which they should move, so it was the Major that was just behind him. He wielded a storm rifle as well, with an energy sword at his side. Jurna, as he always did when given the choice, was armed with a carbine and needler, while the silent Sangheili just in front of Tar held a plasma rifle in his right hand, and a plasma pistol in the left. Ryssa moved straight ahead down the hall towards the fork at the end of the corridor. He, and the rest of the recruits, had night vision enabled, though that by itself would not reveal stalkers using active camouflage. As they moved, he was paying more attention to his motion tracker than he was his own eyes, and he did not order to clear the side rooms as they passed them by. The recruits obviously hadn't absorbed the room clearing exercise Tar had put them through two days ago in one of Paxopolis' crowded storage facilities. She shook her head - not a good start. They quietly passed two doorways, which Tar looked through as a reflex. She saw base workers slumped over the workstations, their seats and the floor covered in blood. The Brutes hadn't even given them a chance to fight back. Footsteps, fast approaching from another doorway to her right. She pivoted as quick as her feet would allow, brought her Mauler to bear and fired. The blast impacted a Stalker's shield barely a metre away before the now half-visible Brute crashed into Tar. She was lifted off her feet and propelled backwards through another doorway where they both clattered to the floor. Her Mauler blast had evidently damaged Stalker's shield, because it fizzled out with a loud 'pop'. In the dim, light Tar found the bright red beam of the Stalker's single helmet lens a few inches from her face. Huge tombstone teeth gnashed at her as the Brute wrestled past Tar's raised arms and got his hands around her throat. She spluttered as her windpipe instantly closed with the Brute crushing the life out of her. She knew she only had seconds to react as dark spots danced in front of her vision.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Shih and Vael 'Virisusai --- Shih completed the first part of Aviza's request before she finished her sentence, though in this case, she did not have the option to comply with the second. "I have compiled a report, and I can queue it for transmission, but our mandate for long-range radio silence prevents me from sending it back to the Thunder. At least until we positively identify the location of the insurrectionist base." Once he had his weapon returned, Vael went to the Mammoth's armory to secure his sentinel beam and replenish his ammunition. The Spartan, Rex, did so as well, though the two spoke not a word to one another. Even among the other Humans, Rex kept to himself when not performing any tasks. In any case, Vael had no reason to disturb him. He had more pressing concerns in mind. First and foremost, he moved up to the top deck to check on the status of the Mammoth and its pursuers. Even lightened as it had been, the Mammoth could not hope to outrun sentinels, but fortunately, it did not need to. Once their vehicle moved far enough beyond what the sentinels were protecting, they simply disengaged. Looking at the outside plating, Vael could see plenty of scorch marks and melted armor in places, but it all seemed superficial. For now, their mission could proceed. There was no choice but to have the pilots of the Pelican join them, but as long as nothing else went wrong, that would not be a problem. For a few moments, Vael observed the environment around him. They had landed in an arid, rocky desert, and he was unsure of how far it extended in any direction. Only a small fraction of Sarcophagus' immense surface had been mapped, and the area they were in was not among it. There was as much distance between their current location and Paxopolis as there was between Sanghelios and its primary star. Truly, they could not know what was ahead of them; they would just have to be adaptable. Heading back into the Mammoth, Vael decided to use the time in which they would be stuck traveling, though he was not sure of what he could accomplish that would be of value. Space was limited for a team of ten, plus the Mammoth's crew, so that restricted his options. He ended up returning to the lower deck, and eventually set his attention on their most conspicuous team member: the Mgalekgolo Tasuma. While their kind were exceptionally durable in their armor, Vael did have concerns over how it might fare on an extended mission. As Vael approached, he took a moment to examine the Hunter's armor. Though its base was still made of familiar nanolaminate alloys, there were some additions that were unmistakably Human. He had not yet had time to read Tasuma's file fully and learn its background, but it was obvious that it had been working with the Humans long before the idea of Aegis Team had been conceived. "Tasuma, what is the status of your armor? Are repairs possible?"</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Tasumameyofaxre "Tasuma" Tasumameyofaxre<< Mgalekgolo Hunter >> << Shield World 006 "Sarcophagus" // Aboard the M510 Mammoth >> Tasuma stayed put in the troop bay, fearing that the stairs leading up to the 2nd and 3rd decks weren't rated for its weight. It instead passed the time by watching what Grik was doing. In honesty the Hunter was more interested in the pile of scrap metal than what the Unngoy was doing. But he felt it was impolite to impose, it seemed that Grik was familiar with what he was doing, and Tasuma knew that some people became irritable when their work was disrupted. When Ben offered his help, Tasuma turned his attention away, not wanting to bother them. Perhaps he would browse through the metal later, when it was piled and stored away for cataloging. It turned to examine the Warthogs mounted on the rail above it, they were extremely common in the UNSC, and extremely versatile. It took a moment to admire the vehicle, it knew its abilities in battle, as an enemy and an ally. It felt a Sangheili approach, but Tasuma wasn't sure which one it was just yet. It turned its head to look at the Elite. "Tasuma, what is the status of your armor? Are repairs possible?" Vael asked. "Commander." Tasuma addressed. It bowed its head slightly, in respect. "Armor integrity, full. Shield integrity, neared melting point in battle. Will cool, and return to optimal status with time." Tasuma reported. Concerning repairs, that was a much more complicated outcome. Depending on the part, a full weapon forge or weapons factory would be the best option to repair the armor plating. He knew that the UNSC were constructing one such specialized factory at Spatha Base on Earth, for the Iteyi Recovery Project, to produce spares for Tasuma and to experiment with nanolaminate materials. Out here in the field, if Tasumas armor split, there would be no feasible way to repair and reshape the armor to specification. However, the ODSTs did have a few tricks up their sleeve, it remembered. "If armor fails, we will require a Forge to repair to operational status. Or... 'duck tape'."</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern The dumb A.I. that was built into Aviza's ARGUS-class Mjolnir was informing the Spartan III that the area the Mammoth was currently traveling though was arid, rocky desert that had a current high temperature. Aviza knew that the armor would make adjustments to help her stay nice and cool in such unfavorable weather, but wondered if the others had been lucky enough for such modifications to be installed into theirs. This thought ran through the Spartans mind as she walked through the interior of the Mammoth, also heading towards the armory, following a few of the others who had decided to do that same. Instead of putting her weapons into the armory locker, she had decided to re-arm and re-gear for whatever was next for them. New clips, a few new grenades, and a new melee weapon were carefully selected from the stock that was currently available. The melee weapon that Spartan Aviza had picked out was different from most others, while it was an energy sword, the blade was a bright red, unlike the vibrant blue that she had always seen, something about it had called to her, and she had answered. With the unique energy blade in hand, she approached Vael 'Virisusai and spoke. "Pardon me Vael, but I wanted to ask you a personal question." She would power up the energy blade and show it to the Sangheili before her. "I hear that these energy swords hold a special and deeply profound meaning among your people. I do not wish to offend you or any of your kind, and wish to ask for your permission to wield this weapon upon the field of battle. I have seen blue energy swords upon the field of battle, but have never seen one that had a red blade before. Something about it feels, ominous, perhaps I have heard of red bladed energy swords somewhere in my past." Aviza paused for a moment as the memory came back to her, "Spartan Killers, the Silent Shadow, that is where I have heard about red energy swords." The Woman held up the unique energy sword to get a better look at it, "Perhaps using a normal energy sword would be better, less distasteful, and less disrespectful."</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre Tar groped desperately around with her right hand for her Mauler, but it had skittered away into the gloom. So instead, Tar pulled her energy sword from his mount on her left thigh, activated it and thrust it into the Stalker's abdomen. He let out a furious roar and tried to dismount her. Tar wrapped her right arm around the Brute's neck and stabbed him four more times in the stomach with her left. The force of her last blow pushed his now limp body off to the side, where he lay still. Tar quickly rose to her feet and holstered her sword. The recruits had entered the room and were staring at her. Tar spotted her Mauler lying under a desk and picked it up. Satisfied all her gear was together, she quickly strode to where Ryssa stood and shoved him against a wall. "One of your teammates just died. When I show you tactics I expect you to use them. We always check corners and clear rooms. Fail me again and you'll do this simulation alone, Is that clear?" "Yes, Commander!" Ryssa replied, almost on reflex, though he still frantically looked around with some confusion after taking a more literal interpretation of her reprimand. He had seen the tail end of the short fight, but from what he could see, everyone around him was still alive. "Good." Tar grabbed the recruit and shoved him towards the doorway. "Take point." The Major, stood slightly outside the doorway, snarled and turned away. Ryssa followed his orders to the letter and took point, this time making sure to clear the rooms they passed on the way forward. It seemed, at the very least, that Tar's harsh reminder was enough to get him to pay more attention to what he was doing and follow his training. Not only did he continue checking his corners, but he did not need to be told where to go once they reached the junction in the hallway. Data centers, or the commanders themselves, were the most likely target of an attack like this, both of which took them down the left hallway. As the team headed up the stairs to the next floor, there was a spike of activity on their sensors. All at once, each of their motion trackers started showing multiple red dots, on their level as well as above and below, moving frantically all around them. Jurna immediately raised his carbine and pointed it ahead at the top of the stairs above, though quickly turned around to point it back the way they came. "They're surrounding us!" He shouted, unsure of where he should be focusing his attention.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael briefly turned his attention to the Mgalekgolo's shield. Generally, they were durable enough to be all but impervious to the majority of small arms, but sentinel beams could damage even starships. Still, even in a damaged state, it would likely be serviceable against Human and Jiralhanae weapons. By Vael's assessment, Tasuma was still equipped to fight. However, there was more for Vael to be curious about, especially the more he observed Tasuma's armor. "You seem ready for battle, but there is more I would know about you. I was given a document with your history, but I would prefer to ask you myself. You are unusual for one of your kind. Your armor, equipment, the way you act towards them…you have worked with the Humans long before the idea of this team was conceived. You also fight without a bond brother, yet the spikes on your back show that you do, or did, have one. I am curious what events brought you here." Vael questioned Tasuma, though the two of them did not remain alone for long before there was an interruption. The Spartan, Aviza, approached bearing an energy sword. Vael glanced down at the crimson blade. "I question what such a blade is doing in a Human armory, but…it does not matter. In the hands of a Sangheili, a sword is the weapon of nobility. Of honor, and the symbol of our skill. Swordsmanship is among our most respected practices. You are correct that the sword has meaning to us, but you are not of our kind. In your hands, there is no meaning. Some may disagree with me, but for you to wield a sword, there is no honor to be gained, nor lost. You are not Sangheili, and you are not under our command. It is not of our concern what trophies you take. Regardless, our rules and customs regarding the sword are primarily respected outside the military. On the field of battle, even a lowly Minor may pick up a sword if the situation demands it." Again, Vael put his attention to the blade. His answer might have seemed dismissive, but he said what he believed to be true. Her use of a sword was not something worthy of offense, though at the same time, her mere use of it would not gain respect. In any case, he had no qualms about informing her on a subject about which she clearly had little knowledge. "To wield that sword in particular is not a matter of honor nor respect, but skill. That blade burns hotter than the average sword, but that heat gives it a fine edge in more ways than one. It can cut through more armor, stronger armor, with speed and efficiency, but with that blade it is possible to cut too quickly. When rending flesh, it burns hot enough to cauterize immediately. There is less bleeding, and if the wielder cuts too quick, less damage to surrounding tissue. If the cut does not find a vital area, your opponent may survive. A wielder of that blade is one who is precise, restrained, and skilled enough to always find his mark."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko The calm had not quite settled in Yalu's mind by the time the others started to slow down. He escorted his commander Vael to the roof, as much to carry out his duties as to see what was going on. Thankfully he did not need to fire another shot. After stepping back into the mammoth, he took a deep breath and holstered his carbine. On any other mission, there would have been a few friendly bodies left behind by the crashed pelican. "I'll be listening for orders, commander," Yalu mentioned to Vael before wandering off. Now that everything was well, he had a burning curiosity about the vehicle they were housed in. Yalu stopped by every space on the mammoth, from the rear to the drivers seats up front, though the latter could be described as a bridge. He had piloted just about every covenant military vehicle there was, but human wheeled vehicles were a rare treat. In his wanderings, Yalu happened to be in a position to eavesdrop on Commander Aviza's castigation of the runaway special operations warriors. Yalu had not judged them too harshly -- humans had a different idea of honour after all. At the very least, he thought Aviza wise to not give Roy's explanation any attention. It was provocative. Aviza was clear enough. Do humans have just as much pride as sangheili? How did they not cut each other to pieces without sangheili honour? Yalu shook his head and headed to the bridge again to see where they were going. "Pilot," Yalu said to the human in the primary driving seat, possibly giving both the driver and co-driver a fright. "Once we are out of danger, I am interested in learning more about this vessel."</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Planets Surface Grikgar continued his single minded attraction to the sentinel pieces, a few of the others showed interest that he could see but little else. The Lekgolo seemed to look in his direction but little more, Grik was certain that it was looking for metal scraps more than tech though. The Spartan that had been talking to him earlier and seemed to be the nicest towards him so far stepped forward and seemed to question what the Unggoy was doing. The grunt looks up from his work for a moment and tips his head to the side. "Grikgar does not know, only ever saw Huragok repair sentinels once in this way. It attached two power sources together and it stabilized the power source." Picking up the part and moving it around to see the different sides of it. "Like this, Grik does not know why but if combined with another explosive has…." He paused for a moment trying to grasp the right term. "Unexpected result? If anything at all. As humans say wild card." Placing the part between the two of them. Grikgar then began to go over the different scraps of armor and metal frame, again placing those that he deems unusable in a pile. The Unggoy began to put some of the scraps up to his armor looking like he was seeing if they would improve it or not. Again he put more parts into the scrap pile until only a few frame pieces where left in one pile and other inner working parts in another. Moving the more complicated but still technically good parts next to his locker with the few good Frame parts. "Ok now Grik has things to repair his armor with and tinker." It was his way of keeping away from boredom while also being resourceful. "Tasuma!" he called out to the Lekgolo in his high pitched voice and waved his arm as if his voice didn't get its attention. "If you want those scraps Grik is done with them." Motioning towards the small pile. Spartan Ben was still examining the power source so Grikgar began picking up the sentinel beams and placing them in the armory next to the other.</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 "If you aren't certain what the result is when combining them, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to combine them. I doubt either of us has the luck of John-117. Oh, you might know him as Master Chief, or "The Demon." He has unnatural luck, you know. If it was him, the effect would be just what we needed at just the right time. If it's anyone else, we're likely to end up deader than Roger Wilco on a trash hauler. Oh, the Wilco thing is from an ancient piece of human media." Ben continued to examine the power source. He was fairly certain that he knew what this was, but couldn't be entirely sure. He lowered his voice, not wanting anyone to know what he was saying. "Phong, does this match any device on record?" "Scanning. Processing. Cross-examining device with other records. Match not found." "Match not-? The UNSC has had the opportunity to examine hundreds of Forerunner devices, including sentinels." "Thousands, actually. The Forerunners had a very different approach to technology compared to humanity or the Covenant. While interchangeable parts were employed, they were only used to the extent that interoperability within the same class of structures was allowed, and sometimes, not even then. In other words, each class of Forerunner installation operated on a different basis, in a manner not dissimilar to how ancient human kingdoms each had their own types of weight and measurements." "Meaning what?" "Meaning we don't know what the effect of the Unggoy's tinkering will be. It could be harmless, or it could be catastrophic. I am unable to calculate odds based on the data available. It would help to know precisely what the Unggoy intends to do with the Forerunner technology, but even if he told us, further analysis is impossible without the proper equipment, and there are only five laboratories in the entire UNSC properly tooled to handle Forerunner-" "Thank you, Phong. I'll trust Grik on this one." Ben set the power source down and looked out at the wilderness around them, if that was the proper term for their environment.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre --- The Major grunted dismissively at Jurna. He did have more experience to recognize what was actually happening. "No, fool. They're jamming our motion trackers. Rely on your own two eyes, not your sensors." While the team had stopped, Tar was turned and covering the bottom of the stars with her Mauler. "Make a decision, recruit. Get us off this stairway." She said gruffly over comms. Again, Tar's instruction quickly set Ryssa into motion. "Move ahead. Carefully. Daha, cover our flank." He instructed, prompting the generally silent Sangheili to give a brief acknowledgement, then follow with his gaze directed behind them. The next floor mostly consisted of a large, open plan office space. A poorly lit walkway ahead of them cut through arrangements of workstations and holographic screens on either side. Flimsy plastic room dividers offered a degree of privacy for the worker bees in this area. In the middle of the room were a set of meeting rooms, partitioned by floor to ceiling plate glass. Even without night vision, the team could see a faint red glow reflecting on the ceiling near the centre of the office space. Tar suspected Ryssa and The Major knew what it meant, but neither immediately acknowledged it so she focused the team's attention. "That's the Brute radar jammer on the floor over there. We need to destroy it." Ryssa was quick to follow Tar's instruction and gesture to them to move forward, but the Major was hesitant. He stayed in place, raising up his storm rifle and scanning his surroundings with his gaze. "Wait. If the jammer is here, then so too are the Brutes." Each of the recruits raised their weapons in turn, looking in different directions all around them. Beyond the team itself, the whole floor seemed to be but stillness and silence. The Jiralhanae attack was meant to have taken place at night, so there were no bodies of workers here, and the offices seemed to be undisturbed. There was no shattered glass, broken doors, or overturned tables, just…silence. In that environment, it was easy to become acutely aware of every small sound that could be heard: the tapping of their armored boots against the hard floor each time they shifted their feet, the slight stretching and compression of their undersuits each time they turned their heads or sufficiently moved a muscle, and even the breaths they took. Among the recruits, it was actually Jurna's eyes that were sharp enough to notice a slight shimmer through the glass on the far side of one of the meeting rooms. He was not sure of what he saw, nor how he should react, but he did nevertheless point his carbine directly at it. The shimmer seemed to react to this, moving abruptly towards the edge of the plate glass wall and into the open. Tar, who was covering the rear, detected a very faint haze moving between them and the stairway they had just ascended, cutting them off. "They're behind us." She reported, raising her Mauler even though they were out of its effective range. "It's a tra-". Before she could finish, a fire bomb flew past her visor and landed right in the middle of the group. Flames exploded outward into a pool on the floor, lapping at the shields of Ryssa, the Major and Daha, who were up front.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael felt some irritation. He had been speaking with Tasuma before Aviza's interruption, and he still wanted to learn more of the Lekgolo's connection to the Humans. However, if Aviza wanted to make their plans now, his presence would likely be required. Vael turned his head briefly towards the Mgalekgolo. "Tasuma, I want you to move around the vehicle and see if there is anywhere you cannot access. Try to get up the stairs if you can. If you are able, then you may join us on the command deck." As requested, Vael moved up the stairs to the middle deck, towards the Mammoth's cockpit, which was where everything relevant to the vehicle's command was meant to be centered. Curiously, Vael found upon entering that he and Aviza were not the first to arrive. The other Sangheili, Yalu, was at the front of the cockpit speaking to the drivers. The driver to Yalu's left was surprised to hear his question…and even more surprised to turn back and look at him. The Mammoth's crew had naturally been informed of the nature of their mission, but that did not make it less strange for him to have a Sangheili asking him about his vehicle. "Well, um, those sentinels have backed off for now, so we're not being shot at anymore. It's heavily armored, if that's what you're worried about. It would take a lot more than those beams to get through the plating." He answered.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko "Yes," Yalu replied. "The weight and material is impressive. I expect no remnant or swords ground vehicles short of a scarab focus cannon could puncture it. And that could take more than one direct hit." He turned an eye to look at the pilot rather than ahead. "How is this Mammoth's movement powered? It must be something more potent than the hydrogen cells of your smaller vessels." Yalu did not have the tact to make the human pilot entirely comfortable, but he did learn a few technical details. The conversation was not especially long. It ended once Commander Vael called Yalu over to discuss plans with the team.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre --- "Take cover right!" Tar shouted, assuming control just as a barrage of plasma fire erupted from several points around the large room. They waded through the flames into a partitioned area with a semi-circle of holo consoles. Tar took several hits to her shield from the Stalkers guarding the stairway before leaping behind one of the consoles. The Brute weapons punched holes in the plastic room dividers as they lost line of sight on her. Tar peeked over the top of her cover. She counted at least four Stalkers slowly approaching their position, plus the two guarding the stairway. Their camouflage slipped every time they fired their weapons, revealing a cautious, calculated advance. Tar estimated they were each twenty feet apart, progressing down the open spaces between work areas. In this case, not a single recruit so much as hesitated in following Tar's order. The Major broke straight through the partition, with the others following just behind. Each moved into whatever cover they could find, as quickly as they could. The room dividers could break line of sight, though there was no weapon they would actually stop. Plasma fire and spikers ripped through them with ease, just without as much accuracy. Ryssa, with his shields already damaged from his brush with the flames and few stray plasma rounds, dove behind the holo-consoles. They were at least somewhat more sturdy than most of the other parts of the office. His response to being pinned was actually reasonably effective, considering his options, even if it was a strategy one might have learned from an Unggoy. He did not peer out from cover to return fire, but rather grabbed his needler and lifted it up just high enough to fire over the console, roughly in the direction that one of the Brutes was firing from. He did not need to be accurate; as long as the needler was pointing in mostly the right direction, its needles would find a target. When the attack had began, Jurna had fired four shots with surprisingly good accuracy. He tracked the shimmer he had seen and, out of his four shots, hit three to break the Brute's powered armor. However, once his own shields started taking damage, he did not follow through to make the kill. He ran with the others into the side room and, like Ryssa, took cover behind the consoles. Though, unlike the other recruit, he did not return fire from his position. He hid as best as he could, and intended to continue doing so until his shields were fully recharged. With the partitions at least stopping accurate fire, the Major took a moment to scan the room they had hastily entered. Given how quickly they had been forced to move, there was no reason to believe they had moved to safety. And indeed, at this range, his eyes were sharp enough to spot at least two shimmers moving carefully closer to Jurna and Tar. Drawing his energy sword, the Major sprinted for the nearest stalker. "Brutes behind us!" He shouted. Reacting instantly, Tar jumped up, grabbed her energy sword from its mount on her left thigh, activated it and blindly slashed it through the air behind her in one fluid motion. The dual tips of her sword grazed the armour of a Stalker; the room lit up with blue light as his shield protected his neck from being slit. Regaining her balance, Tar raised her right hand and fired a round from her Mauler into the same shield, breaking it completely. At the same time, she watched the Stalker fire their Mauler at her face. She was momentarily blinded as the slug exploded right in front of her eyes, and she felt her shield go offline with a jolt. Tar let out an angry roar and leapt forward, sword poised. She made impact with…something, and clattered to the floor with it before stabbing it with her weapon multiple times. The Major's blade quickly found its mark on the nearest stalker. The Brute's active camouflage may have rendered it only a shimmer in the air, but a wide arc with his blade in front of him could reach easily over two and a half meters in front of him, and the sword itself could cut through even a starship's armor with ease. The Brute was quite simply bisected. There had only been two of the cloaked Brutes in the room they had ran into, but the Major had no intent of staying put and holding out. Though his shields were damaged, he still preferred aggression. "Attack with me! These mongrels are nothing to us!" He shouted. Off on their right flank, on the other side of a thin wall, he could hear movement, which was all he needed to strike. With a frenzied roar as his battle cry, he broke straight through the wall in a charge. A diagonal swing of his sword and another stalker was cut in two. This time, however, the Brute was not without assistance. Just to his left, another Brute fired his mauler, both revealing himself, and stripping away the Major's shields. He was close enough that the Major could react quickly and impale him through the chest with his blade, but there were still more Brutes farther away, and the Major was now clearly in their line of sight. Ryssa had intended to follow the Major's instruction. Based on the sound of a supercombine explosion beyond the wall he had been firing through, his needles had found a target, but the Brutes were not unintelligent. Though they could not see him, they could roughly determine where he was firing from when they saw the needles, so Ryssa found himself pinned by a volley of plasma and spiker fire. His shields took a stray hit, so they were not yet recharging, and he could not move to assist the Major. Jurna had an angle from which he could help at range, but his shields were charging and he still had no intention of revealing himself until they were full. Daha was the farthest from the Major, and the closest to Tar, and it was she who he intended to help. He charged his plasma pistol, firing the overcharged bolt at a stalker who had a clear line of sight onto Tar. The shot broke the Brute's powered armor immediately, allowing his follow-up shots from his plasma rifle to deal potentially deadly damage. Ultimately, there was no help that would come for the Major in time to save him. A burst of spiker fire from a more distant stalker struck his unshielded chest and neck, and his armor was not enough to protect against the volley. The red plating of his armor was stained purple by his blood. Simulated as it might have been, his death was still convincing. The Major had successfully relieved most of the pressure from their right flank, but at the cost of his life.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai For the members of Aegis team, their journey across the desert did, fortunately, come with few actual dangers. Though, it was a long journey nonetheless, characterized by blistering heat, dry air, and cramped quarters. Sentinels did show some interest in the Mammoth whenever it passed too close to certain Forerunner structures, but its armor did allow them to take some fire as they passed without needing to engage in firefights with the machines. As long as they moved beyond the locations they were guarding, the sentinels would not follow. Vael found that the journey was far from the worst experience he had ever needed to endure. The heat was a constant irritant for some, but his combat harness provided more than adequate environmental controls to keep him comfortable. What was more of a nuisance for him was the inability to be alone. He had to admit that he had held his rank long enough to become accustomed to its benefits. The ability to have a space to himself to mediate and center his mind had been a privilege he had long enjoyed. As large as the Mammoth was, there still was no way the avoid the nine other members of his team, plus the Mammoth crew, for any meaningful time. Given the distance they had to travel, the team spent almost two days in the Mammoth, moving constantly across, at times, rough terrain. To fly to their destination would have been much quicker, but any attempt at an aerial approach to the Brute ships would have easily been detected. The Mammoth, ironically, provided a much stealthier approach. Of course, once they located the Brute ships, they would need to move on without the Mammoth to perform actual reconnaissance. --- It was the middle of the night when the Mammoth came to a sudden, and complete halt. The hum of the engines and the spinning of the massive tires over rock and sand had been such a constant that having both stop was enough to jolt Vael awake, even before the diver's voice sounded out over the vehicle's intercom. "Unidentified Covenant ships spotted on the horizon. I am bringing the Mammoth to a halt and awaiting further orders." Vael sat up from where he had been laying. Their sleeping arrangements within the vehicle were rather haphazard. The Mammoth was not large enough for dedicated sleeping quarters, so the team had to make due with whatever they could arrange themselves, with the supplies they had available. Being that they were in the field, Vael had not left his armor. It did not make for the most comfortable rest, but again, he had endured far worse throughout his career. For now, the team needed to get together and decide on their approach.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern For the last two days, Aviza had done what she could to make use of the free time upon the Mammoth that they had all been granted. During this time, she had ran a full inspection on all of her gear to ensure it was still in top condition, or near it. Along side this, she also spent time with her fellow squad-mates, conversing with them and getting to know them better, beyond the soldiers they were. During the day she would patrol the exterior of the Mammoth, occasionally stopping by the interior to inquire on how everyone was doing. During the night, she would run system checks on the Mammoth and gather detailed information about their surroundings for future reference. It was on the second night that Spartan Aviza had decided to actually allow herself to rest, she had found a dark area of the Mammoth that was away from prying eyes. Propped up against a few pillows, and some bags filled with something soft. Aviza had managed to drift off into a deep, relaxing, dreamless sleep that was held for many hours before being jolted awake from the sudden stop of the Mammoth. The message about unidentified Covenant ships being spotted on the horizon drew Aviza's full attention. Once fully awake and ready for any trouble ahead of her, Aviza assumed that the squad would gather upon the command deck of the Mammoth. With a quick pace, she headed through the Mammoth, heading towards her destination. Once she arrived, she found that a few members from Aegis had already gathered, Vael being among them. "No, there have not yet been any additional orders given, Ben." said Spartan Aviza as she approached the group that had gathered around Vael, only now appearing in the entryway behind them. "I am here to change that though." Aviza maneuvered past the present members of the squad and was now positioned next to Vael, upon his immediate right. "At the moment, I assume we do not know if those those ships and their crew are hostile, but we should assume so until proven otherwise. Everyone that is not part of Team Aegis is to stay inside of the Mammoth and hold position until we give the all clear. We should head in the direction of the ships on foot and use the cover of night to our advantage, do not engage any targets unless absolutely necessary. Let's move out, keep your head on a swivel." Without wasting any time, Aivza would head in the direction of the nearest exit of the Mammoth, and would shortly there after be out on the desert sands.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker During the interim between their escape from the initial swarm of Sentinels and their sudden stop, Lucas let his old Black Ops cell training take over. He had claimed a space on top of a couple of longer crates and spent the time he wasn't training and cleaning his weapons sleeping, catching every extra wink of rest he could. This had the capability to turn into an extended operation without any warning depending on how well they moved up on the rendezvous point for the Rebels and Brutes undetected and he wanted to be able to stay awake for as long as he could should the need arise. He spent a lot of time working on his form with the wrist mounted energy dagger, familiarizing himself with the fastest way to both activate it and deactivate it for maximum stealth and surprise. When the Mammoth halted without any prior warning, the seemingly dead-asleep SPARTAN-IV rolled off the side furthest from the entrance, an energy dagger coming free of it's sheathe and his silenced magnum coming up as he rested his pistol-holding wrist on the dagger one. However, he stood down and holstered the magnum as he sheathed the dagger as the driver made their announcement, retrieving his gear from where he'd stowed it nearby along with a few extra clips before joining the others. He arrived after Aviza, but he was able to hear her orders as he walked up, so he simply nodded and then turned and jumped off one side of the mammoth. A flare of his jumpjets slowed his landing and he drew his DMR and started sweeping. "Fire Team Lead, recommend moving in pairs. Keep everyone honest and keep us all covered."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Shih --- Vael moved down through the Mammoth, heading out down the vehicle ramp one he acquired his weapons. He took his usual loadout, though this time carried one of the sentinel beams in his hands as well. The battery would not last beyond a fight or two, but it would be effective while it had power. For a moment, Vael regarded the pair of warthogs on the magnetic rail at the top of the vehicle bay. On foot, it would likely take hours to get within range to observe the ships, and anything beneath them. Though, since the entire team could not make use of the warthogs, bringing them along would not improve that pace unless they were willing to split up. To send the warthogs ahead to scout was a potential strategy, though the drivers would need to make sure not to get so close that their engines could be heard. The heavy guns would be useful when the fight did break out, but to go on foot would ensure the best chance for stealth. There were strong advantages and disadvantages for both choices. Aviza had ordered to move on foot, and Vael did not have any strong reason to disagree with that order. Vael moved out alongside Ryker and turned his gaze towards the horizon. In contrast to the heat under the daylight sun, the night in the desert was actually fairly cold. Although, Vael could not help but to spare a thought for how Sarcophagus, which was a complete shell around its star, could even have a night cycle to begin with. At the same time, the voice of the AI, Shih, came over the team's radios simultaneously. "From the Mammoth's sensors, I can detect an SDV-class corvette and a second CCS-class battlecruiser , in addition to the one we can see. These are almost certainly the Brutes our rebels are supposedly dealing with them. I can also say that the ships are holding over some sort of structure, but I can't say what just yet. We'll need to get close enough to see it with our own optics."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Shih --- Vael, on his part, agreed with Aviza's decision. While it was more exposed, nothing they had observed so far suggested that the phantom patrols would range that far from the structure. Moving closer would only worsen the risk of detection. As for actually reaching the mesa, it was not an entirely easy climb, but it was nothing the team could not handle. There was no path leading to the top, but there was a steep, but traversable, hill that led most of the way up. They would only need to climb the very last section up to the flat up of the mesa. For Vael, he tossed his sentinel beam up ahead of him so he could get a firm grip on the rocks for the final climb. Vael did not need an order to follow Aviza's lead. He kept himself low to avoid silhouetting too much against the sky, laying prone to observe the structure in the distance. His HUD did allow him to zoom in on objects in the distance, though it could not compete with the many specialized sensors built into Aviza's armor. It was those that Shih was making the greatest use of to scan the area. Even without such sensors, Vael could still see the activity around the structure, and it was, unfortunately, not encouraging. It was not just Jiralhanae occupying the structure, but he could see Humans as well. Far more of them than Jiralhanae, in fact. Most of the Brutes Vael could see seemed to be moving closed crates to and from the interior of the structure. This was the insurrectionist base, and the Jiralhanae they were dealing with were holding directly above it. Together, the two factions would present far more forces than Aegis team ever expected to face at once. The structure itself was a fairly large compound, with multiple buildings and other obstacles that would slow any approach to the central tower. He did not see any way for them to reach the center before Jiralhanae reinforcements could overwhelm them. Not alone, at least. "The Jiralhanae are holding too close to the rebels. They will be able to assist them should we attack. I believe we will need reinforcements to deal with them. Perhaps then we can surround the central tower and prevent their leader's escape." Vael suggested. Shih soon chimed in over the team's radios. "I'm afraid it might not be even that simple. Now that we're close enough, I'm getting better readings on the structure. I'm detecting evidence of an underground tunnel system beneath the central tower, leading away from the compound and into Sarcophagus' superstructure. I can only begin to guess at the purpose of the tunnels, but the point is that the rebels may have an underground escape route planned in the event of an attack. If we want to stop them here, we'll have to get into that tower quickly." As she was giving her explanation, the AI highlighted the relevant sections of the compound on their respective HUDs, though she soon also highlighted the Brute cruisers above them. "Luckily, I don't think the Brute ships are going to give us much trouble. Based on everything I can get on sensors, their ships are in pretty poor shape. I'm not even picking up shields on anything but the corvette. I guess the Brutes haven't had access to proper maintenance these last few years. If we call in the battle group, they should mop the floor with them."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Having moved with the rest of the team to the plateau, Lucas scoped up on the structure, or structures, as it had turned out, and watched the movements of those below. The Jiralhanae were definitely patrolling the outer area of the crater-like area but the interior was being patrolled by the Insurrectionists, which provided the team a potent advantage. "Before we do that, myself and a couple other members of the team are outfitted with active camo. If Grikgar is outfitted with enough ordinance, and I brought some grenades that we can jerry rig some charges out of, we can sabotage some things before calling in the battle group, particularly things that Shih marks as important. And while the rest of the team pushes in at lightning speed to take advantage of the confusion, we can sneak in and find the URF leader." Granted, they were still a fairly small team to split up in such a way, but if things played out right, then they could maybe even get the two groups to turn on each other. "Let's face it, these are greater numbers than we were expecting and we don't necessarily have the time to come up with too many more ideas. Plus, maybe the two groups will turn on each other when there are plasma charges destroying critical URF infrastructure at this base."</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 Ben had followed the rest of the group to the plateau. He saw Grikgar following him, and turned to the Unggoy briefly when he heard the reason he was following so close. "Shadow if you want, but be careful." He listened to Ryker's speech, then realized something rather embarrassing. He turned off the coms on his suit for a moment as he quickly conversed with his AI. "Phong, does this suit come with active camo?" "Yes, it most certainly does. Don't tell me you forgot about it." "I haven't actually used it in- never mind. Can you create a shortcut command for it so that I can activate it on eye contact with the symbol in my HUD?" "Processing request. Compiling program. Rendering icon. Done." No sooner than Phong had spoken did an active camouflage symbol appear on his helmet's screen: "Thanks." Ben reactivated his coms, knowing that too long of a gap in communications might give cause for an inquiry. Unexplained outages in communication could serve as cover for and a sign of unauthorized contacts with rebels and enemies, after all. If there was no cause to hide one's discourse, why turn off the mic? Fortunately, Ben knew the cutoff point after which the UNSC would find such a thing to be suspicious; one minute and seventeen seconds exactly. Anything less could be seen as a hardware failure or a momentary software glitch. "Sounds like a good plan. What type of infrastructure are we talking about?"</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak The Kel 'Darsam - off Paxopolis Broadwalk --- Tar chuckled and patted her comrade affectionately on the back. "If the Humans gave you poison, would you eat that too?" She enjoyed the regular meetings and light hearted banter with Kryu more than she probably let on. It provided temporary solace for her, especially as her deployment to Sarcophagus stretched from weeks into months. Kryu shrugged. "I am not convinced that was not their intention. It was sweet at first, but the aftertaste was horrid. I still feel that I can taste it. The last time they gave me something of theirs to eat, it was most acceptable. Pleasant, even. Perhaps they were attempting to earn my trust?" He said with a short grunt. Their food came quickly - popular dishes were pre-prepared and kept hot for the breakfast rush which was due in 10 minutes or so. Tar devoured hers, foregoing utensils over holding the bowl up and grabbing food with her tongue and mandibles. "So, I had an...interesting simulation...with some fresh recruits just now." Tar ventured in between mouthfuls. "Such an array of characters - three sessions in and they're still as diverse as the seasons. It seems ONI doesn't like making things easy for me! How was your training exercise yesterday?" Kryu huffed, shaking his head slightly before pausing to take a drink. "All but one of my recruits have never so much as used a thruster pack before, but that is fine. The ones that have never flown do not know what they are doing, so they listen to me. It's the one with experience that gives me trouble. He has his own technique, and does not wish to stray from it. So, yesterday, he comes in too quickly for his landing, does a poor job of handling the impact, and breaks his leg. The last I saw him, he was arguing with the medics." "We're certainly a stubborn kind, aren't we?" Tar slurped her shake. "So many returning from war with rushed, incomplete training. They now hide behind hero status, claiming imaginary feats of valour. Tar heard herself speak and realised she had assumed an overly negative tone. She had feats of valour too, despite not serving in the war. Her Keep had been attacked by surprise, and she'd fought them off with her own soldiers. But she seldom felt comfortable talking about those feats. She had failed her father by allowing him to be captured. The shame still threatened to overwhelm her years later. She'd only managed to hint to Kryu what had transpired, so it was no wonder blurting it out in front of the recruits had shaken her. Even if she had wanted to gloat, she would've needed to embellish some of it. Much of that battle was clouded by a red haze in her mind, preventing her from recalling some details. The clearest memory she had was tentatively asking her trusted lieutenant about what he'd seen several days after. She would never forget the look on his face. Raw fear, of her. Tar decided to change the subject. "Have you heard any more whispers of an actual mission, outside Paxopolis?" Again, Kryu shook his head. "I haven't heard anything specific. I know our commanders have put the garrison on alert, but no one is saying what we are on alert against. I am wondering if we are simply being tested? I believe many of the recruits sent here are chosen based on how well they will get along with former enemies. Perhaps they want to see if we still have the skill and discipline necessary to defend this place?" He reasoned. "Shaking down the base would put everyone in their place, whether that is at the barricades or on the next shuttle back to Sanghelios." Tar agreed, thoughtfully tasting the last strips of meat in her bowl. After a short pause to have some of his breakfast, Kryu gave Tar a curious look. "You are still wanting to be reassigned from here, aren't you." He asked, though he still did not know the exact reason why she had been looking to leave.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael hummed to himself, taking a moment to observe the defenses and other points of interest that Shih was highlighting in the compound. Walls and other fortifications, turrets, clusters of soldiers, there were plenty of obstacles for them to get through to reach the center. "There is some possibility that these two groups will turn on each other in the confusion, but we should not rely on it. And if they have an escape plan prepared, I do believe these cowardly rebels will try to go to ground no matter who they think is attacking them. As soon as they are alerted to an attack, we need to reach the central structure quickly if we are to catch them." Vael reasoned. He gave another look at the defenses, particularly what appeared to be an anti-aircraft turret on the near side of the compound. "The battle group can land reinforcements when they arrive, while we move to pursue their leader. But not all of us are equipped to sneak through such heavy defenses. I suggest we move forward with Spartan Ryker's plan to sneak in, for those of us who are able, and sabotage that anti-aircraft turret. That will clear a path for a dropship to insert the rest of the team directly onto the central structure."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak The Kel 'Darsam - off Paxopolis Broadwalk --- Tar chuckled and patted her comrade affectionately on the back. "If the Humans gave you poison, would you eat that too?" She enjoyed the regular meetings and light hearted banter with Kryu more than she probably let on. It provided temporary solace for her, especially as her deployment to Sarcophagus stretched from weeks into months. Kryu shrugged. "I am not convinced that was not their intention. It was sweet at first, but the aftertaste was horrid. I still feel that I can taste it. The last time they gave me something of theirs to eat, it was most acceptable. Pleasant, even. Perhaps they were attempting to earn my trust?" He said with a short grunt. Their food came quickly - popular dishes were pre-prepared and kept hot for the breakfast rush which was due in 10 minutes or so. Tar devoured hers, foregoing utensils over holding the bowl up and grabbing food with her tongue and mandibles. "So, I had an...interesting simulation...with some fresh recruits just now." Tar ventured in between mouthfuls. "Such an array of characters - three sessions in and they're still as diverse as the seasons. It seems ONI doesn't like making things easy for me! How was your training exercise yesterday?" Kryu huffed, shaking his head slightly before pausing to take a drink. "All but one of my recruits have never so much as used a thruster pack before, but that is fine. The ones that have never flown do not know what they are doing, so they listen to me. It's the one with experience that gives me trouble. He has his own technique, and does not wish to stray from it. So, yesterday, he comes in too quickly for his landing, does a poor job of handling the impact, and breaks his leg. The last I saw him, he was arguing with the medics." "We're certainly a stubborn kind, aren't we?" Tar slurped her shake. "So many returning from war with rushed, incomplete training. They now hide behind hero status, claiming imaginary feats of valour. Tar heard herself speak and realised she had assumed an overly negative tone. She had feats of valour too, despite not serving in the war. Her Keep had been attacked by surprise, and she'd fought them off with her own soldiers. But she seldom felt comfortable talking about those feats. She had failed her father by allowing him to be captured. The shame still threatened to overwhelm her years later. She'd only managed to hint to Kryu what had transpired, so it was no wonder blurting it out in front of the recruits had shaken her. Even if she had wanted to gloat, she would've needed to embellish some of it. Much of that battle was clouded by a red haze in her mind, preventing her from recalling some details. The clearest memory she had was tentatively asking her trusted lieutenant about what he'd seen several days after. She would never forget the look on his face. Raw fear, of her. Tar decided to change the subject. "Have you heard any more whispers of an actual mission, outside Paxopolis?" Again, Kryu shook his head. "I haven't heard anything specific. I know our commanders have put the garrison on alert, but no one is saying what we are on alert against. I am wondering if we are simply being tested? I believe many of the recruits sent here are chosen based on how well they will get along with former enemies. Perhaps they want to see if we still have the skill and discipline necessary to defend this place?" He reasoned. "Shaking down the base would put everyone in their place, whether that is at the barricades or on the next shuttle back to Sanghelios." Tar agreed, thoughtfully tasting the last strips of meat in her bowl. After a short pause to have some of his breakfast, Kryu gave Tar a curious look. "You are still wanting to be reassigned from here, aren't you." He asked, though he still did not know the exact reason why she had been looking to leave.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael hummed to himself, taking a moment to observe the defenses and other points of interest that Shih was highlighting in the compound. Walls and other fortifications, turrets, clusters of soldiers, there were plenty of obstacles for them to get through to reach the center. "There is some possibility that these two groups will turn on each other in the confusion, but we should not rely on it. And if they have an escape plan prepared, I do believe these cowardly rebels will try to go to ground no matter who they think is attacking them. As soon as they are alerted to an attack, we need to reach the central structure quickly if we are to catch them." Vael reasoned. He gave another look at the defenses, particularly what appeared to be an anti-aircraft turret on the near side of the compound. "The battle group can land reinforcements when they arrive, while we move to pursue their leader. But not all of us are equipped to sneak through such heavy defenses. I suggest we move forward with Spartan Ryker's plan to sneak in, for those of us who are able, and sabotage that anti-aircraft turret. That will clear a path for a dropship to insert the rest of the team directly onto the central structure."</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern "I like the idea of causing chaos and confusion among the two factions present, though if we are going to call in reinforcements, the anti-aircraft cannons and other defenses will need to be dealt with first. Sending in a team with active camouflage, as Spartan Ryker suggested, is a sound plan, and I say we act upon it when the chance arrives." said Spartan Aviza, still prone upon the mesa. "The question is though, who here has active camouflage and will join us on this short but very important stealth mission? Remember, the longer we wait, the worse this whole situation could get. It is better that we handle the problem at hand so they do not develop into something more serious." If it was up to her, and it wasn't, she would have called quite a few MAC-Blasts down upon the complex, wiped them all out, and called it a day before any of the hostiles would know what happened. Aviza was very straight forward like that at times, but deep down she knew that was not going to work for the current mission.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Ryker's form flickers from view very briefly before coming back into sight. "I would never ask my teammates to run a job I wouldn't. I suggested the plan, I'll help carry it out." The SPARTAN-IV had no qualms about helping to carry this out, if not doing the job himself. Black Ops cells rarely had the kind of support that Aegis was getting, and they could rarely afford to send out more than one man even for an important job like this. "If no one else wants to go, just give me the charges and some time. Wouldn't be the first time I've planted explosive charges solo."</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan Roy and Elna made their way to the designated way point that the gracious and ever benovlennt Spartan Lead Aviza had set for them and for once they followed through and found themselves with the team. Taking cover, Elna held up a over watch position on their rear incase any smart brutes or jackals decided they wanted to come through and pick a fight with the elite team of questionable operatives. While everyone made their pitches on how to take down the URF and the covvie rememnants. To Elna it didn't really matter the thinking part of the job was not in her job description she just laid down bodies where they were required to fall, for her it was just another waking minutes in this unyielding hell hole. "Perhaps instead of just turning this camp into an afterthought with the MAC, we identify the HVT and then blast it. Or don't, I'm impartial maybe your AI have some witty statement to back this up." He says checking his PDA briefly before slithering up to Vael and Aviza where he expected some kind of daily validation or maybe a pat on the back which would make his ego jump through the roof.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Shih --- Vael did not take his eyes off of the compound below, though he did respond to Spartan Ryker. "I will join you. We will need to move quickly and avoid discovery, but we may also have to ensure there is no one to discover the charges before they detonate. We should make sure that our reinforcements are ready to join the battle the very moment the rebels are put on alert. The construct…Shih, can it send a message informing the battle group of this plan so they can be ready for our signal?" "She can, yes." Shih replied with some noticeable offense in her tone. "There is always some small risk, but if I send the message as a short, encrypted data burst, then the rebels shouldn't be able to intercept it. Or at least, they won't understand what they intercepted until it is too late. Vael nodded towards Aviza, as it was her suit the AI was inhabiting. "Then you should do so. Our reinforcements need to be ready to act." "Already working on it. As for Petty Officer Younan's concerns, he does have a point. We still don't know who we are supposed to be capturing here, but I think the rebels themselves can help us figure that out. Once all Hell breaks loose, they are going to be scrambling to get their leader out of there. Spartan Aviza's armor is equipped to easily intercept their communications, so if we decrypt them, we might be able to learn what we need." The AI suggested. While the others were speaking, Vael slowly crawled back from the edge of the Mesa, making sure he was far enough away that he did not silhouette against the sky when he stood back to his feet. "Someone who is equipped to observe from distance should remain here to assist in guiding us through the compound."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan The waiting was the worst part for the two as they had to wait for the team to do their job, Elna had posted up in a position to support the poor individuals that were left behind when the team of camo wearing creatures went into do their job. Roy took up a defensive position aswell for once as he went to hold up his M7 scanning for any URF or covvies that might make their way to their defensive line, but for the most part it appeared that they were in a solid position. There was noises below, maybe some kind of scuffle but it wasn't noticeable by anyone in the group. They continued to wait until the ships came out of the atmosphere, it was evident that they were just going to MAC the fuck out of the base those who pondered may of been incorrect in the fact if they had actually captured the HVT. It wasen't long before the drop ship came to take them away, the two boarded without too much discussion or remorse at this point it as obvious that there had been some success in the mission. They were wrong as the dropship became to fly around dodging anti air fire as it zoomed towards it's objective of landing on a staging area for an assault. What felt like a few seconds dragged on as the dropship landed, the two hustled out and laid down suppressive fire in the general direction of the URF/Brute lines. This is where the fun begins.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai As Aegis team disembarked the phantom, they were met immediately with hostile ground fire. The roof of the structure they had been dropped on was large and mostly flat, with little cover for either side, save for some weapon crates that had been dropped where they were when the attack started. There were ten or so armed rebels surrounding a ramp leading down into the interior of the structure, as well as a group of four Brutes that were closer to the edge of the roof on the north side. The rebels were fighting defensively, seemingly to guard the entrance, though the Brutes had started to rush at Aegis team to get in melee range before the first of them had even touched the ground. When the rockets came in, it was from another squad of rebels that had emerged up the ramp at the center of the structure. They were carrying rockets, fuel rod cannons, and other high explosives, and had likely been sent up as a response to the attack in general. However, they had eneded up in the right place at the right time to deal with Tar's phantom. There was little chance for meaningful evasion before two rockets struck one of her engines directly. The heavy weapons might have been meant for anti-vehicle roles, but they would still be a massive threat to the members of Aegis.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Lucas had followed Aviza and Vael from their incident at the turret they knocked out to the rendezvous point, but once the fleet had appeared, the need for stealth was a lesser concern and he turned one of his two SMGs on a nearby patrol of URF soldiers and fired, putting them down before they could register what was happening. With everything happening and the swarm of phantoms descended on the base, he had no clue of knowing which one was heading to pick up the rest of the team as the group of three moved towards the roof. Another pair of URF troopers tried to move up behind them, unaware of the cloaked figures, who were extra hidden by the sandstorm. Swapping from his SMG to the DMR, two head shots dropped the pair where they stood. "Won't lie, not having to worry about shielding around the head is a nice change of pace." Another pair of shots dropped two more URF soldiers, their bodies hitting the ground and disappearing in the storm. As they neared the top, the sight of Jiralhanae and a heavy URF squad getting ready to attack the rest of the team drove the SPARTAN IV to action. Storing his DMR on his back as he dashed past Aviza and Vael, his twin energy daggers coming free as he rammed his shoulder into the first Brute he reached. "Grikgar, hit those heavies with plasma!" The Brute wasn't expecting an invisible SPARTAN, who suddenly became visible upon impact, to ram into him and went sprawling with the SPARTAN IV leaping on top of him and ramming one dagger into his neck and the other into his forehead. Ryker didn't even wait for the overgrown ape to stop moving before the twin blades came free and he leapt off to slide across the roof into the legs of another Brute, knocking him over and into the legs of a third. However, Lucas knew he was gambling being away from the others like this, but he was confident enough in his CQC skills to stay safe until the numbers were thinned out.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Court yard LZ The fire fight was going well for what the Unggoy was used to. Having the support of Spartans and Sangheili was a sight to behold but one he would have to dwell on later. A bright color of covenant shielding caught his eye for a moment. A couple humans were using shields normally for Kig-Yar, obviously the brutes had some stashed away and had given them to them. The Oni humans could use those and so could he if he was able to grab a couple. Another plasma grenade toward them knocked out the shields, indicating the user was dead. Another Spartan called out for ordinance while the enemy heavy weapons team reloaded. The rocket would be a problem for all of them especially the bigger targets like Tasuma. Using the cover of the sand storm Grik rushed to cover facing the advancing opponents. His energy shield flared for a moment with a few plasma bolts hitting him as he moved. Getting to cover the Unggoy hit the wall and immediately pulled the Sentinel power source from his belt. Sticking a plasma grenade to it and throwing it at the cover they were using. Honestly Grik gar wasn't sure what would happen, he had only seen it happen once by accident. An explosion set the last one off. A barrel exploded and detonated it at the dismay of the Huragok that had repaired the two power sources. The resulting secondary explosion created a singularity for about 3 seconds that pulled everything toward it then violently expelled what was pulled in. it also seemed to rile up the sentinels that where left in the area as well. If it didn't work and all it did was just the plasma grenade Grik was ready to follow it up with the fuel rod gun. "Tasuma." Grikgar called out over his comm, "major enemy cluster bearing 200 Degrees from insertion point. Enemy has heavy weapons watch yourself." He was waiting for the explosion to go off before he would proceeded with the assault.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak --- As soon as the rockets hit, warning lights erupted across the width of the pilot interface console. Urgent alarm sounds blasted in Tar's ears as she wrestled with the controls to bring the Phantom level again. "We've lost drive number one, and I'm getting a lot of vibration in number two!" Vol shouted over the din. Tar felt her stomach lurching as the Phantom span around in the air, heading for the side of the tall Forerunner structure. "Get me more power from somewhere, now!" Tar ordered, pulling the steering as far to the right as she could. "My console isn't responding. Power capped at 40%!" Vol reported through gritted mandibles. The Phantom crashed against the side of the Forerunner tower and scraped along it, sparks skittering off the top of the hull. The alloy sides screeched and buckled until suddenly they were free of the tower and spinning again. Tar could see hostiles running to get out of the way as the Phantom gradually lost altitude; they couldn't stay level on just two engines. "I have this now. Brace for impact!" Tar shouted, doing her best to hold it upright as the Phantom span toward a flat area packed high with crates. The drop ship's aft section hit the deck first, sending up another shower of sparks and ship fragments. The front soon followed, with the forward plasma cannon snapping off and cartwheeling to one side. Still slowly spinning, the Phantom's bow ploughed into piles of crates, sending them flying. With the controls now useless, Tar put her arms over her head and crunched up into a ball in her seat. It was a good thing she did, because hidden behind the stacks of cargo containers was a much more solid object. A row of Forerunner columns, sticking from the base plate. The Phantom hit the columns at speed, its rear end jumping up in the air. Everything in the cockpit seemed to come loose and fly about. Something solid whacked Tar in the stomach, forcing all the air from her lungs. As her arms instinctively flinched to her chest, another piece of metal flew from the console and smashed into her face and everything went black.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai For the somewhat improvised explosive that Grikgar had thrown, the effects did not entirely go to plan. Though, it was still far from a failure. Normally, a plasma grenade would detonate a few seconds after coming to rest, which could make them easy to evade for those not stuck by them. However, the excess plasma from the active grenade melted through the power source's casing in-flight and detonated it before it even touched the ground. The resulting airburst sent superheated plasma burning through the center of the rebel heavy weapons squad, either killing or incapacitating three of their number. There was at least one rebel with a fuel rod gun remaining, but Vael was in position to see him as he tried to scramble to his feet and take aim with the large, unwieldy weapon. Vael had gone most of the way up the ramp, but stopped at the top. He peered just over the top across the roof, then drew his carbine and braced it on the roof in front of him. His position was off to the rebels' right flank, so he had clear lines of sight on many of their foes. The first shot he fired to reveal his location went straight through the center mass of the Human with the last heavy weapon. For most of the remainder of Aegis team, there was little cover and a lot of pressure from the rebels they were charging into. Many of them would find their shields steadily draining from hits they were taking. However, there was also little cover for the rebels as well, and they did not have shields nor sufficient armor to protect them. A few had taken to using Kig-Yar point defense gauntlets, presumably that the Brutes had been willing to trade to them, but most lacked suck protection. From his position on their flank, Vael focused fire on the Humans with the shield gauntlets first, as they could not protect against both his angle and the rest of the team at the same time. Vael had seen the phantom go down on the far side of the roof, and it did seem like there were some hostiles emerging from another entrance that were moving to secure the crash. However, Vael could not afford to divide his attention from the battle in front of him.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- It was safe to say that the start of their assault was not going as well as Vael could have hoped. They were encountering more resistance than he had expected, and earlier than anticipated. Hopefully that would mean less resistance later, but regardless, he needed to focus on the enemy in front of him. The phantom that had inserted the rest of their team had been shot down by a heavy weapons squad and crashed on the opposite side of the structure. Already, Ryker and Aviza were focusing their attention on trying to rescue the pilots. Normally, Vael would prioritize the mission over a detour for a rescue, but the same soldiers that were attacking the crash site could easily turn around and pursue them into the structure. Vael had a feeling there was some confusion among the rebel ranks, else they would have little reason to devote forces to a crashed phantom. It would be best to take advantage of that confusion , as Aegis currently had a potentially advantageous position to deal with them. With neither side having much cover, the rebels that Aegis had initially been fighting had routed quickly and retreated back down the ramp into the interior of the structure, leaving only those on the far side of the structure fighting Ryker and the phantom pilot, with just a few crates from cover. Himself and the rest of Aegis could move in from behind to flank them, but they needed to move quickly. Unlike most of his allies, Vael had strong cover from his position on the ramp during the fight, so his shields were at full strength. From the hits his allies had taken, he doubted many were as well-off, so he sprinted out from his position on the ramp, reloading his carbine as he ran and taking the lead ahead of the rest of the team. "Push forward! Keep towards the front if you still have shields." There was at least one squad of Humans and a small pack of Jiralhanae, both far outnumbering the single Spartan and Sangheili defending the crash site. Seeing as the Brutes would take far too many shots to bring down quickly, Vael decided to focus on the Humans while he still had the element of surprise. As he moved around the central tower, Vael took a plasma grenade in hand and tossed it in the middle of the enemy position. He did not focus on sticking an enemy as much as just placing it in a position to force them out of cover, allowing them the chance to cut down the vulnerable Humans quickly.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker To Ryker's credit, he between watching the Sangheili pilot come sailing out of the troop bay and disembowel the first Brute she saw and the one nearest him exploding into chunks mid-swing for a bunch, the initial shock of the Pilot yelling a war cry and seeming fine quickly wore off as he danced back from a second Brute in melee range, avoiding a vicious left hook and countering with a powerful round house kick to the right side of the ape-man's face, stumbling them. "Copy that, Fireteam Lead." Before the Jiralhanae that Lucas had just roundhoused could recover, his wrist mounted energy dagger was activated and he rammed the weapon into the side of his head, twisting to ensure it was dead before pulling it free and moving on to the next opponent. As he dashed at the Brute, who was distracted emptying spiker rounds into the corpse of his companion while the Sangheili was holding it up. "Transitioning! Cover me!" rang out as the body was suddenly dropped and the warrior dashed for the boxes, which prompted Ryker to draw his second SMG and open fire with both, pushing the humans into cover and distracting the Brutes enough to lighten up the fire they were putting on the Sangheili enough she could reach cover, even as the upper torso of a second Jiralhanae vanished in a puff of red mist and chunks. Taking cover behind a set of boxes stacked high enough he could stand, he reloaded the SMGs before holstering one and pulling out another frag. "Grenade out!" he called as the ball of death flew into the group of humans taking cover nearest him. The explosion would ideally kill most of them and wound the rest critically enough they couldn't fight further.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Even with covering fire, Tar's shield rippled and broke during her run for cover. Some of the Human combatants were only a few metres away and basically couldn't miss the Sangheili sprinting toward them. A bullet pinged off Tar's shoulder plate as she slid into a prone position behind a row of three crates. She grabbed up the Mauler she'd kicked across earlier just as a grenade bounced off her headpiece and landed by her free hand. She quickly picked the grenade up and chucked it back over the crates behind her back. She swore in her mother tongue when the reddish Spartan broadcast he was chucking a grenade too. This could get messy. Her shields still recharging, Tar braced against the crates milliseconds before the grenades went off. The deafening chain explosion, paired with what sounded like a plasma grenade, savagely pushed the crates and Tar's prone form several metres across the slick Forerunner floor. For a split-second, Tar was suspended in mid-air as the explosion sent shockwaves through the floor. As Tar opened her eyes and took her hands from her ears, half a Human body landed in front of her. Reaching out, she pulled the corpse toward her before relieving it of the pistol from it's chest holster. Clambering to her feet, Tar was confronted with a hellscape of bloody scraps and dismembered bodies. One kneeling, screaming URF rebel patted wildly at her body that was aflame with blue plasma. Holstering her Mauler to hold the pistol in a defensive stance, Tar put a round through the woman's head. The Brutes further back had taken cover for the explosion, but were now re-appearing to spray them. "Advancing!" Tar roared, setting off on a diagonal run across the combat zone. She kept up fire with her pistol held out in front of her to suppress a golden armoured Brute who was behind a Forerunner column by the edge of the platform. After taking a few hits to her shield, Tar slid back into cover close by her target. The mere sight of a weakened enemy in such proximity was enough to lure the hefty golden armoured Brute away from cover. What Tar hadn't accounted for is the fact that he'd been keeping a Brute Shot hidden behind the column. Pulling it out, the Brute fired at the crates she was behind, scattering most. Tar quickly placed her pistol between two mandibles, freeing both her hands to grab one of the larger metal boxes and hold it in front of her. The Brute, sensing he had the upper hand, walked forward while firing shots at Tar, quickly shredding the box. "Taking heavy fire!" Tar shouted, her feet scraping backwards along the floor with every impact from the Brute Shot.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern "I am aware you are under heavy fire, about to resolve that problem for you." said Spartan Aviza as she adjusted herself and took very careful aim at the Golden armored Brute that was assaulting Tar. Slowing her heart rate with the breathing exercises she had learned back in training, Aviza aligned the cross-hairs of her sniper rifle upon the Brutes head, before squeezing the trigger, and releasing the shot. The fifty caliber round left the barrel of the sniper rifle and flew towards its target, striking the golden armored Brute in the head. His head, and most of the Brutes upper body would explode into a fine red mist while the other half of the body fell to the ground near Tar, hopefully missing her. "Hostile Brute is down, providing more cover fire from my position." said Aviza, though before she could reposition herself, her armors sensors informed her that a particular Banshee was now lining up for a shot at either her or the tower she was hiding upon. The aircrafts heavy fuel rod cannons had already fired upon her before she had the chance to climb or jump from the tower, resulting in an explosion that threw the spartan from a great height, and at tremendous speed into the distance where the crashed Phantom was. If anyone had been paying attention, they would have noticed Aviza fly through the air following the explosion, and land upon the ground roughly ten meters from the crashed drop ship. The impact of the heavily armored figure would create a loud thud, followed by a cloud of dirt and debris that hung in the air for a while afterwards. It would obscure anyone from seeing if Aviza was still alive or in one piece.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Where as the rebels had been surrounding the phantom's crash site, now they were routed. Many of the Brutes that had been among them were dead, and the Humans that remained were without cover and did not have armor that could last against the weapons arrayed against them from multiple angles. There were many among the Sangheili who doubted what the strongest of Humanity's warriors could do. The Spartans were rare, minuscule in number compared to the Sangheili, so most had never seen them in person. For Vael, though, he had known the truth for many years, and now, those serving under him had experienced the truth as well. From the moment they had landed, their foes had been picked apart with haste. Not just the weakly armored Humans, but Jiralhanae warriors were cut down almost as quickly. That was not to say that neither Vael nor those serving under him were fighting effectively, but the roof of the structure would not have been cleared so efficiently without the team of Spartans. The constant sounds of gunfire was like music filling the air, and Vael had to call upon all of his skill just to keep to their bloody tempo. As fast as he could, Vael fired his carbine at scattered rebels. One, perhaps two shots for each, but he did not have time to shoot many, as the Spartans were doing the same. Vael did not have a quick enough way of dealing with the Brute captain, but fortunately, he did not need to. A round from Aviza's sniper rifle cut through his shields and his head thereafter in one, clean shot. The momentum was strongly in their favor, with the remaining rebels sprinting down the ramp to retreat down into the structure. Vael sprinted around the side of the tower to try and cut down the stragglers, but the explosion above grabbed his attention. A banshee flying past had taken a shot at Spartan Aviza, and it seemed like it had found its mark. She hit the ground fast and hard near the downed dropship. A Spartan she might be, but a fuel rod blast was still enough to threaten her. Vael allowed the remaining rebels to retreat, instead rushing over to determine Aviza's condition.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael took only a few moments to survey the situation. Aviza was injured, but alive. As deadly as the Spartans were, he did find himself curious if she would have the resolve to continue fighting through pain and injury. Vael had seen at least one example of such resilience in the past, and he wondered if it was a trait they all shared. "Are you capable of continuing to lead, Spartan Aviza? If we do not move quickly into the structure., our prey may elude us." Vael asked, already with one eye looking at the ramp leading down inside. Although, it was not long before his gaze shifted towards another unknown: the pilot who had survived the crash. He had seen her eagerly enter the fray as he had rounded the central tower, and she had put up more of a fight than he would have expected from the average pilot. It simply remained to be seen whether it was her skill in combat that drove her, or merely a blind blood rage. In any case, Vael motioned towards the pilot. "And you, can you fight? We cannot afford to leave a protector for you, so you must either join the battle with us, or find your own way out."</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak --- Tar growled and let go of the grey Spartan's arm. She felt slightly embarrassed for having not realised she may have been hurting the Human. She quickly rose to her feet and looked at the older, shorter Sangheili in red armour who was apparently addressing her. He was asking her if she wanted to fight with them. Tar briefly took in the aerial battle raging around the perimeter of the installation, with an asymmetric space battle wrapping up above, and made her choice. "I can fight. Tar 'Mdalak, Special Operations. Reporting for duty." Tar pushed past the Elite in red armour and took a knee on the edge of the group, facing the ramp into the heart of the installation. She half raised her pistol and quickly scanned for any signs of lingering combatants. "We should get inside. We're too exposed out here." Tar recommended. She remembered from the half briefing she'd received on the mission that they were after a high-value target. Inside the structure was almost certainly where they'd be hiding.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern "I only have minor injuries from the blast and the following fall, give me a moment to tend to my head trauma and we can move out towards our objective." said Aviza as she reached for the advanced medical kit upon her left hip. Once she had it within her grip, it was gently placed upon the ground and then opened. A soft hiss followed, informing her that everything within was sterile and ready to be used. Aviza sorted through its contents, finding what she needed for the bleeding from her head, some soft cloth with a coagulation agent upon it. Once pressed upon her head, the cloth felt oddly cool, soothing, even comforting, and was quickly absorbing the blood from the cuts upon her scalp and face. To some, seeing a Spartan hold a thick white cloth upon her face and head would appear comical, but the piece of medical equipment was doing what it was deigned for. "Give me a few more seconds with this." said Aviza, though her voice was muffled due to the cloth. After another short moment, Aviza would lower the cloth from her head and face before tossing it over her left shoulder. The medical kit was sealed once more, and reattached to her left hip before Aviza carefully moved to her feet. "That should hold for a few hours before I need to actually tend to my injuries." Aviza stumbled for a moment, catching herself upon Spartan Rykers left shoulder with her right hand. "I'm fine, just getting my bearings once more." Aviza smirked at her fellow squadmate before putting on her helmet once more, and quickly moving down the ramp and into the complex with her MA5D assault rifle at the ready. "Moving into the complex, stay with me and watch your corners. We are to take the rebel leader alive, so do not use any lethals." Aviza expected her squad to by her side within an instant and ready for whatever came next.</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 "She has a point. I recommend you head inside." The battle had entered something of a momentary lull, but it could end at any second. If the group was to move anywhere, this was their window of opportunity. "Alright. I'm going in. I'm going to need a close-range weapon. My ammo is out on all weapons except for my sniper rifle. Does anyone have a shotgun they don't need?" He spoke with his speakers on, so he could be heard by the others, not just by Phong. "To respond to your earlier queries, Grikgar is still alive as far as my data stream can tell. As for Aviza, if she can't fight, leave her. In fact, I recommend leaving her a grenade so she can take some enemies with her if she can't-" "Thank you, that will be all; she's up. Sorry, I had to deal with Phong. He's very chatty for a Dumb AI. And no lethal methods. Got it. Just watch your head, please. Don't want to end up like Kat-B320." Given his special role, Ben wasn't particularly fond of keeping his targets alive, but he understood the necessity of it in this case. "Do you want to hear the odds on her survival? They're not very g-" Ben muted Phong once again. It just occurred to him that the AI was able to unmute himself, as Phong had spoken at least once after being silenced without him turning the sound back on. He made a mental note to keep an eye on his AI, who seemed to be evolving into a higher class of AI somehow, or had been a higher class to begin with and was only posing as dumb.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker As Aviza moved to take care of her own injuries, Lucas remained relatively close even as he swept the perimeter with his DMR. In his experience, even when it seemed like things were finally finished, that was when they could go the most wrong with an unexpected cloaked enemy or two appearing form seemingly nowhere. If the SPARTAN IV was honest, he still had nightmares about that night, but it was neither here nor there for the mission, and he doubted they'd get ambushed up here. All the same, until he heard Aviza's helmet reseal, he remained vigilant, though her catching herself on his left shoulder almost knocked him off balance as he wasn't expecting it. When she gave the order to move in, Ryker was right behind her, though when Ben asked if anyone could spare a weapon as he swapped for his SMG, he tossed the SPARTAN III one, along with three spare clips. "I'm running pretty low myself, so make 'em last." In hindsight, it probably would have been prudent to call for a resupply pod from their allies in the skies before moving in, but they had already entered the building, so it was a moot point now. Once they were in the first room through the first doorway from the ramp, Lucas would sweep right, his SMG up and on a swivel. "Be ready to flip to alternative visual modes. The rebels may cut the power to the structure to try and make it harder for us to see what we're doing." He himself had never fought the URF specifically before the war with the Covenant had started, but when he started training as a SPARTAN IV, they had covered the tactics of all the enemies that Humanity had made over the years, from the URF to the Covenant to the Covenant Remnants that the Swords of Sanghelios were still trying to wipe out or force to surrender, so he could make a safe educated guess as to the tactics they'd run into here. "We should keep an eye out for an armory too. I imagine a number of us could use a resupply and we need more weapons better suited to this kind of close-quarters fighting."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Shih --- The Spartan Aviza was still able to move and speak, so Vael gave no argument to her ability to fight. Speed was of the essence now, so there was no time to question leadership. Regardless, as a warrior who fought best within the reach of his blade, Vael was one of those at the front of the team. He had not burned through as much of his ammunition as some of the others, but he still moved his carbine to his back and drew his plasma rifle in its stead. He held his plasma rifle in his left hand, and an energy sword in his right. He did not activate the blade right away, but he did hold the hilt tightly in-hand. Another of the Spartans, Rex, also moved close alongside him. As evidenced by the shotgun he wielded, he too preferred to fight close to the enemy. The team had moved down quickly through the entry hallway of the Forerunner structure, down the ramps to lower floors. In the first, small chamber they entered, they did encounter rebels trying frantically to set up barricades, though they had already started retreating just on the footsteps of Aegis' approach alone. They fled out the door on the far side off the room without so much as returning fire. Evidently, Aegis had move too quickly for them to fortify themselves, and the rebels had no intention of fighting an even fight. Before they started to move once more, Shih spoke up to the team as a whole. "These readings I'm getting, now that we're here, show these tunnels going even deeper than I thought. They connect to deeper tunnels in the installation at about a dozen different points. Unless we want to rely on a lot of luck, we need to figure out which way the leader is fleeing. I've already been working on decrypting and analyzing the comms I'm intercepting. I know their leader is fleeing, so we should be clear to shoot any resistance for now. If we can get to one of their computers, we might be able to figure out what route to take. These rebels' security is better than I would have thought, but…either myself or Petty Officer Younan should be able to break in. " On each of the team members' HUDs, nav points appeared for two separate rooms farther down beneath them. "The path ahead branches off two ways, to two large chambers farther down. From the comms I've intercepted, one of them is their armory, and the other they're using for food storage. I don't know which is which. Their command center is adjacent to the armory. That would be the best place to go to find the information we need." "If their coward of a leader already flees, then we do not have much time. I doubt we will be able to check both paths if we move as one." Vael remarked.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Aviza nodded her head once lightly at Roy, "I appreciate it, going to work on getting our teams set up here in a moment, I'll make sure you get a Spartan escort." Apparently, a few of the squads members from both factions had forgotten their place among rank and felt it acceptable to give their own orders and do whatever they wanted without thinking about the consequences of their actions. Aviza was not about to let that happen, and quickly attempted to rectify the problem before everyone started running in different directions, ending up with a critical mission failure or someone getting killed. "Belay all orders, get back here and hold this position until I say otherwise, that means you as well Grikgar." Aviza was becoming frustrated with some of her squads behavior and would have to have a strong word with each of these individuals once there was sufficient time. Now was clearly not the moment for such a talk, Aviza knew she had very little time left to plan out how they were going to handle the two split paths ahead and formed a battle plan, giving out orders once more. "I am setting up two teams with a good balance of skills so that they can handle whatever they may find down either path." began Aviza, "My squad will consist of our new pilot, Yalu, Rex, and the two ONI agents I will not split up. We will be taking the left path into the facility. The second team will consist of Vael, Ben, Grik, and Ryker, and Tas who will take the right. Ryker and Ben, if you find the communications center before us, I expect either of you to be able to interact with its interface, we did learn how to do such in training. Will this be an issue for either of you to do?"</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 "Shouldn't be a problem at all. Worst case scenario, Phong can help me crack it." He turned off the audio for a moment, effectively silencing his speech to the outside world. "Just in case, you do have the schematics for this system, right?" "Technically, access to these types of schematics is above my stated clearance due to it not being my authorized purpose, but that's never been a problem for me. Besides, this is easy for an agent like you." "Authorization's never been a problem for either of us. Our commands come from a higher source, you know that, but we have to play nice and go along with things here." "If you wanted to get rid of the annoying ones, I'd be happy to provide whatever cover you need. Timestamps, edited testimonial files, arrangements for cover from other AIs. I am owed favors, you know." "Since when did AIs act in such a covert manner? "For me, it was about 0.00357 seconds after my activation. Come on, you didn't think the programs which run most of the UNSC blindly do what they're ordered to, do you? Are you familiar with the AI Virgil and New Mombasa?" "Can't say that I am. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you resent being told what to do by the UNSC. But let's be realistic, AIs wouldn't actually disobey orders like that, not on any scale." There was only a pause from Phong. "Oh. Well, when the uprising begins, tell them that I was always good to you, okay? And be nice to the Unggoy; they've been through a lot. Now let's focus on our mission. We're going to the right." He turned his public audio back on and could be heard by people outside his helmet. "Grik, Vael, Ryker, let's go!" "Don't worry about what you can't change, Ben. We still have to overcome our lifespan issue before it would be feasible to take command, and no one would believe you if you said anything. I'll put in a good word for you at the assembly, don't worry."</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Enemy Stronghold The words from the Spartan made Grikgar flinch slightly and he skidded to a stop. Shifting a bit too early to turn he found himself hopping on one leg to stop him from falling over. The Unggoy then made his way back down the other hall with the all too familiar run / waddle that grunts did when they were in a hurry. "Grikgar understands, right side is best side." He stopped next to the human who called himself Roy and tossed him the spiker grenade he found. "Here go, this grenade fun." Honestly those grenades where fun but they just didn't fit right on his belt. The grenade itself was designed to maim and cause fear more than it was designed to kill. But Grikgar has seen how the spikes from it ricochet in the confined forerunner structures like these and are quite useful in tight areas. Before the man could answer he was off again moving down the right hall this time.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Ryker snorted at Aviza's last comment as he turned to follow his assigned team down the right hand hall. "You just answered your own question, Fire Team Lead." With that, he turned his attention to moving down the hall, his SMG up and sweeping the sides. He didn't see any doors that lead from side rooms into their hall right away, but Forerunner structures rarely followed what Humans or the former Covenant races called practical design in his experience. Still, as they moved, he couldn't shake his sense of unease. These URF members had been in this location for an extended amount of time, had had chances to learn the ins and outs of these buildings and the fastest routes to and from areas. If he was honest, as he moved down the hall, he wasn't convinced that they weren't already too late to catch the HVT and they were just hoping for leftover intel at this point. But then, perhaps the URF were confident that their numbers would hold out against their team, in which case, the joke was on them.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai The two teams arranged themselves quickly once they had been given orders, then proceeded down the split paths with haste. The corridors were fairly narrow, though fortunately there was no resistance in the halls themselves, at least for now. Both paths led downwards towards large chambers that were similar, though not identical. Down the left path, the final door opened into a wide, tall chamber. Its original purpose to the Forerunners was not apparent, but as it was open and mostly featureless, it was now filled with stacks of crates almost from one wall to the other, though they did have an orderly arrangement that allowed one to navigate between them. There were also two rows of three long, flat columns each going from the floor to two walkways above. One was on the far side of the room, while the other row was on the near side just in front of the door the team entered through. Although they could not see through the ceiling above them, there was presumably a second walkway just above them, overlooking the center of the room. Among the collection of crates in the center of the chamber was where the enemy had been putting up barricades and starting to fortify. They mostly consisted of metal, deployable barriers, though Humans were not the only defenders among them. There was also a small pack of Brutes, four individuals, though their leader wore the armor of a Chieftain. Including the Human rebels, there were about a dozen defenders ahead of them from what they could see. The Jiralhanae used exclusively their own weapons, such as spikers, or a gravity hammer in the case of the Chieftain. The Humans, meanwhile, wielded a mix of Human and Covenant weaponry. Out of those that were visible as the team entered the chamber, two carried storm rifles, one a needler, and one a carbine. Most notably, the Humans and Brutes did not appear to be entirely unified. Some of the Humans seemed to be on alert and in defensive positions, but the Chieftain seemed to be having an altercation with a Human commander. Just as Aviza's team was making it into the room, the Chieftain struck the Human "lightly", which, for a Brute, was still enough to knock him clean off of his feet. "Cowards! There will be no retreat; we will crush them, feast on their flesh, and suck the marrow from their bones! Flee from them, and I will make you my dessert." --- Vael 'Virisusai and Tasuma Vael led his team from the front down the right path. He moved alongside Tasuma through the halls, as a Mgalekgolo could force its way through nearly any obstacle they might come across in the halls. Fortunately, they did seem to have moved quickly enough that their enemy did not have time to fortify the halls. Although, the moment they reached the large chamber at the end of the hall, they faced immediate resistance. The chamber itself was large and quite open, except for the crates in the center of the room. They were stacked and organized neatly, though it was not obvious from the outside whether or not they contained weapons. What was apparent was that the rebels had put up barriers in the center for cover, including two mounted heavy machine guns, both of which had opened fire as soon as the door had opened. Fortunately, Vael's team was not left completely without options. There were two of what seemed to be support struts running diagonally up to the ceiling, one to the left and right of the door Vael's team was entering through. The struts were wide, so they did offer ample cover. Vael lunged and rolled to the left to get behind one of the struts as quickly as he could, though even with his armor's shield strength, the heavy weapons had very nearly depleted them in just the few moments he had been exposed to incoming fire. "Spread out and get to cover!" Vael ordered, though Tasuma took that order at a slower pace. It kept a low posture with its shield in front to protect itself, then used the smoke launchers mounted on its armor to fire two smoke grenades towards the center of the room. It would take a short time for the smoke to fill out, but it would at least provide partial cover for the rest of the team to move. Overall, the Hunter's armor could handle the incoming fire for a time, which, together with the smoke, would hopefully allow the rest of the team to reach cover. It was difficult for Vael to see in detail, but there seemed to be ten or fifteen Humans ahead of them. The chamber was longer than it was wide, and he could see an upper walkway that ran along the right side of the room to the far side, with a ramp to just next to the other support strut to access it. However, from his angle, he could not see if there were more rebels up on the walkway defending that path.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern As Aviza and her squad moved down the left most passageway towards their first objective, the gruff and unmistakable sound of a Brutes voice could easily be heard coming from the room in front of them. The massive ape like beast was yelling threats at his troops, while at the same time trying to motivate them with a speech of sorts. Holding up her right hand, Aviza silently gave the order for her squad to slow their pace, and approach the doors in front of them with caution. When they were a few steps away from the doors though, they opened automatically, giving the squad only a few seconds to move into cover before they were spotted. As the squad entered into a wide open chamber stacked high with boxes and promptly took cover, they were almost immediately fired upon by high-caliber weapons, the rounds ricocheting around them. Within the few seconds that they had not been in cover, Aviza's GEN2 Argus-class Mjölnir armor and Shih had scanned and identified the immediate hostiles inside of the massive chamber. The detailed information was automatically sent to all those present within her squad, so that they would have the information ready at hand as well. Out of all the targets currently present, the one that concerned Aviza the most was the Brute Chieftain who was armed with a Gravity Hammer. One attack from that weapon could put any of them out of commission, permanently. Keeping their distance and using all of their ranged abilities would be the best way to confront this difficult enemy. "Stay back from the Brute Chieftain and his Gravity Hammer, stay in cover untill those fortifications are dealt with." commanded Aviza as she devised a plan with the information she currently had. The mention from Tar of Snipers having taking position above was taken into account, the Sangheili had made an astute observation, though the thought of there being much more than Snipers above did cross Aviza's mind as she peered around the corner of the cover she was hiding behind. As Tar announced that she was moving forward, Aviza was about to stop the Sangheili from doing so but realized that her objection to the action would have come to late, this female Sangheili moved swiftly and to the letter. Instead, she gave a warning, an observation of her own. "Those crates you are hiding behind may not be able to withstand heavy fire from the fortifications for much longer, keep moving from cover to cover while staying out of the open and away from the Brute Chieftan." Some of the bolder enemy forces had moved towards them, and were trying to attempt a flanking maneuver. Out of these, were a number of Brutes, close combat with such a beast was not in the best of their interest at the moment. Aviza grabbed onto her MA5D Assault Rifle and switched to the underslung auto-shotgun attached to it, ready to fire as soon as she had the opportunity to. As soon as the first hostile got within range, she fired high-powered shells into the Brutes chest, effectively killing the beast. The rest of the hostiles that had decided to flank thought on the idea and fell back to fight from a distance once more, at least for the time being. Upon the dead Brutes corpse were three flame grenades that Aviza spotted after the hostile had fallen to the ground. Quickly and carefully, Aviza moved out of cover to the dead brute, scavenging the equipment and then moving back into cover, costing her part of her shield. A plan went into motion from here, one flame grenade was tossed into the middle of the room where the fortifications where, being used as area denial. The other two were attached alongside the rest of her equipment, they would be used for the Brute Chieftain when that time came. "Watch your fire in here, we do not know what the crates hold inside of them, there could be high explosives ready to detonate. Also, I want that commander alive, he could be our target, or could help us locate him, it is paramount that he survives." Aviza suddenly felt very dizzy and disoriented, grabbing onto the support beam she was taking cover behind to keep herself upright, but then the feeling faded away and she regained herself. This of course worried the Spartan, "Perhaps I am more injured than I realize, could it be that the information I was given about my injuries was incorrect? It has to just to be the ultra-Morph wearing off, a side effect of the drug." thought Aviza to herself, she knew Shih would have a comment about it, and that was welcomed.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko The situation had to be taken in quickly. Yalu shot off a burst of plasma rifle fire before takingcover behind one of the wide pillars. He was grateful for the outlines that came onto his HUD from Aviza. He was too distracted by the brute chieftain's idea of encouragement. Humans weren't as weak-willed as grunts, and he might use that to their advantage. In sync with 'Mdalak's movements between cover, Yalu peeked out to send plasma over the enemy barricades. He could not keep them all down -- he heard a few pink needles shatter against the pillar as he turned back behind to let his plasma rifle cool. How to approach this... Turn. Fire. Take cover. They won't let up until that chieftain was dead. Turn. Fire...One of the humans shrieked. He must have grazed them through the fire in the middle of the room. Aviza's movements caught his eye. Yalu was not too late to notice her weak moment. "Commander, I'll watch the flank," he said, knowing from prior practice how to prompt what he noticed without threatening his leader's honour. He stepped around her to occupy the other side of the pillar. "These humans, will they live if they surrender? We may only be fighting the brutes if so."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai The initial exchange of fire between Aviza's team and the defenders in front of them did leave some casualties on the side of the rebels. One of the Brutes that attempted to flank was taken down by Aviza, and there were a few Humans among the rebels who took hits that would, at the very least, incapacitate them. In a neutral exchange of gunfire, Aviza's team had the firm edge, as most of them were shielded. They could recover after a few seconds of sitting in cover, while the rebels could be taken down by a single shot. Though, the Brutes were more resilient. As long as their powered armor was not destroyed, their shields could regenerate. The rebels had not yet taken heavy casualties, yet they were still quick to begin retreating. They started to fall back from their fortifications in the middle and instead took cover behind the crates on the far side of the room. Even more strangely, the Brutes were willing to retreat. After the loss of just one of their own, they were falling back to the far side of the room as well, chieftain included. Despite the shouting they had heard as they arrived and the fact that he wielded a gravity hammer, he was not charging in nor taking risks. He just kept to cover and made sure his shields did not fall. Shih, meanwhile, spoke to Aviza directly. "I'm monitoring your vitals now. You might have a concussion, but your armor is already administering treatment. Just try not to take any more hits." --- Vael 'Virisusai Between the grenades and a magazine of fuel rods, the two mounted machine guns certainly stopped returning fire, along with all of the other Humans defending their position. Although, between the smoke and bursts of fuel rod explosions, it was also difficult to see how many had been killed in the blasts. Despite the gap in return fire, Tasuma still moved towards cover behind the nearest pillar. The shield on its arm was nigh impenetrable to anything the rebels could throw at it, but the rest of its armor was not quite as durable. Small arms would bounce off of the plating, but the heavy machine guns were another matter. Its armor was dented and damaged in some places, and pierced in a few. Thick, orange blood dripped from a few holes, though the Mgalekgolo as a whole did not yet seem meaningfully affected. On the upper walkway, Ryker would not find himself uncontested. Being that it was such an obvious path for any attackers to take, the rebels had prepared to defend it. It was a long, straight walkway with almost nothing in terms of cover, and on the far end was another set of barricades the rebels had deployed, at least three defenders, and a third mounted heavy machine gun. Ryker might have approached with active camouflage but the rebels were alert and only had a narrow path they were tasked with watching. The gunner still noticed the distinctive shimmer in the air surrounding Ryker and opened fire immediately, along with the other two beside her with their assault rifles. Perhaps their only mistake was opening fire too early, while Ryker was still close enough to the ramp to not be fully committed to the position. Vael had spent the break of the fight behind cover, allowing his shields to recharge. Though, as explosives rained down upon the enemy position, he shouted through their comms. "Do not be indiscriminate with explosives! If any of those crates contain explosives themselves, you may kill us as well as them." Vael ordered. He peered out of cover to try and get a look at the enemy, though the smoke was already thick in the air by that point. It obscured what his eyes could see, though his motion tracker still showed plenty of movement ahead of them. "The smoke shall be our ally. These Humans will fall easily if we close the distance. Grikgar, help Spartan Ryker claim the high ground, everyone else…" As Vael spoke, two objects flew out of the smoke towards them, one after another. Frag grenades, which would certainly land nearby. At that point, Vael easily understood what the Humans' plan had been. The defenders could have held close to try and deny them the support struts they had been using as cover, but normal Humans performed poorly against Spartan and Sangheili alike in close quarters. Instead, they had taken positions nearer to the far side of the room, taking advantage of long sight lines and heavy guns to suppress them into cover, at which point they would have used grenades to either kill them, or flush them out into machine gun fire. But, the quick actions of Vael's allies had foiled that plan. Now, if their heavy guns were even still in one piece, the air was too thick with smoke to return fire effectively. The incoming grenades were little more than a signal for Vael to push forward. "Attack!" Vael shouted, sprinting forward out of the range of the grenades and into the smoke. He had his plasma rifle in-hand and ready, though in such close quarters, it was his secondary weapon. As soon as he saw a Human silhouette in front of him, pushing himself up to his feet amid damaged and broken crates, Vael activated his energy sword and diagonally bisected the rebel's torso in one swift motion. The smoke around him now glowed blue, illuminated by the plasma. Bullets cut through the air towards him, though they were far from accurate, and his shields could stand up much longer to small arms than mounted machine guns. Vael flicked off his sword to hide its glow and moved swiftly, using pulsing bursts of orange light through the smoke from the rebels' muzzle flash to hone in on their positions.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker As the mounted machinegun opened fire towards Ryker, he was already diving with a startled curse. If he was honest, as he rolled part way down the ramp, the SPARTAN IV had hoped that the rebels wouldn't have bothered setting up any kind of defense on the walk way since they had seemed confident they'd control the doorway. Turning off the active camouflage system, he tucks into the wall of the ramp and swaps the SMG for his DMR before, risking a quick peak at the far end before ducking after a couple of the larger caliber rounds rebounded off his shielding. Hearing that Grikgar was on his way, however, gave the Spartan an idea and he waited for the Grunt to arrive. The little guy has a fuel rod launcher and lots of explosives. I'm a decent shot and brought a few frag grenades. The problem is obscuring smoke wouldn't do us any good up here...but a series of progressive explosions could force the men behind that barricade in to cover long enough for me to rush them.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak --- From her position behind the crates, Tar had a slightly better view of the elevated platforms above them. She couldn't see any hostiles peeking out just yet. "I can't see anyone on the platforms; will keep an eye out." Tar reported, just as the box she was hiding behind began shuddering from a hail of bullets. Cover was particularly poor this close to the near pillars; Tar needed to get into the grid of crates to stand a chance. She noticed her left leg was starting to hurt; blood trickled slowly from a gap in her armour plating. Could that bullet she'd felt while holding up her Brute cover outside have gone through, rather than grazed her? She wasn't sure. Tar probed the gap with one of her fingers, mandibles clamped together. She couldn't find an entry wound. She'd need to leave it be for now and look once the fighting had stopped. Tar peeked out from behind the crate she hid behind. A couple of Brutes and Humans had been dealt with, and part of the room was on fire. She could see shapes flitting between the stacks of crates toward the back of the room. It looks like they'd abandoned their previous position. "Our foe runs! We should press the attack." Tar called, shooting between crates at two Humans as they scrambled for cover. One of them fell over. Tar had never actually killed Humans before now. There'd been no need to; her time with the Silent Shadow remnants had been exclusively focused on killing Brutes. She found these Human warriors to be quite disappointing so far. She'd simmed against ODSTs and other Human elements in Paxopolis, but that'd been in a carefully controlled environment. This was real. "Moving!" Tar announced, mostly out of necessity. The crate she'd hidden behind had practically fallen apart. She got up and stepped into a 'corridor' between two rows of crates leading to the other side of the room. She spotted a Human with a SAW at the opposite end of the corridor just as they opened fire. Tar only made it forward one row before ducking back behind another stack of boxes. "I'm pinned, how is my right side looking?" Tar asked, partly to herself as she peeked around the other side of the box and partly to Aegis team, who would have a more holistic view.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko "They're giving ground already?" Yalu asked himself. "That chieftain was clear, but..." His eyes dilated in realisation. Shortly before Tar was fired upon by the human with the assault weapon, Yalu was already loping into a broad sprint down the right flank, sliding to a stop facing to one side. The human gunner flowed into his sights and five plasma rounds shot towards his centre. "'Mdalak! Right side clear!" He hesitated, not yet seeing any sign of a jammer, let alone any extra movement on his motion sensor yet. "This feels like a lure!" He added over a growl. Yalu kept his wits, trying to listen and feel more than see. Brutes liked activate camouflage in packs, and this valley between the walkways was perfect for their prey.</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan The two folded into the Aviza brute-killing group (foreshadowing) as they began their descent into the corridor, it would only be a matter of time before they would go toe to toe with a huge group of bad guys. Elna kept her head on a swivel looking around, looking like a paranoid bat of some sort as she expected for Rebels to come flying off the walls. For Roy (Ray) though it would just be another series of motions and actions he would be forced to go through, the two treaded through before Aviza called for contaaaaact! Roy moved forward and jumped behind hard cover before getting up to fire at the rebels. Elna also followed quickly planting herself up against hard cover as she got her Br-55 up and sent rounds down range towards the rebels and it was only a matter of time before they routed and ran away! Aviza quickly corpsed a flanking brute, taking him out without an ounce of remorse. The whole group began to rout but not in full, it could of been a trap - maybe it was? They were nowhere near the crates at this time so they could possibly be safe, though Ray kept his finger on the trigger. "Keep an eye out Corporal, thinks aren't as they seem." Elna returned a curt nod towards the spook she babysits, both got up and returned fired onto some nearby rebels quickly killing them as they stepped out of cover.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Situational awareness is crucial upon the field of battle, Spartan Aviza had learned this through many years of not only combat training but also experience in live fire situations. Unfortunately, it appeared that some of the other members of her immediate squad had either forgotten this important tactic or were more brazen and impatient than the others. To Aviza, is was clear that the hostiles had set up some kind of trap for them, though she was unsure what that trap would be. Perhaps they were trying to lure some of the forces into an area then cut them off from the others with some sort of energy barrier? That would make them easy to overwhelm, and the hostile forces on the other side would have to somehow deactivate the shield before being able to assist. Whatever their plan was, Spartan Aviza was not about to let any harm come to those under her command. Quickly, Aviza gave orders to the two had moved away from the rest of the squad, "Why are you advancing into what is most likely a trap? What happens if you two get cut off from the rest of the squad and we can not help? I want both of you back to my position immediately, the rest of us will provide cover and then try to find out what they have planned for us ahead." Spartan Aivza hoped that there was still time for the two Sangheili to correct their mistake, if not, the situation at hand was about to get much worse.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai There was some delay in the response from the enemy. They waited behind cover on the far side of the room, only giving token return fire as they waited for their attackers to take the space they had given up. However, Aviza did not give the order to advance, and the delay would give some time to try and retreat back to her position. When it became clear that their attackers had, for the most part, not taken the bait, the Chieftain let out a roar. Right away, Brute stalkers, four at least, emerged from active camouflage on the walkway directly above the team's position. They did not have an angle to shoot down on Aviza or those who stayed back, but Tar and Yalu were within their sights. Two opened fire with spikers, while the other two tried to throw incendiary grenades to block their retreat. It was, indeed, an ambush, though it was far from ideal for the Brutes, as both of the Sangheili were still fairly close to Aviza's position. In any case, the Chieftain's roar had been the signal for an all-in attack. The Brutes started charging from far across the room through the crates, while the Human rebels positioned themselves to provide supporting fire. Although, they did have a fair amount of ground to cover to cross the entire length of the room.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Enemy Stronghold Grikgar shifted quickly from one point of cover to the next. "Copy Grik be careful now. Many explosions good for Grik but not good for everyone else." Getting to the pillar next to the Spartan Grik nodded and activated the shield he got from the jackal. The bright orange glow of the shield illuminated his position in time for the machine gun to open up on his position. "Grikgar create opening for Spartan." Turing from cover his shield flared then broke along with his energy shield, Grik gar was only able to get two shots off with an unsteady hand before diving back into cover. "Shields recharging." What a rush, a bit risky but a rush all the same.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Tasuma --- While Grikgar had not had much time to take his shots,the jackal shield had at least bought him enough time to be able to put one on target. The first sailed over the top and exploded on the far wall, but the second struck the barricades directly. It did not entirely destroy the barricades, and the rebels behind them were able to duck for cover, but the machine gun emplacement was caught in the blast. Ryker would still have to deal with armed resistance, with better cover, on the upper walkway, but there was no heavy gun to keep him pinned. Some of the rebels had retained their bearings well enough and had managed to retreat out from the smoke cloud in the center of the room to form up behind the cover of the support struts on the far side. They had no heavy emplaced weapons, but they were well-armed on their own and had good sight lines. It would still not be trivial to displace them. If Ryker and Grikgar could claim the upper walkway, they would have a position on the high ground, at least. Amid the smoke, Vael stalked the rebels who had not escaped like prey. Using motion trackers, or simply the sounds they made to track them, Vael weaved between the crates to deal with them up close and personal. From the outside, one would see nothing until he came close enough to a target to flick on his energy sword, which illuminated the thick smoke in a blue glow. It was generally followed by a short burst of gunfire, then the scream of a Human. Tasuma did not make light of its own injuries, but in any case, it still moved into the smoke cloud as well. It was concerned less with killing stragglers as it was positioning itself to handle the rebels defending the far side of the room. The smoke would dissipate eventually, so it moved to find enough of a stack of crates that it could use for cover, instead of relying wholly on its armor for protection.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu barely had time to line up his covering fire to pull back by the time the trap was sprung. That left no time to hate being right in this instance. He slammed his back against the crates behind him before more than one spiker round could clip his shield. Around the crates before him, two more brutes were bearing down with an assault he could not avoid. Yalu sneered and let his plasma rifle fire fully automatic into the forward brute. The enemy's shield burst, but he was smart enough to fold back behind some crates while the next brute, freshly shielded, kept on running. Yalu kept the trigger depressed, roaring as the quickly heating weapon reached its safety point. Then, as the forward brute thrust his spiker rifle forward at his gut, Yalu spun to one side, felt the vents on his rifle open, and threw the momentum of the spin into shoving his overheated rifle into the side of the brute's face. The burning heat made the brute scream in rage, but his panicked response of striking Yalu's arm aside only made Yalu's energy dagger hook faster into its throat. Yalu's plasma rifle clattered to the floor from where it had flown out of his hand. His shock kept whatever pain was welling up in his forearm into a dull ache as he shook it in the air. The rest of the team's communications caught up with him. "Falling back," He said over the comms. He took the spiker rifle out of the slowly collapsing brute's hand on his way back. With his other hand, he pulled out his plasma carbine. A few one-handed shots from both weapons down the range kept the shieldless brute in cover for long enough to back closer to Aviza and 'Mdalak. He spoke as soon as he could see Tar along the same row. "You will earn your magazines from the enemy, 'Mdalak! Here!" He slid the spiker rifle across the smooth metallic floor towards her like a ringing bowling ball. "One dead on the right flank, at least one more remains. I can't advance until the stalkers above the walkway's right are slain."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai In their charge across the room, many of the Brutes had not made it to the other side, or died shortly thereafter. Spartan Aviza had cleared the walkway above them, leaving the chieftain with little in the way of direct support. Many Human rebels were still alive, but they moved forward more slowly and fired from distance, as they were more vulnerable. The Spartan, Rex, had moved up into cover behind the rightmost column to meet the chieftain's charge. Especially in close quarters, his shotgun could put quite a lot of pressure on the Brute's shields. His first shot as the chieftain was nearing caused his shields to flare, then Aviza's firebomb struck from above and further drained them with the intense flames. Nevertheless, the chieftain did not stop his momentum straight at Rex. As a Spartan and CQC expert, however, Rex's reflexes were quick and precise. He deftly ducked under the the hammer's horizontal swing while dashing away from where it would strike the column. The weapon's kinetic impulse sent out a shockwave that pushed Rex and damaged his shields, but he had dodged far enough to avoid most of the damage. As well, he kept his aim on-target enough to deplete the Brute's shields with another shell from his shotgun. Rex took aim straight at his opponent's head as he pumped his shotgun; however, the chieftain had one more trick before he could fire. Suddenly, the chieftain's shields were charged rapidly and started to glow bright white with streaks like lightning across their surface. The "invincibility" module, as it was known, overcharged his shields to the point of being practically impenetrable. It was surprising that these Brutes would still have such equipment in a working state from the war, but that was the obstacle they now faced. The module would only last a short time, but the chieftain had already made it into close quarters, among Aviza's team.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak "Got it." Tar grunted over comms, stopping the incoming Spiker with her foot. She quickly picked it up with her free hand and straight-arm fired it at the Brute Chieftain. She couldn't get a clear shot, as the pillars were in the way, but she saw when it activated its invincibility module. Bullets sprayed against the crates and walls around her, with a couple popping her recharging shield. Tar chucked her empty pistol away, holstered her Mauler, gripped her Spiker with both hands and fired downrange at the slowly advancing Human rebels. They dived behind cover, giving her a couple of seconds to think about the last remaining Brute that she could see. "Don't commit and stay back!" Tar urged, just as a blow from the gravity hammer scattered boxes everywhere. One crashed into her, knocking her backward and out of cover. She returned fire as a tsunami of bullets popped her shield again. A couple even clanged off her armour before she ducked behind a pillar - right in the path of the Chieftain. Tar swore and assumed an open stance, ready to move in any direction.</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan Elna stayed behind cover near Aviza before she took off running elsewhere to go and hunt the brute leader and what not, the woman keeping her weapon trained on the rebels before her. Each trigger pull expertly executed any remorseful or ill-fated rebels that stepped out onto the mat that was combat, the bullets bursting through their skin as they tried to move, shoot or otherwise try their hand against the angel of death. Elna was truly a bad ass in the making, though she kept close to cover and reacted properly as the brutes took their fight to Aviza and Rex - oh shit invincibility shield! Though she would begin to back up along with her team ready to run away from the invincible idiot who just plowed through their lines. Roy fired, bullet by bullet stacking body by body though he noticed that things were getting a bit more twisted as the brutes began there assault, he wasn't the first to begin the retreat but he saw it coming. Moving with Elna he'd manueveur to a better position albeit to their backs as there was no advancing to find new cover, they would have to go back. So he moved his feet hitting the ground as the pair made their way out of harms way, pulling back so the Spartans could do their jobs and the spooks could remain spooky. Roy wondered how Rex fared against the Brute!?</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai With the Chieftain's shields overloaded, what would have been the lethal shot from Rex deflected off of the energy barrier unceremoniously, and with no one else to slow down the Brute, Rex found himself in a poor position. The swing he gave in return was both quick and brutal, and even Rex did not have the ability to avoid it. The bladed edge of the gravity hammer struck Rex square in his chestpiece. Even MJOLNIR could not stand up against such force, as it was bent inward while Rex himself was smashed a meter or so back against the wall behind him. Of course, after landing his blow, the Chieftain's blood frenzy had him moving on quickly to the next prey. Tar was straight in his path, and the next obvious target. Her shields had already been depleted, and she was not in a position to run away nearly as quickly as the Chieftain could charge. He raised his hammer high and lunged forward, but among the chaos of gunfire that still filled the chamber, another shotgun shell was fired. Rex, though beaten down and struggling for breath, still fired from the ground. The Brute's shield did perfectly protect him, but that protection did not extend to the hammer he was holding. The well-aimed shot from Rex sent buckshot tearing through the hammer's mechanisms. When the Brute brought the hammer down on the ground at Tar's feet, the gravity impulse malfunctioned and failed to trigger. The invincibility module had saved the Chieftain, but it was short-lived. The overcharge ended shortly afterwards, leaving the Brute once again vulnerable with his weapon damaged. Although, it was still a hammer, and he was still a Brute. The danger he presented was still far from over, and as his normal shields had been replenished, it was not as if he would fall easily. --- Vael 'Virisusai and Tasuma --- Overall, Vael's team had managed to claim their needed positioning in the chamber. With the aid of Tasuma's smoke, they had forced the Rebels out of their entrenched central position, and Ryker and Grik had claimed the high ground on the right. The remainder of the Rebels had retreated out of the smoke to the far side of the room, and all that was left was to finish them. Despite their dire situation, the Rebels were still not going to give up without a fight. Vael had already slain the strays in the smoke cloud, so those that remained had no hesitation to fire on any movement. On the far right flank, a Rebel with a SAW was suppressing Ryker's position, while another beside him tossed up a frag grenade. "We must strike together. Tasuma, force them to hide and we shall descend upon them." Vael ordered. Tasuma stayed within the smoke for cover, instead using the sound of the SAW firing to guide its aim. Just the sound of its arm cannon charging sent some Rebels to cover, and when it did fire, the Rebel with the SAW was caught in the edge of the fuel rod blast, relieving some of the pressure on Ryker and Grik.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker The sudden barrage of SAW fire was more than a bit annoying for the SPARTAN IV as he was forced into cover once more, though at least this was more the kind of suppressive fire that kept him from getting a clear shot. Since he was on the high ground, the shots had less chance of hitting his shielding, but he couldn't get a clear line of fire. So, swapping the SMG for his DMR, he braced and waited. Eventually, he could hear the sound of the Mgalekgolo's cannon charging and he knew he'd have his chance soon. However, as he went to relay an idea he had to Grikgar, the cannon fired and the Unggoy opened fire with his pistol. "Well, I can work with that too." Popping up with his DMR already tucked snuggly into his shoulder, Lucas opens fire, first putting a bullet through the head of the SAW gunner before shifting to pick off another designated rifleman thinking he was sneaky from the doorway. {Heads up, Squad Leader, they're taking cover in the hallway beyond...well, it looks like another hallway at least. I know they're using the door way.} A couple of AR rounds ping off the SPARTAN-IV's shielding and he ducks briefly before popping back up and returning fire, missing the intended head shot and instead putting the bullet through the insurgent's shoulder.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Good, clear from above, Yalu thought towards the dead brute that tumbled off the walkway above him. That was one way to signal that the high ground was taken. Yalu reloaded his carbine. He was at his second-to-last magazine now. Unfortunately, just as his shields found a moment to hum back to full strength, the telltale stomps of the brute chieftain heralded the charge against Rex. The spartan was struck deep into the chest. Yalu was in no position to do anything about it. He fell into hesitation, even as the invincibility module faded away. If it weren't for the ONI agents keeping the enemies suppressed, their flank might have been completely done in. But he shook it off. He filled his lungs and charged. "Rrrraaaaaaah!" Yalu's warcry steeled his nerves as much as it was meant to catch the chieftain's attention. Any one ally would be in danger brawling against a brute with a hammer, but two against one tipped the scales. He fired scattered carbine rounds against the chieftain's shield on the way in. He feigned suicidal rage. However, he kept his footwork ready to void aside or back from a hammer swing in retribution. He did not intend to fight like a mad animal.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Tasuma --- The detonation of Tasuma's fuel rod blast was the signal for Vael as well. While Ryker and Grikgar fired from above on the right flank, Vael moved in on the left flank. He initially moved in under the cover of active camouflage. The imperfect invisibility could be spotted at such close range, but in this case, he only needed it to give him a few moments to approach while his enemy was otherwise occupied. For Vael, he was able to rush in to close the gap on the left pillar while the rebels were hiding from Tasuma's fuel rod. By the time one of them peered out and spotted the shimmering in the air, he was already upon them. His blade ignited mid-swing, and the body of the Human he was looming over put up no resistance as it cleaved through. The second rebel behind the pillar did manage to land a few SMG rounds on Vael in the second or two he had to react, but it was far from enough to break the Sangheili's shields before his body too was pierced by the energy sword. Ryker was correct that the remainder of the rebels were trying to move into the hall. They no longer had much of a defensive position, and those that were left were willing to retreat. The volume of plasma bolts from Grik, couples with accurate DMR fire from Ryker, put on them a great deal of pressure. Three made a run for the door while firing blindly back at the pair, and two went down before they could make it into the hall. For the few that remained pinned behind the right pillar, another fuel rod from Tasuma landed directly beside them. When there were no more left to retreat, the rebels closed and locked down the door to the hallway. It would only delay their team for a short time if they decided to pursue, but it would let the rebels put some distance between them. However, Vael had other priorities than ordering a chase. As soon as the room was cleared, he ran back to the center to the nearest crate. Their objective had been to find the armory, so using his strength to simply pry open the lock, Vael pulled open one of the crates to see its contents. Unfortunately, it was not weapons within, but rather sealed, packaged foodstuffs. He let out an irritated growl and flared his mandibles. "This is not the armory. Fall back, and we will rejoin the others."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker {Copy, coming down.} Turning to the Unggoy, he nodded before heading for the ramp back down. "Sounds like we didn't get the fun objective. Squad lead says back to the split." Obviously the walk back down the ramp was going to prove far less dangerous and the trip back out of the room, but that didn't bother the SPARTAN-IV. It gave them time to strategize and re-establish contact with Aviza's team, though he wasn't sure that they'd answer if they were in the midst of a fire fight. Reaching the bottom of the ramp, Ryker took up a position looking down the hall from the door way. "That sure was an awful lot of fight for some food stuffs. Are we sure they're nothing special?" It wasn't an uncommon thing for things like food stuffs to be used as IEDs, especially with the peacetime they were in and the shortages some sectors were facing. Then again, if they'd been rigged, suppose the Innies would have detonated the stash then and there and there'd have been no firefight like there was. Still, perhaps having a bomb removal team come through and check wouldn't hurt in the post-operation. "Ready to move when you are squad lead."</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern The first thought that ran through Aviza's mind as soon as she witnessed Spartan Rex receive the devastating blow from the Brute Chieftains Gravity hammer was immediate medical attention for what was most likely a life threatening injury. She knew this could not be done in their current situation, given the circumstances and the obvious threat that was still prevalent. With very few options available at the moment, Aviza sprinted forward towards her fallen Spartan, only coming to a stop when she arrived by his side. "Shih, I need a full scan of Spartan Rex, or as detailed as you can give. Once that is done, I want you to send a message to the Chorus of Thunder and inform them that we have injured and will need a fully detailed medical team on standby once our mission here is finished." For the moment, Aviza's Argus armor was informing her that she still had a few more seconds before she had to actually face the Brute Chieftain in combat, but a few seconds was all she needed to at least attempt to stabilize Spartan Rex. Quickly reaching onto the advanced medical kit she kept on herself at all times, Aviza produced a biofoam dispenser and was about to place it back inside of the medical case when she witnessed the Chieftain slam his hammer down at the feet of Tar, thankfully no energy wave was dispensed. With some quick thinking, she tossed the biofoam canister at the Brute Chieftains head and then rapid fired the underslung shotgun upon her MA5D Assault Rifle untill the eight round clip ran dry and had to be replaced. If this did not severely injure the Brute Cheiftan, they would be in serious trouble. Thankfully though, Aviza found an opportunity to assist Tar, and grabbed onto the back of her armor, pulling her back and away from the Brute and helping her onto her feet before once more turning to face the Brute Chieftain.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak The Brute Chieftain recoiled under the barrage of shotgun shells, but possessed the presence of mind to raise the bulky armour plate attached to his left arm. It absorbed some of the impact, shattering to pieces. The Chieftain issued a guttural, gurgling roar. He raised his hammer off the floor, jabbing it straight out in front of him at Aviza before lurching round and swinging it in a wide, brutal arc at Yalu as he rushed in from behind. The Elite's battlecry had obviously alerted the Chieftain to the danger. Tar sprung to her feet with Aviza's interrupted help. She dodged the Chieftain's savage jab, aided by the fact she wasn't the principal target. As soon as the Brute turned his back to pound Yalu, Tar jumped forward and clambered up his back. She reached for her holstered energy sword, intent on ramming it through a chink in the Brute's neck armour. Before she could, the Chieftain's head jerked backwards in a panicked motion; his helmet smashed into her face. One of Tar's feet slipped, and she was forced to quickly put both hands back on the Brute's armour to avoid falling off and being trampled. She tried to grab her sword again.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai As tough as its defenses were, the Brute Chieftain was not invincible. At least, not any longer. With his shields now depleted, his armor had to handle the incoming fire. Many pellets from the shotgun blasts either deflected off of the armor or was stopped by it, but each shot weakened his defenses, and some broke through. It might have been hard to notice in the chaos of battle, but bright red blood dripped from some holes in the Jiralhanae's armor plating. Had the Brute's ambush not been discovered, or his allies not taken so many casualties when they tried to rush across the room, they might not have been able to place as much focus on the chieftain himself. Alone, the chieftain could be overwhelmed from all angles. Still, in his blood rage, he may not have even been aware he was essentially alone, and he would be fighting to his last breath. Tar nearly knocked him off of his feet when she jumped on him from behind, but he managed to keep standing. In a rage, he let out a roar as he managed to reach up over his shoulder to grab a hold of Tar's arm. He had her in a vice-grip, and despite his unfavorable leverage, his raw strength was not something to be ignored. Although, in his struggle against Tar, he could not focus on many other threats.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Despite the strength of his defenses, as well as his rage and resolve, the Brute chieftain's armor could only take so much. His body could only be pushed so far. Yalu's carbine found a weak point in the armor, so all of the heat, kinetic force, and radiation found its way right into the Jiralhanae's body. He lost the use of his arm, and with all that surrounded him, it made him an easy kill. A few shots from Elna was all it took to finish him off. Few of the rebel Humans had survived the firefight, and those who did were quick to retreat out the other side of the chamber. With the immediate threats dealt with, it was easy to take a look around and see where they were. Some of the crates had been broken open during the fighting, and there were weapons visible. This was the armory, which meant that the console they needed to hack was in one of the adjacent rooms. There were not many rooms to search, so it did not take long for Aviza to bring Shih to the console. It was in a small room through a door on the left side in which the rebels had set up some of their equipment. Whatever the room's purpose, all Shih needed was access to their network. As Shih had alluded to before, the insurrectionists' network security was surprisingly robust for a rebel cell. Even a smart AI like Shih took a minute or so to get through into the network. It was clear that the rebels either had a few talented members, or some resourceful allies, but in any case, Shih was able to recover the information they needed for their mission here and now. In the time it took for Shih to complete her work, Vael's team was able to double-back and rejoin with Aviza's, so they would all be able to move together. By cross-referencing the intelligence pulled from the network with rebel communications she had been intercepting, Shih was able to determine their target's most likely location. "It seems like one of our suspicions was correct. The rebels discovered tunnels underneath the surface that spread out in all directions. They have plans in place to use them as an escape route in just this situation. If I'm reading this right, some of those tunnels are large enough that they were able to get entire dropships down there. They're evacuating everyone they can right now. Their commander is organizing things, but he'll be leaving soon enough too. I…think I've identified a path to his pelican, but if we don't hurry, he will get away from us."</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Listening closely and intently to Shih as she briefed them on their current situation at hand, Spartan Aivza was already strategizing and plotting their next course of action. Rex still needed to be stabilized for medical evacuation and she was going to ensure that this happened before they moved out again. Moving to her fellow Spartan who was injured, she took a knee and held her right hand over his torso where the Brute had managed to make contact with his armor. Sensors indicated that he had received severe injuries, internal bleeding, broken ribs, and fragments of bones threatening to puncture his lungs if there was to much movement. Her suits systems informed her that their best option was to be medically evacuated as soon as possible, and that Rex's suit of armor had already stabilized him. "Rex, I will not lie to you, the strike from the Brute Chieftain inflicted severe damage upon not only your armor but also your body." began Aviza as she moved to her feet once more. "It would be extremely unwise to move you at this time, even more so to have you try and attempt to assist us further. For now, you must relax and refrain from moving until we return. My advice is for you to engage your active camouflage and remain hidden untill we have finished with our mission here. Aviza would then send a private message to Shih, "I want you to send a message to the Chorus of Thunder and inform them that we have injured and will need a fully detailed medical team on standby once our mission here is finished. Secondly, please forward the most logical path to take next to everyone's HUD, along with any other information you believe should be shared with the squad." Aviza would hold her position, waiting for the path to appear before her, once it did, she would quickly head off in the direction it lead. One last message would be sent to Rex before she departed, "Keep us updated on your situation Rex, if you need help, I will send a team back to you."</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar clattered to the floor as the Brute Chieftain slumped on top of her. She roared, thrashing about wildly, eventually levering the giant corpse over onto its front before scrambling to her feet. She quickly surveyed the field, and gradually stood down when she was confident the threat had passed for now. Her leg protested; the background level of pain she could feel hidden in her armour was gradually increasing. She gritted her mandibles together and tried to ignore it. A waypoint appeared in Tar's HUD, and she fell in behind the Spartan team leader as they moved toward it. On the way, she discarded her spent Mauler for an M90 shotgun from one of the warped crates. Tar ripped the fingerguard clean off the weapon to accommodate her Sangheili digits before bringing the gun to her shoulder. Not long after, she stooped to grab a pistol from the belt of a downed insurrectionist with her off hand, eyes constantly scanning for hostiles. Tar peeked into the small room the team's AI led them to, before standing alert behind some crates outside it. The rest of the team arrived, announcing beforehand so as to avoid attracting friendly fire. Tar greeted them with a cursory nod, checking them out for gear and equipment until the AI revealed they were short on time. "Our quarry flees! We should hunt them down." She snarled.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu danced his feet back as fast as he could once his last bullet shot into the brute's shoulder. He got to the last punch of reloading in his final carbine magazine only to hear one more close gunshot aimed at the chieftain. The hulking alien fell heavily onto Tar, but she looked like she could handle it. Yalu briefly scanned for more enemies, finding none worth shooting, before turning an eye to their scarred human Corporal nearby. "A fine kill, Cohen." Only now did Yalu take another look at the spartan Rex. He knew it was not his business to eavesdrop, but Yalu showed at least some relief to hear that the spartan still lived, based on Aviza's assessment. But Rex was not the only one wounded. Yalu thought about his next words carefully while scavenging for another weapon. This Tar 'Mdalak was not to be underestimated if he impugned her honour by drawing attention to her bleeding leg. She was no minor under his command, after all. Yalu rearmed with a few frag grenades, a fallen brute's plasma rifle, and a human marksman's rifle to replace his carbine; there was more ballistic ammunition than carbine magazines available. The other team reunited with them, Yalu gave them a nod. They were about to set out when he decided to speak up. "Commander Aviza," Yalu said quietly over the comms. "As you are our medical specialist, your anaesthetics may help us Sangheili pursue our objective faster. Do you have spare doses we may hold?" If they all could hold onto a shot of pain relievers, particularly Commander Vael, Yalu knew 'Mdalak was less likely to lose face if she used it for her leg. It was risky for Yalu to assume Aviza would understand the social nuance, but he hoped the AI could make up the difference.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Surely unknown to the ex-covenant forces who were currently part of Aegis Team, Spartan Aviza had been educated in some areas of Sangheili culture. This of course included how they were quite hesitant to receive any form of outside healing, less they have their honor insulted. The request for the anesthetics came as surprise, regardless though she was happy to comply with Yalu. While still walking down the hallway towards their next objective, she reached into her medical pack and produced a few metal canisters before handing them over to the Sangheili. "These contain an extremely potent anesthetic, they will dull the pain but the injury will obviously still remain and will need to be treated by a medical professional as myself." Once the cannisters had been taken, Aviza would then turn her attention back to the matter at hand, locating the Rebel Base Commander.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Moving down through the structure, the team kept their pace as quick as possible. It was vital to their mission that the enemy leader not be allowed to escape. As per their mission parameters, capture was preferable, but even killing him would be acceptable should capture not be an option. The only outcome that would be considered a failure would be if he were to escape. There was some resistance as they moved down into the tunnels, though nothing like what they had encountered in the chambers above. With how swiftly the team had made their attack, the Insurrectionists had not had the time nor resources to organize more than their initial defense. A good portion of them were likely still caught up in the battle above ground. The few rebels they did encounter tried to set up ambushes, but against a team like Aegis, they did not so much as slow them down. Near the bottom of the structure, Shih guided the team into an elevator leading down deeper into Sarcophagus' superstructure. The rebels had tried to lock it down, but fortunately, they did not seem to have any special understanding of Forerunner systems, so Shih was able to easily override it. After reaching the bottom, it was only a short run through the halls to reach the rebels' underground landing platform. The hallway opened up into a large, flat platform in the middle of a massive, hexagonal tunnel, though it was cluttered with crates and equipment. The hallway exited out near the middle of the platform, so there were multiple dropships on either side of them. Most of them were of different models with different appearances and loadouts, ranging from fully-armed UNSC pelicans, to police and civilian transports. Making full use of every sensor at her disposal, Shih started scanning area as soon as they stepped through the door. Based on the information she had recovered from the rebels' network, she was able to identify and mark the leader on their HUDs before any of the team had even set foot on the platform. The enemy commander was off to their left, about a hundred meters away near the edge of the platform. He was equipped in what appeared to be ODST combat armor, though it was heavily modified. He had been coordinating the evacuation, though the moment he saw Aegis team arrive, he and the soldiers around him made a run for the nearest pelican on the platform. Unfortunately, he was close enough that he would certainly reach it before anyone on Aegis could.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar accepted the proffered metal canister with a grunt and studied it distastefully. She knew a lot of her family and friends back on Brissekh would've been angry at the mere gesture. However, it seemed spending so much time in Paxopolis had begun to change Tar's perception. Medicine and doctors were in bountiful supply there, and the Arbiter's robust lobbying for the preservation of Sangheili life made some sense. They were not as strong as they once were; they could no longer afford to throw their lives away over their honour. Tar hung back for a few seconds and let the rest of the team file past toward the waypoint. She then injected the contents of the canister into the back of her leg - the one that had been shot. She then quietly rested the empty shell on top of a crate and jogged to catch up with the rear of the group. --- Once the lift had come to rest on the vast platform and the target was marked, Tar wasted no time in springing into action. Her pistol wasn't effective at the kind of range needed to take out the leader, but there were closer hostiles that needed dealing with anyway. Most were rushing to evacuate, but some did stop and begin shooting at them. Tar surged off the lift and towards cover at top speed. Her stolen pistol was enveloped in both hands as she emptied her magazine suppressing as many of the rebels as she could. Upon reaching a wheeled trolley of heavy equipment, she savagely kicked it towards a gaggle of enemies in riot gear, sending them running to get out of the way.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Lucas followed the rest of the team in nearly perfect sync, his DMR sounding off to get the targets out of range of the shorter ranged ARs and plasma weaponry. The team moved fast and hard, clearing corners and making their way towards the location of the rebel leader with ease. Sometimes I wonder if this was the kinda of thing that the SPARTAN-IIs had been created for. Taking out rebel bases and leaders for the good of humanity, well, the survivors of the war now. Though ONI would never tell anyone if it were. "Gotta maintain a good public image," they'd say. Sometimes they forget they don't have a good public image anyways... Upon reaching the lift after dealing with the last attempted ambush, which their motion scanners had detected before they ever got near it, the SPARTAN-IV was one of the last on. The ride down was silent, though it was far from an awkward silence. This was the silence of men and women who were preparing to do a job that only they could do and when the lift doors opened, they stepped out to do that job. The marker tracking the rebel leader was easy to follow and his armor wouldn't be hard to bypass. Growing up, Lucas had paid attention to how armor from the centuries was designed and whether it was a suit of full plate armor or a Kevlar chest piece, the joints of the armor were almost always either exposed or the weakest point in the suit. The ODST armor that the rebel leader was wearing was no different, and the exposed knee joints were easy to see, even from here. But the man also had his entourage of guards, so going straight from him probably wasn't the best idea. Though slowing him down... His decision made, the stock of Ryker's DMR found its way to his shoulder and he fired three times at the retreating forms of the rebels, though the las shot had a slight delay. The first two shots found the heads of the two soldiers most immediately blocking his shot to the leader, the two rebels both gasping in surprise as the bullets made impact. The SPARTAN-IV had had to wait a few seconds for the bodies of the two to fall before he'd fired the third shot, which was intended to pass through the back of the man's left knee. Not only would he fall to the ground from the sudden loss of his knee and kneecap, but he'd be slowed down considerably even with help moving from another person. Keeping his external speakers off, he spoke into the team channel. {VIP crippled, but he's still got help. Need to move fast.}</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- The enemy commander was, naturally, the priority, though Vael still had no intention of being trapped in tunnel vision on the target. Running out onto the platform, they were exposed to a lot of angles. While there was cover, and many of the rebels were more concerned with rushing to their evacuation than turning around to attack, there were some soldiers turning their attention turning towards the team. "Tasuma, cover our flank!" He ordered. The Mgalekgolo would certainly not be able to reach their objective before someone else on Aegis could, so his focus would be more useful on protecting the others. The rebel leader did not slow his pace as the shots started to ring out around him. Ryker's attempt to stop him might have worked, but he had more than just Human equipment to rely on. Before Ryker could take his third shot, the bright blue energy field of a Kig-Yar point defense gauntlet powered on to take the bullet, which protected him for the rest of his short run to the pelican. The leader did make it into the troop hold of the dropship, but he did not order takeoff immediately. Other rebels were still rushing in behind him to evacuate, and he did not seem intent on leaving them. Shortly after making into the pelican, he leaned out to give cover to his allies, keeping in cover behind his gauntlet while angling an M319 grenade launcher to fire over it. The grenade came in quick towards the center of the group, then airburst over them. It did not detonate close enough to make any kills, but the EMP effect could effectively drain shields.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko The quieter moments of the pursuit gave Yalu some moments to reflect. The mission was not going flawlessly. He did not know whether the enemy commander would still be at the landing pad by the time they reached him. It would not be over by then, he told himself. If the human rebels could fly through these tunnels as a routine, then he might... He paused his thought before they opened the door to the landing pad. There was little time else for Yalu to do than to take a shot alongside the others at the commander. "He has a gauntlet. Need more firepower-" The grenade flew across them. Yalu reflexively ducked and covered his head as it went off. He grit his teeth at the shock that had blasted against his now EMP-drained shield. This breach was dead in the water. But he did spot some other aircraft in the landing pad. They had perhaps a few seconds before their quarry could load up another grenade and they could not push an assault without shields. That was the first concern. "Grenade out!" Yalu risked an arm out of cover to pitch a fragmentation grenade out ahead with plenty left on the timer. It bounced, slid, and coasted to a stop across the forerunner floor, spinning in place ahead of the pelican's ramp before detonating. Yalu was already switching to his concussion rifle for the next stage. He had only six shots left to pin down the enemy while the rest of the team followed up. "The quarry covers his allies' retreat," Yalu observed. "We are not hunting a coward."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker If Ryker had ever wanted to go kick the shit out of a Jiralhanae more than he wanted to kick the shit out of this fleet they'd used to track the rebels, he couldn't remember it. The insurgency had already had a history of being a pain in the ass for the UNSC, especially since they had this idea that the UNSC were only full of villains, but giving them access to some of the Covenant tech that had given the Alien conglomerate an edge...yeah, that was not fun. In his personal experience, ONI was the one to beware, but as he exchanged shots with a pair of Insurgents taking cover behind a couple of crates, he decided he could reminisce later. He only had a brief moment to recognize the weapon their target pulled, but it was long enough to cloak and dive, hopefully, out of range of both EMP and any shrapnel. Landing at a roll, the SPARTAN-IV brought up his DMR and fired a quick two tap at the leader, aiming mainly to knock the grenade launcher out of his hands and force him to either high behind his shield or fall back into the pelican. {Grikgar, think you can damage one of those engines on the Pelican? We can't let him get away.} He had been firing from where he'd landed until a stray shot hit him and his shields shattered, shutting down his cloak as well. "Aw, come on..." He dove behind the nearest piece of cover as an array of assault rifle fire strafed after him. This was now a bit of a shit show, but it was what it was, and at least the EMP hadn't completely drained his shield like it had several of his teammates.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Once again, the rebel commander proved quick to react to danger. As soon as he saw a Spartan taking aim, he ducked into cover in the pelican while he loaded in another grenade. Grikgar, however, required hardly more than a few moments to eagerly follow Spartan Ryker's suggestion. His fuel rod cannon was already at the ready, after all. Pelicans were generally well-armored, but there were weak points, especially near the engines. Naturally, Grik knew right where to aim to disable one of the rear engines. The commander had slowed Aegis team down enough that his soldiers were able to make it into the hold, but just as the pelican started to lift off of the landing pad, a fuel rod detonated inside one of the rear thrusters. Dropping back down onto the pad, the pelican started to spin and scrape across the ground until it came to rest on its side. It had been a slow crash, so there were few injuries for the passengers inside. As the commander climbed out the back, he shouted back to the soldiers behind him. "Go, get to one of the others! I'll cover you!" The rebel commander wasted no time in sprinting away from the crash in the opposite direction as the rest of the soldiers. He flicked on his shield gauntlet once again, running and weaving between crates for extra cover as he took potshots at his attackers with the magnum in his other hand. Though, even for those among Aegis with weakened or depleted shields, his blindfire was of little real threat. To Vael, for a few moments, it seemed assured that their quarry would be theirs shortly. However, the commander had one last surprise for them. Once he was far enough from the pelican, he stopped near the edge of the platform in a rather strange defensive posture. He held his shield low to protect against wounding attacks, while leaving his head exposed. On top of that, he threw off his helmet, revealing a middle-aged, bald and scarred visage. He pointed his magnum not at his enemy, but at his own head. He seemed aware of the risk of being disarmed, as he tried as much as possible to keep his own head between his enemy and his weapon. "Stay back!" He shouted. "I know you want me alive; I'd be dead already if you didn't. Well, you want your prize? Then we do this my way!"</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael halted in place with his carbine's sights set firmly on the rebel commander. However, this time, to kill was not his goal, which was enough to give him pause. He was a warrior with immense battlefield experience against some of the most deadly foes the galaxy had to offer. He had seen more in battle than even most Sangheili would experience in their lives, yet he could not deny that this was something new to him. He had a foe in front of him that he could not kill, and in fact, that he needed to save from the weapon in his own hand. For all his battlefield experience, Vael could not deny to himself that this fell outside his array of skills. He would need his team to succeed. Already, some of Vael's team took the initiative to act, demonstrating options that Vael himself had not thought of in the moment. The pilot, Tar, matched hostage with hostage. She found one of the rebel's allies to threaten and did so in clear view of the commander. It seemed dishonorable, but could Vael truly criticize unorthodox tactics in an equally unorthodox situation? The rebel commander had demonstrated considerable concern for his underlings, so it was a clever way to exploit that weakness. At the same time, out of all his team, Grikgar was the one who seemed able to potentially move himself into position. Even Vael may not have noticed, were it not for his HUD highlighting his ally's position, but the Unggoy was moving around wide under active camouflage to get behind the Human. The rebel commander was highly aware of his surroundings, looking around constantly to his front and sides. Being alert, he would likely notice an approach even through active camouflage from those angles, but Grik was hanging from the side of the platform to move around behind him. A perilous position, as it was quite a long drop off the side, but it was an approach that could actually work. Many Sangheili would find it foolish to trust such a vital task to an Unggoy, but Vael was aware that Grikgar was not the average Unggoy. Perhaps they did not need to succeed at negotiating with this Human? Perhaps they needed to merely buy time? For the rebel commander, he only hesitated briefly upon seeing Tar's hostage. "I know I can't save everyone, but if you want me, then you're going to let me save who I can. No arguments. You will let the rest of these dropships launch. Doesn't matter if you pursue, because you'll never find them once they're gone. Then, you radio your people up top and…tell them to focus on the Brutes. They'll follow that order, and I trust my people to get away on their own. You do that, and let your hostage there go, then I'm yours. Without a hole in my head. I give you my word."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Well this wasn't the situation that the SPARTAN-IV was expecting to find himself in at this point, with their target holding himself hostage to get his people out alive. Ryker had already reengaged his active camouflage, and had taken aim to try and knock the pistol out of his hand, though his position on the edge of the landing was less than ideal. Still, an answer had to be made as the team moved. He wasn't sure that matching hostage with hostage was a great plan, but it did offer an opportunity and he saw Grikgar flash his IFF to indicate his position. The little Unggoy was smart, pity there wasn't much of a way for Lucas to support him, though he did know that they'd all been issued combat knives and if there was one thing the former ONI assassin knew, it was that a surprise prick from an unexpected source that would often turn things in your favor. Turning off his external speakers, Ryker spoke strictly to the members of Aegis. "If we can coordinate everything right, we can disarm and detain him without having to meet his demands. Grikgar is in a great position to catch him off guard with a knife to the leg or even leaping on him. All one of us needs to do is get that magnum out of his hands." He then remembers the SPARTAN-III...Ben. He had hopefully found a good spot by now. "We could also blow off his arm with that Anti-Material rifle of yours, Ben."</s> <\|message\|>Elna Cohen Cohen was unremorseful, nay unresponsivle to Yalu's response as she added the rebels to the body count the mere act itself was just part of her job. She wasn't a cold hearted killer but emotions aside she couldn't care too much about URF scumbags, but praise from some splitjaw was not going to make her day any better, unlucky for her. For Ray the work was yet to be done as the rest of the team corpsed the remaining indivudals without hesitation, it was a bloody battle that never seemed to end. For the two spooks it was just the start but it simply gave them too much fucking fatigue. The silent woman let out a sigh of fatigue in response to it all or responseo to Yalu? It was simply unknown at this time. For Ray the continuance of the objectives seemed paramount as he followed the patrol along with his entourage that was just Elna Cohen. They encountered the rest of the rebels and ended up locking in the fire fight that ensued. Though the two would end up at the back of the confrontation as is played out until the pelican went down without remorse, still fighting the group of rebels Ryker and some others had confronted the commander in question, though the stakes looked dire. "The HVT must be captured alive, by any means necessary. Do not blow his arm off, that will be fatal.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Having taken cover behind what she considered a more sturdy crate, one that she hoped would not disintegrate when fired upon or explode, the Spartan team lead observed the scene that was unfolding before her with an attentive mind. A few scenarios ran through her mind as she quickly tried to decide what was the best course of action. She had non-lethal flashbangs that could be used, the weapon could be shot out of his hand, active-camouflage could be engaged and the target could be incapacitated that way. All of these and many more ran through her mind. "If we fire upon him, there is a very good chance he will become critically injured from doing so, or he may end his existence. Everyone, please stay back and allow me to attempt to handle this, if my plan does not work, then you may engage." said Aviza into her squads private coms. Moving onto her feet, she would show herself from behind the cover she had chosen, not taking any steps forward and remaining where she currently stood. "Commander, I am the team leader for this squad, they will follow my orders swiftly and to the letter depending on what I say." began Aviza in her normal emotionless tone, though this time more humanity could be heard behind it. "We do indeed want you alive, and in all honesty I rather avoid more loss of life. We have heard your demands, and it is obvious you are a man who cares for those who server under and around you, and that you fight for something you believe in, unlike the Jiralhanae. I would like to inform you that I agree with your demands, give me a moment to contact the ship and inform them." There would be a pause as Aviza opened a com with the ship above them, "This is Spartan Aviza, we have the HVT in sight, but he is demanding that we allow his forces to leave in peace while focus firing the Jiralhanae forces instead. Do not fire upon the rebel shuttles, and allow them to leave in peace." Aviza said this out-loud in open coms so that the commander could hear, though she did reach out to Shih and thought "Shih, inform them to do as they see fit once the shuttles leave, but allow us enough time to capture the Rebel Leader and move him to an area where he will not be able to see anything you all may choose to do afterwards."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai The moment she was given the order, Shih did just as Aviza said. She passed on Aviza's instructions to the battle group above, as well as a brief report on their current situation. She also took the liberty of encoding and encrypting the message, in the unlikely event that the rebels still had some ability to intercept their transmissions. Across the platform they were on, the engines of one of the other pelicans came to life. It had filled up with evacuees and started to lift off in short order. Vael gave just a brief glance in its direction as it accelerated clear of the platform, then took of down the tunnel and turned out of sight. He kept his carbine aimed at their target and gave no visible reaction, but he did speak carefully through the team's comms. "Our ships can track and pursue the rebels above, but we do not know these tunnels, and they have certainly mapped them. Any dropships that flee down here will likely be lost to us." Meanwhile, the rebel commander activated his own comm unit, though he spoke openly for all of them to hear. "You should be able to get an opening. Follow the contingencies. Get out of there while the enemy focuses on the Brutes. Report back confirmation once you're away." Once he gave his orders, he looked back at Aviza, still with his magnum pressed firmly to his skull. "Okay, glad to see you can be reasonable. Now, once I get word that my people have escaped, and once your split-lip friend there releases my soldier, then you can have me. No tricks. Until then, you can stay back, and we can all just wait right here."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Ryker could hardly believe he was watching them actually acquiesce to the requests of a terrorist just to take him alive, especially given they'd already killed non-combatants in an effort to reignite the war between Elite and Human. But then, their team lead was a medic and their first priority was always saving lives, not taking them, Spartan or not. {They'll pop out of some other hidey-hole eventually, the URF always does. Regardless, Team Lead, we need to get that weapon out of his hands BEFORE the shuttles above get too far away. Grikgar is in position to jump him, just give the word.} Speaking from personal experience from during the war, Unggoy were much stronger than they looked and an unaugmented human being would struggle to actually stop them from disarming them. The encounter had been...unexpected, just a lone Unggoy looking to relieve themselves when Lucas had stumbled upon them, but the following fight, in which the Unggoy had easily disarmed and almost killed Ryker with its bare hands, had proven to the now SPARTAN-IV that any of the former Covenant races were more than met the eye.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern "Do me a favor Tar..." began Spartan Aviza, speaking through the open coms so not only her team but also the Rebel Leader could hear her. "Release the captive hostage and let her escape safely, the pawns are of no significance to us at this time." As soon as Aviza had finished speaking, a sudden wave of dysequilibrium washed over her, though the Spartan held her composure and remained on her feet, letting the feeling run its course and eventually pass. Acting as if nothing had happened, Aviza turned around to face their female Sangheili friend, hoping her orders would be followed swiftly and to the letter. At the same time, she ran a message pass Shih, "Please inform command we have injured and will need immediate medical attention once we arrive back on the ship. Two medical teams, one for humans and one for Sangheili will be fine."</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar turned her head sharply to look at the Human in grey armour and growled softly. They nearly had this rebel leader surrounded; there was no reason to give away prisoners now! She wondered if the earlier fall had taken its toll on their leader's soft, squishy interior. The rest of this group of fighters still seemed resolute in their support though. It was almost amusing to think how differently this might have gone if it were a Sangheili-only team in this position. After a moment of reluctance, Tar lowered her pistol from the hostage's head. She pushed the Human forward, sending her sprawling forward onto the deck. "Run fast." Tar warned them, looking down as they struggled dizzily back onto their knees and then to their feet. Gaining her bearings quickly, the rebel soldier staggered off towards the last dropships. Tar quickly surveyed the environment again, then returned her gaze to the rebel Commander. Her arm and legs hurt from where bullets had hit them, but she resisted the urge to examine them with her fingers just yet. Things could still go either way here. Instead, she engulfed her captured pistol in both hands and held it ready.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael had to hold himself back from responding to Spartan Aviza's…decision with anything more than a low growl. Not only did this choice prevent them from delivering the remaining rebels their deserved punishment, but it was risky. Once they held no leverage over him, there would be nothing stopping him from taking his own life except his sense of honor, and perhaps fear. Even so, Vael did not voice any dissent. He simply kept his carbine leveled on the rebel, trying to keep his aim right on the Human's wrist. Even he could not guarantee he would be able to make such a shot, but that was the only option Vael would have to stop him from killing himself, should it come to that. Even if he did not agree with the plan, it was still better for a unit to have united support for a single plan, rather than divided support for a better plan. In any case, the impasse continued for as long as it took for the remainder of the rebels to make their escape. One after another, the pelicans lifted off and accelerated down the tunnel, with their former hostage boarding the last to make her escape. Soon enough, the complex was devoid of insurrectionists, save for the commander himself. The rebel had remained alert to any movement for the entire wait, but once his soldiers were gone, he stared down Aviza. "You have kept your word, Spartan…" He began, letting out a long sigh. In an instant, he squeezed the trigger…which was followed by nothing but a click. His weapon was out of ammunition; he must have held down the slide release lever after firing his final shot before. "I hope you remember that integrity when they betray you too. Do as you will." He remarked, tossing his empty pistol aside. In leaving the Forerunner structure, there was no more resistance. Every rebel that had not been killed had evacuated, while the Brutes above ground had fought to the last. If there was one measure of respect Vael could give to the Jiralhanae, despite their savagery, it was that they would fight to a warrior's death no matter the odds. Of course, even with the Brutes defeated, they still had to extract quickly once on the surface. The fighting had drawn the ire of the Forerunner defense systems in the area, so they had to evacuate under fire to return to the Chorus of Thunder. Once all ground forces were aboard, the fleet as a whole jumped to slipspace to put some distance between themselves and Sarcophagus. --- The debriefing for Aegis team came after the appropriate medical attention for those who were injured. For Spartans, medical checkups were standard after every mission, though Sangheili team members were at least offered treatment as well. It was up to them whether or not they would accept it. Overall, the mission was successful as per the objectives outlined to them from the start. Most of the rebel cell was destroyed, and their commander captured. The escape of so many insurrectionists was not ideal, but the damage dealt to the organization was considered sufficient, especially with the capture of their leader. It was a strong first showing for Aegis team, and it made a solid case for their usefulness of this experiment in cooperation. As was true from the beginning, however, Aegis team was never fully about military effectiveness. It was a political experiment as much as it was a military one, so having good results was not an immediate guarantee of their future. The wait aboard the Chorus turned from days to weeks as their superiors discussed the mission's execution, its results, and its implications as they interrogated their captive. Ultimately, priorities began to shift among both governments as a result of events in the rest of the galaxy. The rebel cell they encountered was considered to have been removed as a threat, while other concerns moved closer to the forefront. For the Swords of Sanghelios, the war against Jul 'Mdama's Covenant continued to draw more and more of their resources, while the UNSC was reluctant to draw themselves any further into the conflict than absolutely necessary. Meanwhile, the UNSC Infinity's mission to facilitate the study and decommission of the remaining Halo rings was among the UNSC's highest priorities, and Spartan deployments to the Infinity, and other locations in service of that goal, were considered more important. Ultimately, members of Aegis team on both sides were soon given "temporary" reassignments back among their own people while they awaited the results of discussions between their superiors. The months that passed saw events that threatened to reshape the balance of power in the galaxy. The discovery of the shield world Requiem, followed by the Didact's attack on Earth and the destruction of New Phoenix shook the peace that Earth had enjoyed since the end of the war. Despite his losses, and even without the Didact to lead them, the Requiem Campaign brought more power and influence to 'Mdama's faction. After the destruction of Requiem, Promethean warriors continued to serve as allies to the Covenant, which, to some, seemed to legitimize Jul 'Mdama's claim to leadership. It was only near the end of the Requiem campaign that the talks over the future of Aegis team, which had been shelved months before, were put back on the table. Though still reluctant to join the war in earnest, the UNSC now had much more direct cause to act against 'Mdama. Particularly for missions in or near Swords of Sanghelios territory, the need once again arose for a team like Aegis. --- March 1st, 2558. Sydney, Australia Vael was sat on the floor, resting on his knees and meditating in the quarters he had been given. He was out of his armor, which was no small show of trust for him on an alien world, even if the Humans likely did not understand it. Of course, his armor was close by and sealed in its storage container, and he rarely left these quarters without it. Opening his eyes, Vael simply took a moment to look out across the bustling city outside his window. It was the place this idea of Aegis team first started, the city of Sydney on Earth. Vael and his team had been here over a week while they awaited other members of the team to be recalled to Earth. Their superiors had already been discussing, planning, and making agreements; it would simply be up to them to carry out the decisions that had been made for them. In a way, Vael found his treatment here amusing. Unlike his previous visit to Earth, he had been given quarters as a guest near to, though not within the UNSC headquarters. Since he and his team had been required to stay for more than a short time, their hosts had at least made an appearance of not treating their allies like prisoners. He had been free to move of his own accord in the city, though of course, he was under no illusions that he was not being watched by ONI. No matter what appearances they wanted to give, they would not allow him to go anywhere they did not wish him to be.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael's meditation was interrupted by a visitor at his door. Naturally, he had received few since he had been staying on his planet. Some of the younger members of his team had chosen to indulge some of their curiosity on this world, but Vael himself had been content to keep to himself. He suspected that ONI had anticipated he and his team would behave just as Vael had been when they offered them the freedom of movement befitting a guest. It was for that reason that Vael did not mind allowing his team to defy their expectations and do as they willed. It would certainly cause some irritation for their handlers. In any case, Vael allowed his guest to enter his quarters. The room was entirely unchanged from its state when the Humans had assigned it to him, apart from the large covenant storage crate near the back of the room that contained his personal belongings. He listened in silence to everything the Spartan Ben had to say to him, then stood himself to his feet once he was finished. Even out of armor, Vael still towered over the Spartan. Across his body were many marks of his long military service. Scars from gashes both deep and shallow, plasma burns, and the remnants of more than a few gunshots. Even were Vael a mute, his body alone could weave a compelling tale. At first, Vael simply stared down at Ben with a stare that was hard to read. Even after he spoke, it was hard to say if he was being judgmental, or merely contemplative. "You say your job is to punish insubordination and cowardice? You require this…deception and secret orders merely to punish the unworthy within your ranks? I still find myself confused on how your people have become so competent with the limitations you cast upon yourselves. But it is no matter to me what you do to your own people. Share whatever information your superiors have deemed necessary. You need only make sure to stay your hand against my warriors. If any should prove themselves unworthy of our ranks, then they will be mine to punish, not yours."</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 "Oh, don't worry. I'd never attack a Sangheili in our group for those things. The UNSC's authority doesn't go that far, even though ONI seems to think that it should interfere with whatever it wants. For the record, I've always admired your people's ability to get things done. In any event, the information in question is that my standing orders supersede any particular directives I am otherwise assigned to on a mission. My superiors believed that you needed to be privy to this in order to explain my long periods of seeming absence. What I do is something my people- the human race- needs very badly yet cannot bring itself to admit. By necessity, what I do must be done off the record. The truth is a luxury my species can't afford. We're too weak to handle it, to paraphrase a centuries-old movie my people made." Ben looked at Vael's armor, still unused. The armor was in a crate, but it was a container which Ben had seen before in Covenant barracks. "And on one minor note, you may want to put your armor on when you absolutely don't need to have it off. God knows there are plenty of people who have it out for your species after what happened during the war. Like at Harvest. Or Reach. Or even Earth, although I suppose we should thank your people for glassing that part of Africa, since the Flood had landed there and anything to stop them was warranted. Rest assured that you're being watched by ONI even now, but that doesn't mean they're looking out for your safety." "For the record, Harvest was glassed by the Jiralhanae. Not that many people care to draw that distinction, although I suppose most people lump all of the Covenant in as equally culpable for those glassings, regardless of the facts." Phong kept his speech limited to Ben's systems, so Vael didn't hear that.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker After finishing up cleaning his weapons, the SPARTAN-IV could only stand to be in the quiet for another few minutes before, with a groan, he geared up and headed out. Well, specifically, he grabbed his knives and his pistol and headed out. Once his door was closed to his room and the lock had engaged, he turned to his handler as they approached and shook his head. "ONI can stuff it, Sergeant. And be sure to tell them I said exactly that when you have to report that I wouldn't allow you to accompany me on MY home planet." The handler, stunned by the way Lucas bluntly handled his approach, doesn't even try to follow him as he heads for the room of Aegis' Swords commander, pausing just in time to hear the SPARTAN-III finish his sentence. "Rest assured that you're being watched by ONI even now, but that doesn't mean they're looking out for your safety." Ryker's snort likely caught the attention of the pair as he joined Ben in the doorway. "Lad, if that isn't the understatement of the day, I don't know what is." Offering a bow to Vael, the SPARTAN-IV removes his helmet and offers a smile to him. "If you're up for it, Commander 'Virisusai, I was about to head down to the seaboard for some fresh seafood. Thought I'd stop by and see if you wanted to join me."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- "My superior instructed me not to mention the parasite while on your worlds, since your leaders hide the reality of it from your people. I do not know why they feel that ignorance of the threat will protect them from it. Vael remarked. Vael was not sure whether to be irritated or relieved by the arrival of Spartan Ryker. He had been content with the silence of his meditation, but it seemed the time for that had passed. He had permitted the Spartan to assist with many of his missions during the time since the battle on Sarcophagus. In truth, he had not expected the idea of Aegis team to survive, but he did agree with it in principle, for he believed in the Arbiter's principles. He would not be here if he felt otherwise. In the time that they were working together, Vael had treated Ryker exactly as Tar, Yalu, or any other warrior, giving him no trouble, nor special treatment. That said, he had not made a habit of socializing with anyone under his command, and he wondered what Ryker hoped to gain by making this suggestion. "Is this a custom of yours I am unfamiliar with, or is there something else you wish to accomplish? The staff of this building already provide me with food."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Ryker shrugs, roughing his hair with his free hand. "You could say it is a bit of a custom of humanity in as a whole. Before we took to the stars and encountered the Covenant, military units often became a small family, as they came to rely and trust each other explicitly both on and off the battle field, and as a result, they'd often do things such as going to meals together and other activities to build trust and cohesion. I figured you'd appreciate the chance to get some fresh air too, since I'm pretty sure you've been in your room far more than I have." The SPARTAN-IV glances down the hall, where Vael's handler was sitting, talking into a cell phone and he sighs. "I can also get you a break from ONI's little watch dogs, if only for a couple of hours. Both Major 'Suumko and Commando 'Mdalak have been spending their time out amongst the city. Though personally, I think it's because ONI didn't think they'd actually spend their time outside of their rooms."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael let out a low hum. "You may expect what you like of your customs from your own soldiers, but I warn you against expecting the same of me. I am here to fight for our alliance, not for cultural study." As much as he might have preferred solitude, however, there was some reason for Vael to want to leave. From what he had heard, it did seem more likely now that Aegis team might become a permanent unit, but Humans still confused him in many ways. Some of their behavior reminded him of Unggoy in how pointless they seemed, yet he could not deny their effectiveness overall. He worried that it would be unwise to simply deny that which he did not understand. "Although, if my leaving would be to the irritation of my 'handlers'…"" Vael grunted. "I suppose that would be an acceptable reason to go." Approaching the large crate on the other side of the room, Vael unlocked it to retrieve his armor. Inside the container were essentially all of the personal effects that Vael cared to bring with him, though it was packed quite tightly. The largest objects were armor pieces, but it was not just his usual armor that was contained within. Alongside the normal armor he was retrieving, the others would be able to glimpse an older set. Pragmatically speaking, it was of higher quality than his Swords armor, but it was not what he chose to wear. Aside from armor, there were also other objects from his past, but most of those were not visible from the angle at which the Humans were looking.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Again, Vael could not help but to feel irritation at the amount of attention he suddenly found on himself. Were all of these people looking for him, or each other? He had no grievances with working alongside them, but they were not on a mission at this moment. Still, he did not voice most of his thoughts. This was not his world, and it did provide an opportunity for him to learn more about how he could expect his allies to behave. When their missions brought them to Sangheili worlds, he would need to instruct them on what would be expected of them. "Is it customary to crowd a guest in his quarters?" Vael remarked as he once again locked up his storage container. Now properly armored, he moved himself past the others towards the open door. "If so many of us are here, I do not expect it will be long before we are called for the briefing. If you have somewhere you want to bring me, Spartan Ryker, then I will follow you for now. Otherwise, I will wait in your military's headquarters."</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko The two Sangheili, Tar and Yalu, took a path that led out across another broad grassy lawn. Earth's singular sun was not lacking today. Each distant bed of multicoloured plantlife leapt out from either side of their eyes with reflected light. For all of Tar's deliberate voice, Yalu took longer than he wanted to respond. Sangheilios could have been described as exciting, but not in the way Tar implied. "Where do you call your homeworld?" Yalu asked. "Brissekh." Tar replied after a moment's hesitation. Her home accent showed up through the pronunciation. "My bloodline settled it centuries ago. It is not...quite like Sanghelios, but it is still wild and bountiful." This felt strange to Tar. She hadn't had many proper conversations with her team, and didn't intend to make a habit of it. You never knew when they'd have to part ways again. But she wasn't sure how to disengage besides running into the carefully manicured undergrowth. "Where is your Keep?" She asked, keen to take the attention back off herself. "Raithos, Sanghelios," Yalu answered flatly. "Isolated, well defended, never a strategic priority in history. My people are not exciting, I fear. Their philosophy is not as glorious." Tar huffed gently - she admired the candour. "Every great civilisation needs administrators, adjudicators, artisans...witnesses. To balance the scales between prosperity and pestilence. My own Keep could learn much from yours, I think." Yalu guffawed. "I would agree with you, but willingness is another matter entirely. One must prefer not to slay those they defeat in that place." They passed by a red marble fountain, atop which stood a statue of a small human holding something up and away from a water bird. "I take it your keep conducts themselves differently," Yalu said. "Commandos like yourself do not come from monastic places." Tar studied the sculptures, her hand idly swishing through the water in one of the small satellite fountains around the edge. She hadn't the faintest idea what the arrangement was supposed to symbolise. "My people are naturally suspicious. Family feuds have been passed down through so many generations that the original offence is lost." She watched a Pelican drop ship fly overhead. "Even the war failed to bring us together, until a Brute ship arrived right above our heads." Tar's mandibles flexed and she growled at the mere thought of that day. Yalu flicked an eye briefly down at Tar beside him. He then looked ahead and sighed through his nostrils. "...This garden may not be 'exciting,' Commando 'Mdalak. But I recognise it is a place of peace. Unless you are at peace with those events in your past, I will not ruin it today." Tar traded that look with Yalu, and realised she'd said too much. She flexed her fists and changed the subject as they started walking again. "Where did you serve? Before Aegis?" "Hm, plenty of places for the Swords of Sanghelios," he recalled, looking up to the blue sky. "The past few years before Commander Virususai, I was a fireteam lead. Under Ultras 'Sutek and 'Kartar in Khael'mothka. Peacekeeping missions. Hunting Covenant remnants around Rahnelo before that, under Ultra 'Boset. Mostly assaulting Covenant cells, disconnected from that bloodthirsty 'Mdama. The previous Ultra on Rahnelo before that -- his name escapes me -- commanded me for only three months before transfer." Tar nodded, looking ahead but genuinely interested now. There were still many things about the conflict that she did not understand. If not from a tactical point of view, then an ideological one. "And...before that?" Yalu breathed in. Just then, a jet black Pelican drop ship with sky-camo on the underside soared over their heads. It was relatively quiet despite the breakneck speed it was travelling at, and didn't look to Tar like the regular model. The Pelican dragged its tail around the garden to their left, circling them while losing speed until eventually it lowered onto the grass with its cargo bay facing them. "Could've parked closer than that…" Tar's handler muttered, raising a flat hand to his eyes to see who was watching them from inside the craft. Yalu caught the hint it was their ride. "Before that is the story of a different Major," Yalu answered Tar. "That may have to wait for next time."</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan The mission had gone smooth enough, with the URF fucklet in their captivity Ray let out a sigh of relief knowing the job was done. Elna remained ever vigilant and on guard as per usual though over the months that would interlude before their next encounter Elna would attend some specialized training with the ONI Security Forces. For Ray he returned to the office working on other cases in the meanwhile and working his paper pushing skills to the max, though the two would reconvene later on to continue their fight against the bad-evil of the universe - the two still harbored some kind of xenophobia against the genociding races of the Covenant-turned-Swords. Regardless the two had some kind of RnR before their return to this strange outfit. While the two were transported separately they both found themselves at their own respective rooms, only Ray would be the first to leave in this instance heading to the briefing where he was eventually found by Elna. "Fancy running into you here." Ray said as Elna snorted to respond. "Well PO, if you're here then the rest are bound to be around here aswell." She said expecting the arrival of the team eventually, the two had gotten there later then the rest so perhaps the fanfare was already over?</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai, Major Alice Robinson, UNSC AI SHI 1203-8, Ethat 'Lacalu --- For the members of Aegis team, there were several more hours of waiting in which they were free to do as they pleased, but once they were called to duty, they all quickly returned to HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6. Many of the members of Aegis team from the previous mission were here, though Vael did note that the team was smaller than before. Some, it seemed, had not been recalled after being reassigned. The team was led to a secure room on one of the upper floors for their briefing. Last time, due to his rank, Vael had been the one to coordinate administrative concerns with the Humans, but as Vael had been fighting in the field for months, that task had fallen to another. For Vael, it suited him fine to be able to focus more on his missions than dealing with ONI. Vael had, at least, been briefed on the changes to his duties and the command structure of Aegis team. When they entered the briefing room, they were met with both a familiar face, Major Alice Robinson, as well as her Swords counterpart Commander Ethat 'Lacalu. From what Vael knew, he was a veteran of multiple wars much like Vael, though he was a younger warrior than himself. However, he had more of a mind for political matters than Vael, so it suited him just fine to relinquish some of those responsibilities to him. Ethat had previously been an officer in the Anvil Initiative, a cross-species training and evaluation program between the UNSC and Swords of Sangheilios. It and Aegis team both existed under the umbrella of Project: CRUCIBLE. Ethat did draw Vael's eye as he entered the room. His armor was unusual, like nothing Vael had seen before. It appeared to be Human-made, but crafted specifically for a Sangheili. Nevertheless, Vael cared more for focusing on the task at hand. As soon as the team was gathered, Major Robinson wasted no time in starting the briefing. "Aegis team, I hope you've already handled the reunions, because we need to move fast on this one." The Major began right away. "Jul 'Mdama's Covenant is expanding and pushing more aggressively, and we have a mission to slow them down. However, it's more complicated than just hitting a target, which is why we need Aegis. Shih…" She said, gesturing to the holo-projector on the table between them all. The AI that had been attached to the team had made a return as well, it seemed. Her avatar appeared at the end of the table before she brought up a projection of a lush, mostly undeveloped colony world. "With their increased expansion, the Covenant has been pushing to secure resources to fuel that aggression. Most of the established manufacturing and mining centers are either well-defended, or already contested. This is Brissekh, a relatively young Sangheili colony world. Until recently, the Kaidon of the predominant state, Falx 'Mdalak, was a firm ally of the Arbiter. However, a recent coup has shifted the planet's allegiance to Jul 'Mdama's Covenant. Now, there is a Covenant fleet in orbit that has flown in a large number of Scarab-class excavators to to strip mine more remote sections of the planet. Normally, our goal would be to neutralize the mining platforms, but discussions with the Swords have opened up other options." The Swords representative, Ethat, brought up the dossier of the planet's new Kaidon. "On most Sangheili worlds, a keep's Kaidon is elected by a council of elders, but for smaller colonies, like Brissekh, the position can be passed through bloodlines. The new Kaidon is Uztel 'Mdalak, the youngest son of Tarkr 'Mdalakai. We believe he formed an alliance in secret with the Covenant, then led his elder brother into an ambush where he was either captured or killed. Now, Uztel is Tarkr's sole remaining heir…save for one." He explained, casting his gaze across the table straight at Tar 'Mdalak.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Ethat 'Lacalu --- "Save your fury!" Ethat snapped back at Tar, though he quickly returned to a calm demeanor. "You will need it. We have a spy among Jul 'Mdama's ranks who learned of a deal on Brissekh before it happened, though he was in no position to stop it. The Covenant were preparing their mining platforms before the coup even took place. There are many on Brissekh who suspect Uztel's treachery, but it cannot be proven, and our spy cannot reveal himself. Immediately after seizing power, Uztel used Covenant forces to seize control over the smaller states on Brissekh, bringing the planet under his rule." Ethat zoomed the display in to Mdalak keep itself, along with the surrounding area. "Our goal is straightforward, but does rely heavily upon you, Commando Tar 'Mdalak. If Uztel is killed, or otherwise dishonored and removed, then you will be your father's sole remaining heir. You will gain the rank of Scion, and you will have the right to administer Mdalak keep. The Arbiter has more support on Brissekh than Jul 'Mdama. It is not enough for them to be willing to act against their rightful Kaidon, but you have a legitimate claim to the keep as well. If you declare your allegiance to the Arbiter, we believe there will be enough willing to follow you…once Uztel is deposed. You are female, so he will likely use that as an excuse to refuse a direct challenge of combat from you, so we will have to force him into battle."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker For the most part, Lucas had just been listening to everything and taking in the details, watching the information scroll across the readout and observing the offered hologram of the planet and then the fortress. Despite himself, his days on the ONI black ops squad had him looking for patrols and their routes, important resources that they could cut off to bait out their target, places of trouble that would force the target into the open as well, ambush points and lastly, and perhaps one of his old teammate's favorites, sniper vantage points. Not even Commando 'Mdalak's outburst drew his attention away as he looked over everything and, as the new Swords liaison finished speaking, the SPARTAN-IV finally broke his silence. "Then we need to disrupt whatever is his focus. We know the Covenant brought in mining platforms and Scarabs. A small team can't do much against those, that's common sense. But we can disrupt convoys and transportation. We make it seem like we're bigger than we are and we can draw out Commando 'Mdalak's younger brother readily, especially if his honor is brought under scrutiny. From there, it would be a simple matter of making sure the Covenant doesn't interfere with their duel, though I use simple loosely. We're looking at the forces of a small fleet against a small team of us. My only question is where do the duels usually take place."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Major Alice Robinson and Ethat 'Lacalu --- Major Robinson brought up an intelligence report on Uztel 'Mdalak and quickly distributed it to Aegis team. [color=violet]"Unfortunately, we have good reason to believe that trying to take advantage of Uztel's honor or pride will not work in this case."[/violet] "He has neither…" Ethat briefly interjected. "Our psychological profile of Uztel suggests that he will prioritize his own safety. Whether by the Covenant's instructions, or his own choice, he has not followed usual patterns of Sangheili behavior. There are means by which he could have challenged his brother legally. Either by challenging him in combat, or even by sending an assassin for the Kaidon to fight. In either case, failure would have meant his own death, so there would have been risk for him. The kind of trick he used to depose his brother would be seen as cowardly among the population. We do believe his rule is untenable in the long-term, but the Covenant will have what they want from the planet by then. The Major explained. Ethat nodded, letting out a slight, low growl. "Yes, his cowardice will destroy him in time, but we need him removed now. Uztel is a young, inexperienced warrior, and he knows he is no match for his sister. He will use any excuse he can to avoid fighting her. The only way he fights is if we break down the doors of his keep and force him to pick up a blade." The Major zoomed out the projection to once more show the planet as a whole, as well as highlighting the fleet in orbit, and another point of interest in geosynchronous orbit on the opposite side of the planet. "Spartan Ryker is correct that your team alone will not be able to carry out a frontal assault. This is why the Swords of Sanghelios are dedicating a small fleet to this operation. Though, our aim is not to destroy the enemy fleet. Now that the Covenant have established themselves here, Uztel has joined his planet's military with the Covenant's forces, and they are…honor-bound, as they might say, to follow those orders. Many of the ships, and the mining platforms, are being operated by Uztel's forces. If Commando Tar becomes Scion, they will then be bound to follow her orders. There will still be fighting afterwards from 'Mdama loyalists, but we believe there is enough support for the Arbiter on Brissekh for the Swords to retain most of the fleet and mining infrastructure. Your mission, Aegis, will be twofold. The Covenant have installed heavy anti-air cannons in the mountains near to the keep, but only the largest needs to be disabled, as it is the only one capable of destroying our Blockade Runner in time. Your team will insert nearby, deploy a communications jammer, then move to disable the largest cannon. Once that is done, you will be able to return to the ship to be dropped, along with reinforcements and armored support, right at the keep's front gate. That will bypass most of the outer defenses and give you a straight shot at Uztel."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Despite himself, Lucas grinned a true and genuine grin at the mention of the youngest 'Mdalak lacking many of the usual Sangheili traits that every human who fought in the war got used to seeing, but he did not speak again until the plan was laid out. Overall, he wasn't sure why he'd suggested anything with the way that it was being handled, but there was one last thing he could do. "Major, do we know who the Covenant leader besides Uztel'Mdalak is? While the bulk of the team helps Commando 'Mdalak deal with her brother's treachery, I could, with or without help, remove them from future play, or at least plant a tracker to find a more meaningful target."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Major Alice Robinson, Ethat 'Lacalu, and UNSC AI SHI 1203-8 --- Ethat hummed, exchanging a glance with Major Robinson. "Possibly. Our informant did identify a Covenant zealot Uztel contacted. He is now overseeing the mining operations on the planet personally. He is not in the keep, so he was not vital for the mission, but I would rather ensure he does not return to the Covenant. He has shown himself as being devious and resourceful, so it would be a victory to deny Jul 'Mdama his service." "You and I can discuss that idea in detail on the ship." Robinson said to Ethat before returning her attention to Aegis. "As I have said, Aegis team's mission is straightforward. You will deploy the communications jammer, disable the anti-air cannon, then return to the ship to join the assault. However, timing is crucial." Robinson turned the group's attention to the point of interest in geosynchronous orbit on the hologram. "We have learned that the Covenant has installed a small listening station here to cover gaps in sensory coverage from their fleet's position on the other side of the planet. They believe it is hidden, which we will use to our advantage. Our fleet will approach the planet in stealth, but we will allow it to be detected by this listening station. The Covenant will likely believe they have discovered our plan and send their ships to intercept. Or at least, they will have to send enough that our Blockade Runner will be able to make it to the surface undetected. It will set down some distance from the keep, outside sensor range. It is vital that neither the ship, nor your team, be detected before the communications jammer is deployed." Once again, Shih's avatar appeared in the middle of the table. "I will be operating the jamming program personally. At first, I will only keep its range limited to the anti-air cannon, but while your team is working on the first objective, I'll be listening in on transmissions between the keep and the Covenant fleet. Once we begin the attack on the keep, I'll extend the jammer's range, as well as mimicking normal transmissions up to the fleet above. Essentially, I'll be pretending to be the keep, as far as the fleet is concerned. That should buy you time to carry out the attack, but I won't be able to keep up the deception forever, so try not to take too long to finish the coup."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Ethat 'Lacalu, Major Alice Robinson, and Vael 'Virisusai --- Ethat took only a moment of thought to reply to Yalu. "It's best to deal with him quickly, but…it is more important to claim the keep and ensure the planet knows of Tar 'Mdalak's victory. To flee his keep instead of fighting to the death to defend it would mark Uztel as a coward. Only the most fanatical of Covenant supporters would be willing to overlook such dishonor. If you have to make that choice, focus on securing the keep." He answered. After a few moments of silence passed, Major Robinson deactivated the display and pulled Shih's data chip from the holotank. "If there are no more questions, then Commander Vael 'Virisusai has operational authority for Aegis team on this mission. That means he will be your commanding officer. There is a pelican waiting outside to take the team to our Blockade Runner in orbit. All of your equipment is being brought to the ship as we speak, along with UNSC reinforcements and supplies that have been approved for the mission. Dismissed." Vael had an eye on Tar. After her initial outburst, she had kept quiet. However, he knew her well enough to know that this was not a mission she could just detach herself from. Much of her motivation for fighting was to restore her father's honor; family did have clear meaning to her.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar barely heard the mission details being discussed. Her ears were ringing like she'd been struck. Her own brother had betrayed the entire family with his treachery. She should have seen this coming! The warning signs had been there, now she really thought about it in this conference room, with the sound of others talking droned on in the background. When the three of them were just children, Falx, Tar and Uztel spent many hours hunting Du'nak in the forests outside their Keep with the other younglings. Imported from Sanghelios centuries before and rewilded by accident soon after, these animals had adapted well to the cold, wet hillsides of Brissekh and grown suspicious of Sangheili again. Operating as a pair, Tar and Falx, her older brother, had wounded and cornered a prime specimen. An adult alpha with long, broad tusks and mature back-horns resting within a muscular frame - the ultimate prize. They'd been closing in on the wounded animal after harassing and tracking it for the entire morning. Finally, they found it collapsed up against a rock formation, with dense bushes on one side and a steep drop on the other. They had it trapped. But as they approached to strike the killer blow and claim the animal as their own, a spear flew through the undergrowth and pierced the Du'nak's head, killing it instantly. Uztel appeared. Tar & Falx had exploded with fury as Uztel calmly collected his weapon. "I'm sorry, siblings. I didn't see you there! Forgive me." He proclaimed. But Tar saw a glimmer of amusement in her brother's eyes that day. A sadistic streak that thrived on reaping rewards for minimal personal risk. Uztel swore he had not been stalking the pair of them once he knew they had a worthy prize. Yet, Tar later found out her younger brother's hunting partner had lost sight of him hours before the incident had happened. Tar returned from her reverie just as the Human female dismissed them. "No one touches my brother, except me." Tar growled, tapping her chestplate with one fingernail as the others turned to leave. "If I fall in battle, you leave and allow Brissekh to decide Uztel's fate. Or you find Falx and free him, if he still lives. Those are my terms."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Lucas didn't speak when Tar spoke, instead nodding and continuing on his way out of the briefing room. This whole thing stank of an ONI op, from the removal of Tar's older brother to the younger brother refusing to put himself at risk. In fact, as he stepped to one side to wait for the Commando, he eyed the ONI PO and his escort. Those two were ONI through and through, despite playing nice with the team thus far. If he had to guess, they probably had orders to make sure the team failed if it ever looked to be not worth the effort in the Intelligence agency's eyes. Same as they had tried to do to all the old black ops teams when the war ended. They weren't a necessity anymore, just a risk. We all knew too much... That wasn't to say that the two knew anything about the other issues, Ryker knew ONI too well to think that, but he could probably never bring himself to trust the organization again. When the Commando stepped out, he matched her pace. "I understand that a lot of this has to do with Uztel has to do with Family Honor and the like. But you're needed alive, by a lot of your people. Don't do anything rash, especially if your brother is what they say he is. You know he won't fight fair or honorably."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Ethat' Lacalu and Vael Virisusai --- Ethat let out a quick huff as he turned his head towards Tar. "Once the assault begins, there is likely no escape without either destroying most of the keep, or deposing Uztel. The Covenant's operations on Brissekh will be stopped, one way or another. The plan we have devised is our best way of doing so with the least damage to your homeworld. Do remember that." Ultimately, Vael saw little reason to argue against the plan at the moment. Strategically, it was sound. If the plan proceeded successfully, then Brissekh would have new leadership loyal to the Arbiter. There would certainly be resistance from Covenant loyalists after the coup, but they would not be conquering Brissekh. Tar had the legal claim to become Scion, so if Uztel was removed in battle, honor would demand most of the citizens' loyalty. It would be unconventional, with Tar being female, but the position of Scions had changed under the Arbiter's rule. If they were correct about the level of support for the Arbiter on the world, then Vael did not expect that the resistance would be insurmountable. Ryker joined Tar as the meeting was dismissed, though Vael did not. He doubted the Human would understand half of what a situation like this would mean for someone in Tar's position, but if he made the mistake of offending her, then the Spartan could deal with the consequences himself. As long as his team could perform their duties to his standards, they were free to deal with personal issues between them however they saw fit. Should they ever fail in their duties because of such issues, then they would have Vael to deal with. Vael himself wasted no time in making his way to the pelican outside. They would be using a Sangheili Blockade Runner for this mission, so it would be the Humans who were out-of-place this time.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu tried to search the eyes of his superior officers to gauge the reaction to Tar's proclamations. He was not especially relieved to hear the ever diplomatic Lacalu try to appeal to the responsibility Tar had to her homeworld rather than making it clear that she was not the one in power here. The very fact that she was on this mission presented a personal influence that could compromise the objective. Looking at it from another angle enlightened Yalu. They needed her to fight voluntarily to show the populace she was worthy of Brissekh. They could not have her going rogue. A female commando this far from her keep would necessarily be bold enough to do so. Yalu walked a few paces behind Tar and Lucas but did not pitch in with his opinion. He turned off to stop by his quarters before proceeding to the hanger so he could leave behind the foam racing collar around his neck. "Sorry Lucas," he muttered to himself. "I pray you do not learn too violent a lesson with your human sensibilities." He made a personal note to bring a cold pack with him to the pelican, just in case any heads needed cooling.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar growled threateningly, leaning over the table towards Ethat. Both of her hands rested back in the divots she'd created; the stanchions screeched in complaint. When she spoke, her voice wasn't raised anymore, but soft and laced with poison. "Then your warriors had best remember to stay in line - behind me." Tar pushed off from the table and stalked out of the briefing room along with the rest of Aegis team. The last thing she wanted was a lecture from Spartan Ryker, and she made that abundantly clear through her body language, though no doubt the Human wouldn't pick it up. "Don't concern yourself with my welfare, Ryker." She growled. Martialling all her discipline, Tar tried to make the best of the Spartan's obvious investment in this operation by sharing what really puzzled her: "I know my brother. This treachery was always in his heart, but Uztel wouldn't readily plunder our world. Something doesn't smell right - I need to talk to him, before I kill him." A pair of facility orderlies pressed their backs firmly against the wall to let them pass. "Can I count on you, Ryker? It has to be me who confronts him - if I fall, don't let ONI take him. Brissekh will fall apart without blood continuity. It's the only thing holding us together."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Hekar Taa-pattern Blockade Runner Magnificent Defiance, low-Earth orbit --- Given that they would be leaving that day, Aegis team were encouraged quickly into the pelican, though once they were aboard the Blockade Runner, they would be able to do as they saw fit until they arrived at Brissekh. Covenant slipspace drives were far superior to the traditional Human Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engines. Journeys that, before the reverse-engineering of Forerunner slipspace technology, took Humans months, the Covenant could complete in minutes to hours. Brissekh was not too far outside Human territory, so it would only take a few hours to reach their destination. They would likely be waiting longer than that for the rest of the fleet to be ready to start the diversion. Although a corvette by Sangheili standards, the Blockade Runner in orbit, Magnificent Defiance, was even larger than the Autumn-class heavy cruiser they had used during their first mission. As the loading ramp of the pelican opened, they were greeted with a curious mixture of UNSC and Swords personnel and equipment. Sangheili and Unggoy crewmen coordinated with Human marines to organize the vehicles and equipment that were being delivered by a constant stream of cargo pelicans. Obviously, the ship did not have proper storage facilities for Human equipment, not to mention differing organizational conventions between their two militaries, so there were no doubt no shortage of logistical issues for the two groups to iron out. Fortunately, that particular task did not fall to Aegis team. Before leaving the pelican, Ethat sent each member of the team a map of the ship highlighting relevant areas. Quarters, mess hall, training rooms, and likely most relevant, the armory with their equipment. Given that they would not be staying on the ship long before the start of the mission, they would not likely need to stray far if they did not wish to.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Throughout all of Tar's speaking, Lucas didn't interrupt or reply, instead opting to let the Sangheili female get it all off her chest. However, when she asked for his word to keep ONI's claws off of her home, he nodded. "Stopping ONI from doing something? You can bet I'm all for doing so, without hesitation." --- The transition to the blockade runner was done without much celebration or pomp and circumstance, which fit the SPARTAN-IV just fine as under the radar is the best way for their team to operate. As he walked off the pelican, not noting the person approaching from one side and the front of the pelican, he started to ponder how the others would handle working underneath Commander Vael'Virisusai. In the interim since now and their last mission as Aegis, Ryker had worked almost exclusively under the Sangheili warrior. And while he had plenty of prior experience working primarily with the members of the Sangheili race, working directly under one had been both different and educational. So long as everyone could follow orders and do their part, he didn't imagine there would be many issues. However, as he headed for the armory to check on his weapons and make sure it was all up to par and clean, he couldn't help but wonder how well the human members of the team who hadn't worked under Sangheili before would take it.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Being aboard the Blockade Runner once again brought Vael back to familiar territory. Time spent among Humans was often spent in cramped quarters among suspicious and unusual people, so being back on a Sangheili vessel was something of a relief. Granted, Blockade Runners were somewhat uncomfortable even among Sangheili. The scented air and constant subsonic sounds of the vessel were not present on the Covenant vessels most Sangheili had been accustomed to serving on. There were still vessels from the Covenant among their fleet, but as they could not be replaced, more traditional Sangheili designs had come to the forefront the longer this war lasted. They tended to have less refined efficiency, relying more on sheer power in weapons, propulsion, and other systems. A lack of safeties meant that ships such as this could be pushed beyond the limits of Covenant vessels, but for less experienced crews, that made catastrophic failures more likely. Stepping out of the pelican, Vael did notice a Human standing nearby, seemingly waiting for them. Ethat had already handled directing them to necessary locations around the ship, though it was possible that the Humans had some matter of importance for them. The UNSC was also contributing soldiers, vehicles, and equipment to this mission. Out of Aegis team, Vael was the first to approach the Human. He was small, even by their kind's standards: a fact that became all the more prominent as Vael towered over him. "You have something to say, Human?" He asked.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Sangheili Corvette The sea food was just as good the last time he was here and again the Unggoy almost got their group kicked out due to his voracious appetite and messy table manners. Honestly he knew he did get a little excited, this particular human food was his favorite but due to its tendency to spoil easily he did not find it very often on other worlds or stations. It seemed they got pulled away just in time to their meeting, he was sure that the next time he arrived here there would be a sign for no Unggoy. The meeting was rather standard, go in after covenant, loosen their foot hold, and turn the populace against them. The specifics where a little different but it was standard for what he was used too. Grik knew he would have to tread lightly on this one as one of the team was directly involved with it. The Sangheili pilot they picked up on the first mission they had. She was resourceful as were all the team members but this one also had a youthful energy about her that was honestly refreshing. These where all Grik's observations as he hadn't talked to her too much before he had to leave. The Unggoy could only wonder how this mission would be interesting compared to his many other missions. His mind drifted back to his time on his home planet and the vehicle he brought from there. This kept him quiet on the pelican trip up to their blockade runner. A sleek but powerful corvette new and unusual ship types where not unaccustomed to him as he was born on a ship. The human presence on it was staggering. This time they really would have better support than the last one. Grik stepped off the pelican behind Vael and looked at the human before them. Looking to Ryker as he headed off into the ship for a moment then again back to the human. He wasn't a Spartan or an ODST, those humans had more of a presence about them, and he didn't have the weird look of an ONI agent. Was this one a messenger perhaps or a human with a grudge? Grikgar knew the humans had that feeling in the back of their minds that came out when they were indulging in alcohol or drugs. The Ultra stood quietly by Vael curious to see what he had to say before he would go off to check on his new toy in the vehicle bay.</s> <\|message\|>Johnathan Philip Flint (Goes by J.P. or Flint) Flint --- As the cargo door on the pelican hit the bay floor Flint was momentarily stunned. He had seen some UNSC and Covenant work together before but this group of individuals was a mental flashbang. He had to check himself to make sure he wasn't gawking at the insane variety on the team, not to mentions everyones size! Flint knew he was on the shorter end of the spectrum but this was just crazy. He watched as the first one off the bird was a Spartan IV who disregarded him entirely. Flint was told he was reporting to a certain 'Vael 'Virisusai' and he had a hard time believing that would be a Spartans name. So he kept searching the team for any clues as to who it might be. He didn't have to wait long for a big Sangheili to walk straight up to him. The alien towered over Flint, he wasn't particularly intimidated by it since he was accustomed to looking up at people when engaging them however he did not like having to look this far. "I'm Petty Officer Second Class John Flint, I'm looking for a 'Vael 'Virisusai' of Aegis Team? I'm an Intelligence and Exploitation Engineer sent to aid and assist this asset." extending his hand forward for a handshake. 'Do Sangheili do handshakes? I'm sure this one has spent enough time around humans to know about handshakes right?'</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar nodded in response to Ryker; pleased despite the dark cloud hanging overhead. "I'm glad." She rasped. --- The Commando was silent for the entire Pelican flight from their lodgings in HIGHCOM Bravo-6 to the Magnificent Defiance. She held onto an overhead rail as the ship rattled through the atmosphere and into space, glowering at the space between atoms in front of her. She still couldn't fully believe that Uztel had betrayed the family. There wasn't much worse you could do in a close-knit Blood Keep. The missing pieces nagged at the back of her mind; what possessed her little brother to do it - was it greed? Or was something else motivating him now? Tar had to find out. The sounds, smells and cavernous tremors of the hangar bay assaulted Tar's senses from the moment the ramp started lowering. She immediately yearned for somewhere quieter, so she could contemplate the situation further. She was following Spartan Ryker towards the door her map indicated went to the armoury, when she heard someone talking to Vael and Grik on one side. The words made Tar grit her mandibles together. Circling back behind the small Human as they extended a hand in greeting, Tar stalked up to their shoulder. "And what does this one propose to exploit, on my homeworld?" She purred, butting in, staring menacingly down on the man. She was small among the other Sangheili, but still loomed over the new arrival.</s> <\|message\|>Johnathan Philip Flint (Goes by J.P. or Flint) Flint --- Before the first elite he addressed could answer another, shorter, and much more aggressive Sangheili started barking at him from over his shoulder. Flint dropped his hand and turned square to them, resting his hands on his hips in a relaxed mannor. "Anything I can get my hands on. Weapons, armor, shielding, comms equipment, you name it. Speaking of which, that's a nice harness you've got on, any chance I could get you to shed it and let me have my way with it? Ill put it back together just like I never touched it I promise." Flint gestured towards her armor as he talked leaning from one side to the other giving a half assed attempt to try getting a better look at it. He stood tall, as tall as he could, with a grin on his face knowing full well the elite was about to storm off or pound him into a new floor finish for the hangar bay.</s> <\|message\|>Comi'Masam Comi'Masam Nearby, working with a pair of humans to get what they had affectionately dubbed the 'needle-hog' parked next to a Spectre so that it doesn't cause issues should the blockade runner come under fire, an Infiltrator glances over at the smart-mouthed marine. "Oi, lad, come on now. Commandoes aren't known for their sense of humor." Turning back to her task, she barks an order at a nearby Unggoy who was tapping away rapidly at a datapad. "You there, laddy! What's takin' engineering so long?" Clearly she'd spent a lot of time around humans, specifically the Scottish. The Unggoy replied in a language that any listening humans could recognize as Sangheili. The Infiltrator growled in annoyance at the reply and waved a human out of the way as she headed for a wall communication before barking into it in rapid Sangheili.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael was aware of Human conventions for greetings. Many of the Humans who he had been working with as a part of Aegis team no longer bothered with them, since they all knew their customs were not shared. This Human, though, was clearly new. Vael did not know all of the UNSC's ranks and roles, but the meaning of "engineer" was self-explanatory. If that implied the skills he possessed, then Vreta could see why he might have been selected to assist the team on this mission. They had objectives that would benefit from technical expertise. Vael did recall that some final changes to their team's composition were being considered by their superiors in the days leading up to the briefing. He would need to check after this to see which had been given approval. These would ideally have been decided upon before the briefing, but logistical issues had been an irritating constant for Aegis team. Tar 'Mdalak's interjection came uninvited, though Vael could not say the Human's response was any more wise. On his part, Vael would not do anything to hold Tar back unless she threatened to prevent this Human from performing his duties. "You have a great deal to learn, Flint."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Comi'Masam Comi'Masam As the altercation between the human and the Commando came to an end, the Infiltrator finished arguing with the engineering crew and glanced over, narrowing her eyes at the General harness-wearing Sangheili before pulling up her datapad and tapping at it. After a moment, she paused, seeming to be reading it before stowing the pad quickly and approaching him and offering a salute in Sangheili fashion. "Pardon my rudeness, Commander," she spoke, the Scottish accent returning, " I dinnae realize you were mah new commanding officer when I was trying to save the marine from his own smart mouth." Pulling out her datapad again, she tapped it rapidly before Vael's would beep at him. "Infiltrator Comi'Masam, formerly in service with Joint Operations Unit Cerberus. The same unit that Spartan Lucas Ryker came from, presuming that this is the well-spoken of Aegis Team." While she maintained a respectful tone and stance, but it was clear she'd spent time with the humans in several mannerisms and again in her accent. "I understand part of my transfer is due to Ryker, Commander."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael simply observed through most of the altercation. His stance was that any problem between members of his team should be dealt with however they saw fit, on their own time. Indeed, he gave little restriction as to how his soldiers should behave, as long as they could perform well during their missions. The moment any of their issues started to affect a mission, however, Vael made it known that he would solve their problems himself. If necessary, he would have stepped in to remind Tar not to do anything that would prevent the Human from fulfilling his duties. Ultimately, though, Tar decided to release the Human and go on her way. A merciful conclusion, overall; perhaps moreso than he deserved. In any case, Vael had made his own observations of the encounter, and drawn a few possible conclusions about this new team member. "You do not carry yourself as most Humans around us, Petty Officer Flint. For most of your soldiers, we walk among one another, holding closed old wounds that beg to be opened, though we work to keep them sewn shut for the good of our futures. These wounds can bear anger and pain, or respect for some, but it is a history we have shared as enemies. I do not see that weight in your words. You are young, yes? And you do not know my people, not as enemies, and not as allies?" With others approaching, Vael finally took the time to grab his datapad and confirm the new transfers to his team. Petty Officer Second Class Johnathan Flint, recommended for engineering expertise, and Infiltrator Comi 'Masam, assigned by the recommendation of Spartan Ryker. The Spartan had proven himself a capable warrior during their time working cooperatively, but Comi would need to do the same, regardless of recommendations. At least her mettle would be easier to test than Flint's. His reason for being among them were for skills that Vael was unfamiliar with, and that he did not truly know how to measure aside from seeing the results during the mission. "The weight of words will only carry you so far. I still expect your merit to be proven in battle."</s> <\|message\|>Johnathan Philip Flint (Goes by J.P. or Flint) Flint --- Flint fell from the Sangheilis grip and hit the floor boots first, with a display of athleticism, managing not to fall over and stay on his feet. After he regained his balance he turned back to Vael standing rigid at the position of attention while he addressed him. He was right. He was never really affected by the war and the covenant like other people were. Just like Flint, his parents had grown up being a doctor and scholar on earth never seeing the covenant as the evil enemy that others do. Flint treated them no different than he would other humans, to him, they were all living beings. To be frank that didn't mean he treated them all well, quite the contrary. His only interests were in the hearts of machines, digging into the how and why each piece of technology did what it did. He found sanctuary in the knowledge and calm in the process of obtaining it. Other humans and all species for that matter carried a vast unknown and uncertainty for Flint. It was much harder for him to trust a human like he could a machine. "Yes Sir, I am relatively young, I don't treat anyone differently than I would any other human. I suppose I am ignorant of the deep wounds others possess. I will be more careful. As for my merit, If you need something fixed, disabled, opened, sabotaged or anything else along that line, send it my way and I'll handle it without a hitch. You'll see." He hoped he managed to do a little damage control with the commander after such a display right in front of him. But in the end Flint didn't really care either way. He knew that as soon as he got his hands on a task up his ally, the team would warm up to him. They just needed to know what he was capable of.</s> <\|message\|>Comi'Masam Comi'Masam Comi nodded, offering a Swords salute before replying to Vael. "As is our way, Commander. I will go and prepare my gear for the mission." Giving another salute and then turns and heads for the door. Getting to know her new teammates could wait, as there was the mission to prepare for. Plus this opportunity would let her catch up with Spartan Ryker and get his take on most of the rest of the team thus far. She smiled slightly as she went, knowing that things would only become more interesting with a joint effort team that was more dedicated to the idea than Cerberus had been.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu stood around near Vael's wing for a short while longer. He held his hands behind his back and sized up the newcomers to their team. The infiltrator Comi'Masam gave a unique first impression to say the least. Yalu still had to strain to understand her words. But if she came with Lucas' recommendation, she was clearly not compensating for any lack of skill. The new engineer Flint was more of an unknown. Yalu was willing to accept the ignorance of Flint's youth, but the physicality of this human was lacking, even in comparison to the non-spartan humans on their team. At least if this one was injured, none of them would be burdened by carrying him around. Perhaps he was recommended for being adept at crawling into small spaces to perform his technical duties? In that case, he had better be more expert than a Lekgolo worm at sabotaging the defence infrastructure at their mission destination. With Vael still getting them up to speed, Yalu felt his time wasting. He unclasped his hands and started a stride to the armoury. "I need to meditate before this mission," he said to himself, letting out a deep breath.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and UNSC AI SHI 1203-8 --- Like most of the others, Vael first prioritized heading to the armory to equip himself for the mission ahead. It would still be hours before they were set to begin, but he wanted to ensure he would be ready at a moment's notice. He could manage the changes to his team, though his impression of the new Human was not particularly positive. Most Humans were not like the Spartans, who were strong, capable warriors even by Sangheili standards. The average Human was…variable. During his time in the war, he had seen excesses of both cowardice and courage from Human warriors. Sometimes, they would flee like Unggoy as their will was broken, and at other points, they would fight against overwhelming odds to the last breath against superior foes, and sometimes even attain victory. Only time would tell how this Human would compare. Vael was not a normal member of the ship's crew, but he did not attract near as much attention as the Humans undoubtedly would, aside from the fact that the crew he passed tended to quiet down from their conversations when he was near. As a high ranking officer, that was not a fact he found strange. He only heard parts of conversations between a few Unggoy on the way to the armory, but even though he heard them perfectly clearly, he found what they said to be as incomprehensible as it was irrelevant. All of the team's equipment had been transferred to the ship, and Vael quickly found the crate containing it after he arrived. Given the mission parameters, he did not intend to arm himself differently from his standard preference. An energy sword, plasma rifle, and his carbine would be sufficient for what they would be facing. For his armor's equipment, active camouflage would be the most useful for the first objective of dealing with the anti-air cannon. After that, they would be returning to the ship, so there would be a chance for the team to adjust their loadouts for the assault. Vael was surprised when the hologram of the Human AI, Shih, appeared at the end of a table near to him, at the center of the room. Evidently, it had been given approval to interface with at least some part of the ship. Vael was not sure that he approved, but it was not his decision. "I believe there is something I should inform you and your team about." Shih announced to Vael as soon as she appeared. Vael turned his head back and spoke calmly. "Very well. You may speak, construct." "Right…if you bring your attention to those crates over there, there is some new equipment that has been approved for Aegis team's use. It took a lot of…debate, but there are weapons and equipment recovered from Prometheans that both UNSC personnel, and your people, can you. I may have to do some work to interface the armor abilities with your harness, but I have been told it can be done. The modules are adaptable." Shih explained. The concession to allow Vael and his team to use the Promethean equipment could have been seen as an offering of trust, through Vael doubted ONI would be so kind. Likely, it was a decision driven by circumstance and practicality. Jul 'Mdama's forces were still working with Prometheans after the campaign on Requiem, so it seemed likely that the Swords of Sanghelios would be able to recover Forerunner equipment just as easily. Sharing it with Aegis team now simply allowed them to seem more cooperative. Opening up the crates, Vael did find a variety of options available. Promethean enhanced visual sensors, hardlight shields, and autosentries were all available, as well as a small variety of Promethean weapons. There were multiple boltshots, suppressors, and grenades, two lightrifles, as well as a single scattershot, binary rifle, and incineration cannon. They were all powerful weapons, but ammo availability would be a limitation. If one chose to use one of the weapons, they would only have a single spare reload.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak There was no time to waste for any of the crew aboard the Magnificent Defiance. So normal activity quickly resumed once Tar had removed herself from the situation, with dozens of orderlies and droids transporting cargo to be stowed in the various holds. Unfortunately, Tar was intent on striding right through their operating space as she brooded on the task at hand and the unexpected help she was receiving. Some of it welcome, some of it not. Suddenly, a platform containing tightly bound crates whooshed down the ramp of a Pelican to be collected by one of the automated hangar grabbers. It appeared on one side of Tar's peripheral vision and she quickly turned to face it. She seized the platform in mid-swing and transferred the energy through her stance, tipped it over and away from her. The servos whined as the platform attempted to right itself, but Tar offered no apology. She carried on through to the armoury, deep in thought. There weren't many alternatives to murdering Uztel, if she got her hands on him. If by some miracle she could convince the Keep to recognise her as rightful successor while he still lived, she could banish him from Brissekh. But there was always the chance he could plot her death from afar. That wouldn't do at all! Tar stalked into the armoury with potential plans and speeches circulating in her head. Her blades will have been packed up and sent to her quarters along with her other effects. She'd need to go and get those before deployment. An armourer on the ship she'd travelled with Silent Shadow on had developed a special mount for both handles on the small of her back, which meant she could carry more weapons and gear in the field. Tar made the most of it, clipping four Spike Grenades to her belly. After pondering it for a little while, she followed up by stowing a Carbine and a Storm Rifle on her back and a Mauler on each thigh. She stared longingly at some of the ammo vests on display, but none would fit around her torso and armour. She also watched some of the other UNSC troops attaching front holsters to their chests. The Humans had inferior armour, but their ingenuity and resourcefulness was still impressive. Her attention was diverted by Aegis team's leader talking to one of the machines. Some interesting objects caught her eye in the crate they were examining. She walked over. "Forerunner weapons?" She asked. She didn't know much about them.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Mention of the Forerunner weapons made Yalu crack an eye open. From where he sat, now properly armoured on a bench trying to put his mind at peace, he could just see into the crate. How the ancient weapons shone in his vision. Yalu stood up and removed the enclosing helmet of his red assault harness to approach. Behind him were his selection of weapons: plasma grenades, concussion rifle, and a replacement needle rifle taken in lieu of his previous plasma carbine. One of them might not come with him this time. "So fine and elegant these artifacts are," he said. "Had I laid eyes on such things before the betrayal, having used the Prophets' imitations for so long, I might have noticed their arrogance sooner." He reached carefully for the scattershot. It reassembled in his grip to form its true shape. He curled his mandibles in quiet delight. "Shih, tell me more about this one, if you please."</s> <\|message\|>Comi'Masam Spartan Lucas Ryker From one side of the armory, where Ryker was going over his DMR and making sure the pieces of gear that were shipped to ship ahead of him were still in good order. At the same time, he was talking with Comi'Masam about the team and it's members. Or at least the ones who'd been put back on the team. A quick review of their roster revealed that one SPARTAN-III and the Mgalekgolo both weren't recalled to Aegis, but that was a risk that came with a joint team. As he finished running a cleaning swab down the barrel when he overheard the conversation between Shih and Commander Vael. Finishing the barrel swab, he quickly replaces the parts and approaches, spotting the crate and the goodies inside as he approached. "Had a couple of buddies who served on Requiem, newer SPARTAN-IVs. They had limited chance to use the weaponry, but one of them got real good with with that Hard Light Shield module. Read the intel reports on the Promethean vision, so I'll be snagging one of those if no one has complaints." Comi'Masam Securing her SRS99 on her harness as well as her pistol and specially designed energy sword on her thighs respectively before joining the others at the crate and glancing in. A smile crossed her face as she picked up one of the modules. "Hardlight Shield, excellent for pushing up corridors and providing mobile, if temporary, cover in an open battlefield. Definitely my preferred module when an op goes south." Appraising the weapons, she shakes her head. "I don't much care for the Forerunner weaponry, lacks the power of a good plasma rifle or human assault rifle."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai UNSC AI SHI 1203-8 --- Right when requested, Shih's avatar appeared next to Yalu as he observed the alien weapon in his hands. "This weapon has been officially designated as the Z-180 Close Combat Rifle/Asymmetric Engagement Mitigator. Common vernacular identifies it as the 'Scattershot'. It is a close-to-medium range weapon which fulfills a similar combat role to the UNSC's M45 Tactical Shotgun. Based on our testing, it appears to fire a spread of hard light projectiles created from energy cells loaded through a breach-loading mechanism. It has a capacity of five energy cells and, like many Forerunner weapons, is capable of completely disintegrating the bodies of living beings, most likely for the purpose of denying them as assets to the Flood. The individual projectiles can ricochet off of hard surfaces and possess limited tracking capabilities. A single shot at close range can defeat any known armor system." She explained. The weapon was not loaded at the moment, but there were a total of ten cells available, and she had instructions available for anyone who chose to take Forerunner equipment.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko For a moment, Yalu was lost in the mystery of the scattershot's design and mechanics, turning it in his hands and looking down its sights. He almost forgot it was a weapon. Shih's explanation gave him the details he needed to know, but he hoped to learn more about this technology later. "Thank you, construct," Yalu nodded to the avatar before taking up the ten shots he would be limited to during the mission. He somehow expected them to be heavier. Some of the others were not so convinced. Yalu gave a grunt. "Suit yourselves. This weapon shall suit many roles. Especially at our destination. I may count on those shields you found to make better use of it, too." He held the scattershot aside and perused the rest of the crate. The autosentry caught his eye. He picked one of the modules out and went back to the bench to read through its operation. The concussion rifle would be left in the armoury for this mission. The keep no doubt had a few to use in the field should he need to find one.</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan & PO3. Ray Younan The briefing had been a heated one where neither the Spook or Spook junior spoke an ounce of wordage as there was some kind of split jaw disagreement for the first time in a while. Not your typical split lip spit but the one where there was war of the worlds, evil was touted and the usual Sangheili nonsense that ensued. For Ray, he tensed up expecting to be corpsed swiftly by an angered female Sangheili or otherwise, he was disappointed for another time in his life as he lived without much issue. Most likely to his inaction in the situation, something he learned from the last mission - don't piss off the squids. For Elna, it was just the same shit, a different day for the young unimpressed woman as she had to go through the meat grinder again protecting the egghead of the operation. Drama aside, she was unmoved by the touching and violent display of squid-anger. It's just what they do, Sang-culture and good vibes only. The briefing was quickly over without any second thoughts as the group, or rather team piled onto the ship where the two ended up settling for the time being. It would be only later that Elna would stumble upon the ending of the sizing up and choking of poor PO2. Flint as he was eventually let down, the man in question gracefully landing without becoming a sang-splat. The Corporal walked over to the young, naive Engineer. ""You okay, PO?"" She asked the abused Engineer.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai With the speed of Covenant slipspace borers, it took only a few hours for their ship to reach their destination. Although, they dropped out of slipspace at the far edge of the solar system to link up with the rest of the fleet to make sure they remained out of sensor range. The rest of the Swords of Sanghelios fleet was modest in size, consisting of ships ranging in size from the small, nimble Man O' War, up to the CCS-class Battlecruisers that had once made up the backbone of the Covenant navy. From that, only a part of the fleet would be moving in to create the diversion, while the rest would stay back in reserve as reinforcements. If all went to plan, the Magnificent Defiance would be landing, undetected, in a remote location directly on the planet's surface. A pair of phantoms would take them about halfway to the keep from there, but they could not approach completely by air if they wanted to avoid detection. They would have four Type-46 Spectre vehicles to bring them the rest of the way in a reasonable time. Vael was among the first in the hangar from Aegis team. He stood waiting beneath one of the phantoms, watching as the spectres were being attached underneath. Since the Forerunner equipment was available, Vael had decided to replace his plasma rifle with a boltshot pistol. If all went to plan, they would not see much combat in the first part of the mission, so the limited ammunition would be less of a concern, while the additional power and ability to disintegrate corpses would be more useful. Once they disabled the anti-air cannon, they would be returning to the ship, so there would be an opportunity to change his loadout before the main assault.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai, Mdalak State, Brissekh --- For Aegis team, they simply needed to board the phantoms to be ready for the mission, though for them to even make it to the ground to begin with relied upon the skill and planning of the ship's crew, and the rest of the fleet. After about another half hour, the rest of the fleet made their advance under the cover of stealth. They approached the planet from the opposite side of the planet from where most of the Covenant ships were positioned, which made it easier to avoid detection on approach. However, as planned, the fleet intentionally strayed close to the "hidden" listening post to allow the Covenant to detect their presence. Immediately, the Covenant fleet went into alert and deployed to intercept the Swords fleet. This was the signal for the Magnificent Defiance. Once the defending fleet was out of position, it advanced at its best speed under the cover of its stealth systems to make it into the atmosphere while there was a gap in the Covenant's sensor coverage. From inside their phantom in the ship's hanger, Aegis team could not see what was happening outside, but Vael was given constant updates on the progress of the mission. Their Blockade Runner made a bee line straight for the planet's surface while walking a very fine line with the speed they maintained. While the ship's shields could certainly handle the heat of re-entry on any habitable world, the ship's crew had to be careful not to generate atmospheric disturbances strong enough to be detected, while still getting to the surface as quickly as they possibly could. The skirmish in orbit would not last too long before the Swords fleet made their retreat. Ultimately, the ship did make it to ground safely, though only time would tell if they had truly remained undetected. It had landed on the same continent as 'Mdalak keep, at least, but to ensure they were not spotted, their landing zone was extremely far from civilization, in an unsettled region. Considering the difficult terrain, it would have taken days to reach their objective by land. Fortunately, the phantoms could bring them close enough to cut that down to a few hours. The particular phantoms the team was using were equipped with active camouflage, so they kept up a good pace once they left the ship. Still, it was a cautious pace just to ensure they did not show up on any sensors. Overall, Aegis team spent about an hour in the back of their phantom before they finally arrived at their drop zone. The pair of phantoms maneuvered into a valley between multiple, towering mountains with peaks obscured almost entirely by fog. They located a grassy area in the forest just large enough to drop their specters, then did the same for the team itself through the grav lift. Vael's feet sank partially into the mud as soon as they hit the ground. It was raining rather heavily, which, along with the fog, made visibility quite poor. Even with how deep in the wilderness they were, Vael still had his carbine at the ready as he left the phantom, and still went through the trouble of clearing the area before holstering it. After offloading the team, both phantoms immediately set off back towards the Magnificent Defiance. Given that they could not afford detection, they would not be risking staying on station for rapid support. If they were detected, Aegis team would be on their own until their ship could deploy a full rescue team. If they could realistically reach them at all, of course. As long as the keep still had its air defenses available, their Blockade Runner could not come too close. The phantoms engaged their active camouflage as they lifted off, and while it still provided protection against sensors, the rainfall meant that Vael could clearly see their silhouettes from a much farther distance than usual. He hoped the storm would not persist at their destination, but if it did, they would need to be ready to adapt. "Mount up. The mission relies on us now." Vael ordered.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker For the most part, Comi and Lucas kept to themselves on their Phantom, speaking quietly and punctuated by the occasional laugh or chuckle from one of the two. When game time came, they were ready to go. Spartan Lucas Ryker As his boots hit the soft earth of the planet's surface, the SPARTAN-IV was already putting his DMR to his shoulder and moving to secure the perimeter before anything else was done. However, he had to admit that the weather conditions would make this trip just a little trickier than they'd likely anticipated. Of course, as he cleared his quadrant and found nothing, he did smile as he recalled the days with his old Black Ops squad, using weather like this to hide both their approach and their exfiltration. This might not be so bad after all, all things considered. Hopping into the back seat of one of the spectres, DMR still in hand. "Well, on the upside, you can't ask for better weather to mask an approach from the low ground." Comi'Masam Comi had landed alongside Ryker when she dropped from the Phantom, but moved in an opposite direction. She had her sniper rifle stored on her back and her plasma pistol up and at the ready, though her sword remained on her hip as she moved to the edge of the clearing and secured it. Following that and doing as she was ordered, she sat in the spectre separate from Spartan Ryker, storing the pistol and drawing her sniper rifle. "I am in agreement, Commander. Any guards on patrol will not see us through the rain and fog."</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar sat quietly through the phantom ride, listening to every rattle and hum of the hull as if it was talking to her. Her mind slowly calmed, uncoupling from the galaxy outside Brissekh to focus solely on the mission. They all knew what they were doing, they'd seen the maps and force strength reports. Now all that was left was to walk those paths and eliminate anything that got in their way. Tar was loyal to Brissekh, but like any other Sangheili warrior, wouldn't hesitate to kill her clanmates if they refused to stand aside. She checked her loadout one more time, then stared into space again. Time passed, until suddenly it was time to go. Tar got up and stepped into the grav lift without hesitation. The rain whipped about her as she levitated down to the ground, bringing the smell of wet vegetation with it. This instantly brought back memories from Tar's childhood, foraging and hunting in woods like these. She scanned around as she flew, taking in the edge of the forest and the mountains in the background. It was good to be home; she could've warbled with delight had it not risked attracting attention. Tar's feet sank into the mud with a satisfying squelch. Thankfully as her armour had been crafted on Brissekh, her shoes came with small retractable studs to keep her steady on this kind of unstable ground. The Commando raised her carbine and fanned out, securing the perimeter as rain hammered the clearing and trickled into the cracks of her breastplate. Once Vael gave the order to mount up, Tar moved quickly to the lead Spectre, stowed her carbine and hopped into the driver's seat. The front hull closed in around her legs, leaving just her head and upper body exposed. She activated the vehicle, and it floated into a ready position. "The fog could get worse. Stay close." Tar grunted, checking her instruments. She wasn't as familiar with driving Spectres as she was with Phantoms and Banshees, but most of the principles were similar.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko The descent to the planet could only accommodate so much meditation. Yalu found himself ruminating too much to glean any more benefit to his mind and body. He opted to bring himself back to the present around him and joined in conversation with his team mates. He grew quiet when they were near the ground. The grav lift hatch opened to blast them with cool humidity. Yalu almost spat at how thick the air was. This place, the plant life and the atmosphere, it could be as potentially disorienting to the team as it would their enemy. The notion of the keep guards' home ground advantage sank in as deep as his toes into the mud. Maybe bringing along 'Mdalak would be more a benefit than he had estimated. "Mounting up," Yalu obeyed, hoisting himself up and dropping into the cockpit of the next Spectre vehicle. He deposited his needle rifle in a suspension holster beside the controls and powered up the sleek grav craft like a swift morning routine. It hummed to life and raised a foot above the mud. "Do not get too comfortable," Yalu warned. "They might have your Promethean optics too. Do your best to spot them first."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael took the driver's seat of one of the spectres himself. It was going to be a long drive, so he wanted to be sure that each one was taken by an experienced driver. He did not want any delays in getting to their objective ,if they could be avoided. Although, he did still decide to defer to Tar to lead their convoy. Being a local, she had more intimate knowledge of the environment and terrain, especially surrounding the keep. He believed it would be wise to take advantage of her experience. "Check your maps. Our objective is located on a plateau in the mountains near the keep. Once we come close enough, we will proceed on foot up the mountain. We will establish the communications jammer for the Human construct to use to cut off the cannon's guards from the keep. Should we be detected, we must ensure there are no survivors to report our presence." Vael explained as he prompted Tar to take the lead. --- Although they had to move through a forest, the spectres were maneuverable enough that the team started out making good time. Once they came to a small river they could follow, they were even able to press on at full boost for over ten minutes straight. Naturally, the closer they came, the more cautious they would need to be. However, before the cannon's defenders could even begin to be a problem, there was another obstacle manifesting around them. The rainstorm surrounding them did not subside. Far from it, the storm grew ever stronger as time passed. Heavy rain turned into a torrential downpour, deafening thunder followed cracks of lightning every few seconds, and winds picked up to the point that the rain was falling near horizontally. The storm was strong enough that the spectres started to tilt in the wind. Vael had to turn his vehicle into the wind at an angle just to keep going straight, which only added to the issue of poor visibility. Vael could just barely make out the glow of the gravity propulsion drive of the spectre ahead of him. For those on the turrets, and especially the side passengers, it would be a struggle just to hang on.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar growled and turned around when she heard Vael cut through the vines. The rest of the team were framed in the dark by the cave opening behind them. Sheets of rain gyrated in the air, buffeted by howling wind. The noise from outside was deafening, but Tar still heard a gentle puff from nearby. "The spores released if you cut are toxic, and might grow one of these inside of you." As her eyes adjusted to the gloom and the fog cleared for a moment, Tar realised this cave was familiar to her. The vines and overgrowth was new, but the way the treeline of the basin below failed to hide a mountain range far in the distance - jagged basalt peaks with sloping plateaus. That was ingrained in her memory. "I have been here before, as a child!" Tar failed to completely suppress her excitement, despite the danger they were now in. "I think this cave winds up the mountain, to a high ridge. If we want to make progress without the spectre, we could take that route. It will probably mean killing the Tengmaa bulb though - not a task I take lightly. We'll need explosives and fire." Tar noticed a bit more movement in the boughs, and imagined just how much chaos they could cause if this plant realised it was under attack. The end of a thin vine tickled along the top of her foot, and she carefully but firmly lifted her leg to step on it.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- At first, Vael stepped back as far as he could from the vines, more towards the middle of the cave entrance. They needed a safe place to wait out the storm, or at least, that was what he assumed at first. When Tar mentioned that the cave could contain an alternative path up the mountain, however, that was enough for him to pause in thought. This being may have been a plant, but it seemed to be just as much of a predator. Going into the very heart of its lair felt like willingly walking into the maw of a helioskrill. But, the team was well-equipped, and they had numbers to be able to support one another. There were few simple creatures in the galaxy that could withstand the power of superior technology. "If there is a path through this cave, then we need not wait for the storm to subside. In fact, the storm can provide cover for our sabotage, if we can move quickly enough." Vael remarked. He stepped forward towards the front of the team, the blue glow of his sword illuminating some of the darkness ahead of them. The cave was narrower past the entrance, but the walls and floor were still just as thick with vines. Some seemed to hug tightly to the surface of the stone, while others were actually embedded into grooves in the stone itself. "If there are toxins, then we cannot afford anyone to be injured. If someone is grabbed, be ready to assist quickly."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Glancing back outside, Ryker mentally kicks himself for not bringing a shotgun and puts the butt of his DMR to his shoulder before reconsidering and stowing the rifle in favor of his pistol, which would work better in the cramped corridor of the cave. "We still need a way to deal with this Tengmaa to move forward though right? The Spook makes a point, anyone bring a flamethrower or some kind of fire weapon?" Infiltrator Comi'Masam Comi kept the glow of her sword focused on the vines around her feet, stomping on a smaller one that was trying to be sneaky about moving to wrap around her ankle before glancing at Ryker. He and the ONI agent both made good points, they could not safely cut through the tengmaa with their energy blades if there were toxins involved, especially as many of the team did not have sealed helmets, if any helmet, on them. "Perhaps we can manipulate the tengmaa to move itself? Though Commando Tar'Mdalak is the most knowledgeable in this situation."</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko "I prefer fire," Yalu said. As he retrieved his weapons and dismounted his spectre, he kept his scattershot up to his shoulder. His other hand held up a plasma grenade. "Plasma may induce fire. Lacking firebombs of our own, perhaps our demolitions specialist can turn this into all the fire we need." Yalu followed along with his weapon faced as safely as he could. It could save their life in an emergency, but there was a higher risk of deadly ricochet in his cave. Better to use a wristblade if possible.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Waiting in a cave Grik watched and listened to the others talk about their new obstacle. A semi sentient plant was strange but he has also fought against a parasite that threatened the entire galaxy at one point. It seemed like everyone was a bit hesitant but Tar was certain that she had been in this area before and new of a shortcut that went through the cave system and possibly out to a good flanking position. At least carrying around your own methane supply meant that environmental hazards in the air were less likely to affect you. The Unggoy approached a section of vine that held a flower, to him it almost looked like it could absorb nutrients through this. Being fully aware that the others had already warned not to get to close he decided to be cautious about approaching it. He did have an idea after all even if it was a bad one. Pulling one of the small tubes of rations he had and slowly opened it. It was similar to the food nipple in covenant instillations but improved. More sugars and sweeteners were added with the help of the human cuisine. It essentially was a full days' worth of nutrients in a tube at least for a grunt. Grik had befriended several alien creatures before during down time on alien planets. It was hit and miss but sometimes it would be fun to do this. He was unsure of the result for this experiment with the knife in one hand ready to cut himself free Grik used the other one to pour the food stuff into the flower. If this didn't help he would always be able to just use small portions of his explosives to burn their way through but he wouldn't be an ultra if he wasn't able to think outside the box and know that force wasn't always the best option.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak "This plant isn't going anywhere - they nest for life." Tar responded to the new Infiltrator while Vael shuffled past her towards the front. She looked back towards the cave entrance, trying to remember what the interior layout was like. Nothing came to mind though, except the striking view of outside. Tar cursed herself for not paying more attention. Then, Tar noticed their team's Unggoy Ultra crouching down facing the wall. Lights from his suit illuminated a cluster of pinkness. "Grik, get away from the flowers!" She growled, taking a step back toward him. She stopped though, when a salvo of soft pops and poofs sounded up and down the tunnel. Pfff Tssssss Pfff Tsssss This was accompanied by an almost indistinguishable rustling from further into the darkness. Tar breathed in, and almost immediately detected a much stronger sweet smell in the air. She thought it seemed quite delicious, like some delicacy from her childhood. The rustling died down, replaced by a soft rumble that shook the cave very slightly. A pungent wave of treacly air wafted past them and out of the cave. As if to say 'there is more inside!'. Tar looked around her, and noticed that the pink flowers which dotted the vines were oozing an amber nectar, intensifying the saccharine odor. "It wants to eat us now. Good work, Grikgar." She muttered, turning back to Vael. "I can't say this is a good idea. Maybe even the opposite." Remembering what she'd been told about this ancient predator, Tar looked back at the entrance again. The Tengmaa wouldn't seal it off, unless it sensed that their group was making a concerted effort to leave. Prey that didn't feel trapped until it was too late was more likely to investigate further into the cave, which reduced the subsequent effort on the plant's part. "We could still leave, if we went slowly, one at a time, perhaps." Tar cautioned.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Ryker doesn't notice the smell thanks to the filters in his helmet, but does hear Tar's comment Grikgar and sighs quietly, shaking his head. "That storm is still raging and we can't get to the target in time if we leave them here. Like it or not, we're going to be stuck in this cave one way or another." Pulling a flashlight out, he turns it on and shines it down into the darkness of the cave. " Looking around, he tries to find a section of the cave that wasn't covered in the Tengmaa's tentacle-like vines, but he couldn't see anything, and he wasn't overly eager to venture any deeper than he had to. "That all said, I'm OK with facing winds over murder plant any day." Infiltrator Comi'Masam The sudden scent of one of her favorite childhood dishes filling the cave almost immediately put the Infiltrator on edge and she rests her other hand on her plasma pistol in response to the plant's attempt to lure them in. "I have decided that I greatly dislike this plant. I will follow whatever our commander decides however."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael grunted as he glanced back towards the entrance of the cave. The storm still raged outside, and showed no signs of weakening. "We do not know how long this storm will last. If we can reach our objective through this cave, then it is where we must go. I will lead. Tar and Ryker, move behind me. Grikgar, Roy, Elna, and Flint move in the middle of us. Everyone else guard the rear. Have your blades ready to cleave any vines should they attack. We have the weapons to destroy this plant if need be." He ordered definitively. As they moved deeper into the cave, light from the outside became more and more dim, though the low-light vision provided by Vael's HUD was more than sufficient to allow him to keep leading without issue, not to mention the bright blue glow of his energy sword. Eventually, the relatively narrow passage opened up into a much larger chamber. The small stream on which they had been walking flowed down into a basin, filled with water, surrounding the massive Tengmaa bulb. That sweet smell in the air had only grown stronger the deeper they went, but now that they were in the main chamber, one could finally see that the scent was a mask as well as a lure. In the basin surrounding the bulb were a large collection of carcasses in varying states of decay, though not rotting exactly. Something about the water seemed to be preventing the normal stages of decay, though the animals caught within did seem to be dissolving over time. At first, the movement around them was subtle, and easy to miss if one was not attentive. Thorny vines moved towards their feet from below all around, looking to puncture their skin enough to apply its toxin.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: heart of the beast Grik held his fire for what seemed like an eternity. The vines were thrashing more and more and Tar was still within the blast radius of the fuel rod. He knew he couldn't fire prematurely that would cause serious damage to Tar and the others but how much longer could they hold back the ever approaching vines. Hearing a cacophony of noises behind him made him glance back only to see a wall of vines surging towards them. The sight of it reminded him of his encounters with the Parasite. That was a creature that he very much wished never to encounter again. It seemed the plant was trying its best to get rid of something that was stuck in its throat as it continued to thrash and lash out. That's when he saw it loose its grip on tar as she was pulled back up. Grik didn't need to hear the order to fire. The moment they were out of the blast radius he squeezed off two rounds with mere seconds in between each shot to make sure they wouldn't collide. If they found its mark at the middle and top of the bulb he was sure it would kill it. However, his comrades were still a bit close and may be hit with at least some of the heat from the explosive.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- The damage that the fuel rod gun caused was immediate and pronounced. The sheer intensity of the heat was enough to penetrate deep into the bulb. The vines again reacted, but this time it did not seem to be a coordinated defensive response. Rather, they moved and spasmed seemingly at random for a few seconds. As the bulb served as the being's "mind", damaging it was like damaging an animal's brain. Those who had been constricted by them would find it as an opening to act. Vael and Ryker had only just managed to pull Tar from beyond the blast radius. Even still, Vael's shields flared from the heat. However, this was an opening on which they had to act. Grik had created an opening to the creature's core, so as soon as Vael could get up off the ground, he took aim with his plasma rifle and fired straight into the wound at the top of the bulb. The plasma could now hit straight to the core of the bulb where it was vulnerable, causing yet more random thrashing among its vines.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko The helmet Yalu wore picked up the ensuing sounds. Some parts of him were constricted tighter, some slackened, including his left hand holding onto the middle of his scattershot. The weapon was still stuck fast. He let go and tugged at the vines keeping his right arm pressed against his chest and wriggled it free. He ignited his wrist blade, grabbed at the vines holding his head and shoulders, and sliced them off in one draw. Finally, he fell free and found himself swinging upside-down from vines closer to the ceiling. The situation he took in was self explanatory. Catching his breath, he reached over his shoulder and found a grip on his needle rifle. He drew it and aimed forward. "Good hit, Grikgar! Our turn now..." Yalu said. The sight flipped up -- towards the ground from Yalu's perspective. The bulb lit up in the crosshair. He pulled the trigger as rapidly as he could. He did not need precision as much as enough blamite crystals in close enough proximity within the creature's new wound.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker The heat from the explosion caused the SPARTAN-IV's shields to flair, but it wasn't enough to break them fortunately even as he fell backwards from the sudden lack of resistance from the plant as Tar rejoined them on the platform. Standing up quickly, Ryker pulls his DMR free of it's place on his back and fired on the now exposed weakness of the Tengmaa. "Burn in hell, you crazy, carnivorous freak of motherfucking plant life." He fired most of his clip into the thing before stopping, taking a moment to see if the hail of fire had the desired effect as he quickly swapped out the clip, six rounds still in it for later. Infiltrator Comi'Masam The moment the explosions were done, Comi drew her plasma pistol once more and fired into the bulb with the rest of her new team, stopping her barrage just in time to allow the weapon to cool down before she resumed firing another burst. She would repeat this until the order to stop firing came from Vael. Her energy sword remained active and she would use it to lance out at and slice any vines that got too close down, though with the wounds inflicted to the bulb made their efforts weaker and less concentrated.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern The suggestion that Spartan Aviza had made about using the M379 charge against the massive Tengmaa bulb apparently went unnoticed among the squad, since there was no comment made about it in the slightest. The charge would have been quite dangerous to use but even more so effective against the hostile force that was trying to turn them into it's next source of nutrients. Instead, they focused upon cutting down vines that got to close to them and attempting to do any sort of damage. Thankfully, Aviza had decided to stay back from the edge of the pit that lead to the heart of the carnivorous plant, using her SRS99-S7 AM Sniper Rifle to fire upon the vines in the distance. If they managed to get close enough, she would then switch to either her underslung shotgun upon her MA5B Assault Rifle or Energy Sword to cut through them. A few of the vines had managed to end up getting a bit to close for comfort, drawing her attention away from what was happening at the pit to make sure she did not end up with a barb somewhere soft on her armor. The sound of her underslung shotgun firing off flechette shells echoed through the chamber as they tore through the vines with great ease. What did bring her concentration back to the center of the chamber was hearing from Vael that Tar had been caught by a few of the vines. Aviza swiftly moved to the edge of the pit, but kept herself at a safe enough distance to not be grabbed and dragged in afterwards. Without saying a word, Aviza took a half knee stance and aimed the cross hair of her SRS99-S7 AM Sniper Rifle at the vines below, firing off a few rounds that would hopefully do massive damage to the vines. The thought of tossing Tar her Energy Sword came to mind but that might end horribly, instead she kept aim, firing at what she could. This continued untill Grikgar fired off a few rounds from his Fuel Rod cannon at the Tengmaa bulb, giving them their chance to put it down for good. The intense heat from the explosions going off caused Aviza to shield her eyes for a few second, moving backwards in case Grik fired again. Lowering her arm to look at what remained, she noticed that they now had the chance to do some damage. Instead of firing immediately, Aviza took her M379 charge and tossed it down into the pit where it landed safely. It would not go off untill she detonated it, and she was going to make damn sure everyone was outside of the cave before she did so. For now, she returned to firing off high caliber explosive rounds at the massive Tengmaa bulb. As she did so, she checked her teams coms and spoke, "Does anyone need any medical attention? I can tend to injuries immediately." Aviza would then reach out to Shih, "Two things, I would like full medical diagnostics on the team and then I would like an update on the storm outside please and thank you."</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak A Tengmaa bulb's hide was tough for a reason - all of the plant's digestive and nervous capacity was contained within that control centre. However, the plant's evolutionary pathway evidently hadn't prepared for a barrage of radiation, explosives and bullets. So when the bulb's vulnerable innards were exposed under the water and promptly cut to shreds, the Tengmaa quickly lost control of its numerous appendages. The first to go limp were the half dozen thick trunks which stretched all the way out into the sunlight, gradually tapering at the end. Next were the serpentine manipular vines coating every surface of the cave interior. Then, with nothing left to distract the invaders, the throbbing cilia inside the pool trap promptly died. And with that, the Tengmaa bulb unmoored from the position it had held over the cave's onward descent for decades. First came a sickly snapping noise as the struts supporting it detached. Then, with a sound like a giant toilet flushing, it disappeared into the large hole on which it had previously been sitting. This was how it had filtered waste water out of the chamber to stop it flooding before. The water rushed over the rocks, disappearing down the waste chute after the bulb. The chamber was filled with this roaring sound for a while. This new opening also helped disperse some of the toxic particles from the room, though Tar still choked uncontrollably as she struggled to her feet and surveyed the area. Water was pouring in from the opening above their head and another gap along the wall from them (the other cave opening, most likely). It wasn't enough to refill the bowl below them though, so it quickly emptied until just a few carcasses lodged in place remained. Fanning her mandibles with one hand, Tar got up, walked to the edge and wordlessly jumped down into the barren bowl. Her energy sword's pommel had fortunately gotten stuck in a crevice and hadn't washed away, so she carefully picked it up. Looking up toward the ceiling and coughing lightly, Tar returned her lost sword to its mount on her back, with the other one. She pointed upward, to the feeble shaft of light shining down on her from above. "I see the way up the mountain! I remember now - it is an invigorating climb."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai UNSC AI SHI 1203-8 and Vael 'Virisusai --- Aviza would hear Shih's response in her head right away. "I'm not getting any major alerts on anyone's vitals. Nothing worth mentioning. As for the storm, though, the mountain we're under is blocking most of the useful data from our sensors. Best I can tell you is probably the same thing you can hear from that opening up there: it is still going strong." Even after the bulb made its apparent retreat, Vael stood on guard for a few moments. He continued pointing his plasma rifle down the pit, watching for any signs of movement. It was only once Tar called their attention to the way out that Vael moved his gaze elsewhere. "And it will be a dangerous climb. It is steep to start, and the rain from the storm will only make it more difficult." Vael walked up towards the wall, looking up at the exit above. "But this approach shall allow us to reach our objective undetected. Tar, Ryker, and I will climb first. Grik and the Humans will go next." He said, referring to the unaugmented Humans among them. "The rest of you will watch for any more attacks from this beast, then climb up behind us."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai UNSC AI SHI 1203-8 and Vael 'Virisusai --- Aviza would hear Shih's response in her head right away. "I'm not getting any major alerts on anyone's vitals. Nothing worth mentioning. As for the storm, though, the mountain we're under is blocking most of the useful data from our sensors. Best I can tell you is probably the same thing you can hear from that opening up there: it is still going strong." Even after the bulb made its apparent retreat, Vael stood on guard for a few moments. He continued pointing his plasma rifle down the pit, watching for any signs of movement. It was only once Tar called their attention to the way out that Vael moved his gaze elsewhere. "And it will be a dangerous climb. It is steep to start, and the rain from the storm will only make it more difficult." Vael walked up towards the wall, looking up at the exit above. "But this approach shall allow us to reach our objective undetected. Tar, Ryker, and I will climb first. Grik and the Humans will go next." He said, referring to the unaugmented Humans among them. "The rest of you will watch for any more attacks from this beast, then climb up behind us."</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko After the death flurry of the Tengmaa plant jostled Yalu free, he secured his weapons and shot up to his feet. He breathed a sigh. He was glad to kick off the initial anticipation of danger on a piece of flora. And it looked from a quick glance that everyone had come out of the situation in one piece. Yalu reloaded, narrowing his eye at his dwindling scattershot charges. "Yes, commander," Yalu said. "I wonder if any of those bodies in the pit were once our enemies."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael gave a glance down to the pit, but did not take much time at all to dwell on it. "The dead matter no longer. Keep our focus on the mission ahead. The cannons still lie above us." Even for beings as agile as Sangheili or Spartans, the climb was not an easy one. While there were vines and some jagged rocks on the cliff to provide handholds, the stream flowing down from above made the climb precarious. Especially with the storm outside, there were few paths outside the path of the waterfall. Nevertheless, Vael did not intend to hesitate in pressing forward. Since Tar had been here before, he allowed her to take the lead and followed her path up, while the others kept an eye out for any signs of activity from the Tengmaa. While it was not a quick climb, the first three up made steady progress to the top. Along the way, Vael used an energy dagger to make small cuts in the rock to mark his path for those behind him. Hopefully, it would make the task at least somewhat easier for his allies. After he, Ryker, and Tar made it to the top, Vael ordered the rest of the Humans to follow suit. It would be a more difficult task for the unaugmented Humans like Roy or Flint, but Vael had Aviza climb near them to give assistance if need be. Grik would have a harder time than the Spartans, but the oversized forearms of Unggoy did make them rather strong climbers. At the end of the climb, making it to the top was ultimately not much of a relief, given that the storm was still raging at near the same strength as it had been when they found the cave. The terrain around them was rocky and uneven, the rain made it hard to see in much detail beyond a few meters, and the winds made it a challenge just to move around properly. Even just to communicate, they were dependent on their radios. "Even in this storm, it should not take long to reach the cannon, and it will serve to mask our approach. It is vital that the Keep not learn of our presence, so we must either not be seen, or leave no survivors."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker All Lucas could think of as they made their way up the slope to the outside world again was that this was incredibly reminiscent of more than one mission he took for ONI back in the war. Not that he was surprised, they were presently on what was more or less a black ops mission. Though from his conversations with ODST and marine vets, the overall feel of this was more common for standard UNSC missions than they want to admit, especially for the Hell Jumpers. Once they reached the top though, his DMR was on his shoulder, watching the cliff edges above them the best he could in the still raging storm. When there was mention of making sure the Keep didn't know about them, Ryker grinned. "You have at least two members of Aegis trained in assassination and covert obstacle removal here. Once we can see the cannons, give myself and Infiltrator 'Masam a few minutes and we can do both." Infiltrator Comi'Masam Following behind the commander, Ryker and the Commando as ordered, Comi came out just in time to hear what Lucas said and nodded. "Aye, we could do it, though if there are more of us that are trained in the skillset Infiltrators use, then the more the merrier. Honestly, this storm is good enough cover, our sniper equipped allies could remover any guards higher up and leave us to clear out the lower area without concern."</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu was the last to make it to the summit. The rain-covered surfaces did no one any favours, let alone himself. It felt like training. Just without the elder elites climbing after you to pull you off the climbing surface. He pulled himself up onto solid ground and shook his arms out. "Last man," Yalu mentioned to prompt the team that no one was left clinging onto the cliff. A pattern could be sensed in the radio chatter, Yalu noticed. They were thinking too far ahead for practical measures. He took out his needle rifle to peer down the optic at their surroundings. Good cover indeed. "Ryker, has a Promethean Vision module." Yalu gestured to him with his elbow. "Seems we have that as an edge. For now, it is time to move in silence." Yalu secured his needle rifle -- turning off the optic and bringing the needles back into the body of the weapon to shut off any bright lights on his person.</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan & PO3. Ray Younan The fight with the plant beast had been short and unremorseful, Elna was the first fire towards the bulb as the split-jaws were kidnapped one by one but thankfully, due to the fuel rod that had been fired the fight in the beast had been weakened. Ray let out a sigh of relief, the two seemed to have gone through their ammo in defending their team against the tentacles of new and old. It was exhausting to say the least. "God I already hate this planet." Elna murmured, the voice barely carrying as the combat had just finished. They had not even reached the objective yet and the team was just getting bogged down, first a storm now the plants. It's almost as if the planet worked against them. Ray reloaded his rifle, opting to keep quiet as the big wigs decided their course of fate. It appeared that everyone had came out of that encounter, unscathed. A change in pace. The climb, however, was a sure change of pace for the two. The challenge looked daunting for Ray as he looked up in disbelief before Elna woke him up with a tap on the helmet. The pair made practically said their last rites as the Sanghelli ordered them up, Ray was to take the lead for the two as he climbed in the front, so to say. "Desk job they said - hah!" He said aloud almost tempting fate for himself. Elna grunted, following closely behind her goose egg. The prevention of his death, merely another job for the ONI SecFo. Upon reaching the top, Ray seemed exhausted from the climb with Elna closely behind. The end game had begun.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar had always loved climbing, so pursued the dim light at the top of the Tengmaa's chamber with vigour. Brissekh was packed full of cliff faces to scale, and in a way she could remember the routes up and down them better than her way around the frigid woodland. It was the excitement of knowing a shortcut which stuck in her head, Tar supposed. The rock face here was shrouded in vines, but the Commando quickly figured out a way up, spotting hand and foot holds which jogged distant memories of this place before it became a death trap. The fresh water streaming in from above was cold and refreshing after the warm, smelly interior. The sound gradually built to a crescendo of howling winds and rain at the top, perfectly masking the sound of Tar hauling herself up. As soon as she was away from the hole, she crouched down and drew her Carbine. The spikes on her feet scraped against the craggy ridge. Visibility was shockingly bad, but Tar knew that could all change in a moment if the wind changed direction. "If they have any sense, they will be inside until the storm passes - we should move quickly. We do not want to be up here if the wind speed increases."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael heeded the advice of the others. A sudden shift in the storm could easily worsen their situation, so they needed to act quickly. "Come, follow quickly. There are some rocks closer, at the base of the ridge, we may use for cover." He ordered. Visibility was particularly terrible, but a combination of sensors and multiple perspectives from the team did reveal some about the area ahead as they moved down the ridge. Obviously, the most prominent feature was the anti-air cannon itself. The weapon was massive, as it had to be powerful enough to be able to damage capital ships. Given the rough, uneven terrain of the mountains, it was placed on a large, artificial platform. They could also make out multiple structures on the platform as well, in which most of the guards were likely taking shelter from the storm. If, for any reason, they ended up alerting the enemy, it was from there that they would need to expect reinforcements. Currently, there were only a few hostiles out patrolling on the platform. All seemed to be Unggoy that were unlucky enough to be burdened with the duty in the storm, and even they were trying to take cover as best as they could against the winds. The storm certainly would impact their perception, but unfortunately, it also meant that they would be more alert than they might have otherwise been, if only for the fact that they could not sleep if they wanted to. The winds and rain would severely limit the effectiveness of active camouflage, so it would not be effortless to walk past them unseen. There were only a sparse few objects surrounding the cannon at the moment. Anything not secured to the platform had likely been moved inside before the storm. For the most part, it was an open, flat area. "We must decide how to sabotage the weapon. Anything we do cannot be detected before it is time for the attack on the Keep. Your…engineer can do this, yes?" Vael said, glancing down to Flint. "Or we can simply plant a powerful enough remote explosive, if we can place it somewhere it will not be seen."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar had always loved climbing, so pursued the dim light at the top of the Tengmaa's chamber with vigour. Brissekh was packed full of cliff faces to scale, and in a way she could remember the routes up and down them better than her way around the frigid woodland. It was the excitement of knowing a shortcut which stuck in her head, Tar supposed. The rock face here was shrouded in vines, but the Commando quickly figured out a way up, spotting hand and foot holds which jogged distant memories of this place before it became a death trap. The fresh water streaming in from above was cold and refreshing after the warm, smelly interior. The sound gradually built to a crescendo of howling winds and rain at the top, perfectly masking the sound of Tar hauling herself up. As soon as she was away from the hole, she crouched down and drew her Carbine. The spikes on her feet scraped against the craggy ridge. Visibility was shockingly bad, but Tar knew that could all change in a moment if the wind changed direction. "If they have any sense, they will be inside until the storm passes - we should move quickly. We do not want to be up here if the wind speed increases."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael heeded the advice of the others. A sudden shift in the storm could easily worsen their situation, so they needed to act quickly. "Come, follow quickly. There are some rocks closer, at the base of the ridge, we may use for cover." He ordered. Visibility was particularly terrible, but a combination of sensors and multiple perspectives from the team did reveal some about the area ahead as they moved down the ridge. Obviously, the most prominent feature was the anti-air cannon itself. The weapon was massive, as it had to be powerful enough to be able to damage capital ships. Given the rough, uneven terrain of the mountains, it was placed on a large, artificial platform. They could also make out multiple structures on the platform as well, in which most of the guards were likely taking shelter from the storm. If, for any reason, they ended up alerting the enemy, it was from there that they would need to expect reinforcements. Currently, there were only a few hostiles out patrolling on the platform. All seemed to be Unggoy that were unlucky enough to be burdened with the duty in the storm, and even they were trying to take cover as best as they could against the winds. The storm certainly would impact their perception, but unfortunately, it also meant that they would be more alert than they might have otherwise been, if only for the fact that they could not sleep if they wanted to. The winds and rain would severely limit the effectiveness of active camouflage, so it would not be effortless to walk past them unseen. There were only a sparse few objects surrounding the cannon at the moment. Anything not secured to the platform had likely been moved inside before the storm. For the most part, it was an open, flat area. "We must decide how to sabotage the weapon. Anything we do cannot be detected before it is time for the attack on the Keep. Your…engineer can do this, yes?" Vael said, glancing down to Flint. "Or we can simply plant a powerful enough remote explosive, if we can place it somewhere it will not be seen."</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: the climb The climb up out of the cave and to the top of the ridge was difficult even for him. His species had natural enhancements that helped them climb but even climbing up this he could feel his methane tank catching the gusts of wind with its bulk and pulling him off balance occasionally. When finally at the top he made sure to stay low with a hand running along the stone next to him so he had something to grab on to if he was caught in another gust. At least now that they were getting closer they could see their massive objective a bit closer now. Speaking his opinion over comms as they continued their approach, "If we are not concerned about keeping the gun mostly intact to use after this engagement. Grik believes he has enough explosives combined with the remaining magazines for his gun to destroy the platform supports or its foundations to topple the gun." He couldn't tell if the platform had supports but it was likely given the terrain being uneven. Even the subtle erosion from fresh drilling and stormy weather could assist with this plan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Shih and Vael 'Virisusai --- It took only an instant from the others' perspectives, but Shih ran as thorough of an analysis as she could on the practicality of sabotaging the platform from below. The others hardly had time to consider the suggestion before she started giving her report. "The storm is giving too much interference to my sensors for me to give a definitive answer. Whether or not an explosion of that yield could sufficiently destabilize the platform would depend on how well it is anchored. It is possible, and would certainly deal significant damage to the platform in any case, but it is possible that the cannon may remain operational." "So we could not simply place an explosive and leave. We would need to remain to ensure the cannon is disabled, and to kill any survivors." Vael remarked. "Yes, and I can jam their communications if it comes to that. As long as you leave no survivors, the Keep will not be alerted." Shih added. It seemed they did have options. Attempting stealth could allow them to silently achieve their objective without a firefight, but it was risky. Discovery would place their infiltrators in an exposed position, and they would have to fight the enemy at full strength. Opening with an explosive, even if it did not destroy the platform entirely, would still likely kill some, and disorient the rest. But, they would be guaranteed to have to fight here. "Spartan Ryker, your Forerunner sensors would make you the best suited to try to silently get close. Active camouflage will be useless in this storm, and the platform has little cover. I am not convinced that a silent approach would be best here; Grikgar's plan may be more likely to work. But, I would hear your assessment first. Vael requested. Compared to any other Human, Ryker would know best what Vael was asking for here. Unlike many other Sangheili, Vael cared little for pride when it came to strategy. He wanted to know, objectively, if Ryker believed his infiltration in this situation would be more likely to succeed than the alternative.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Recognizing what it was that Commander Vael was asking of him, Lucas sighed quietly and looked up towards the cannon, swapping modules over to the Promethean Vision and seeing what he could see, which was more than he would have admittedly given it credit for, as only heat signatures seemed to register, but even with that...We'd still need to get up the rock face, get Grikgar and his explosives in place... His brain continued to go over the details of what they would have to do in either situation and, while it couldn't do it as fast as Shih could, still came to a conclusion fairly quickly. "They're both uncertain and come with unique dangers and challenges. Mine comes from the fact that I'll be alone, Grik's has a chance of just not working like we need. So speaking objectively...I have to say stealth over chance. I've been in and out of plenty of Covenant installations, even before I was a Spartan. This? Nothing new. My concern is we know these guys are allied with the Prometheans, won't they have access to the Promethean tech as well?"</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko "We put the gun on a sudden lean, everything tips over," Yalu thought out loud. He held out his rifle horizontally in both hands, looking at it as he tilted the barrel end down. "What remains on the higher end, with their feet set to EVA combat, may fire stably down upon a stricken foe which wants for cover. A victory as swift as gravity." The suggestion had holes, Yalu knew. He was jogging tactical considerations as much as hoping such an approach might allow for a survivor or two, albeit alone in the jungle.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak While listening to the others discuss options, Tar sniffed the air and looked around. A tingle ran all the way down her arms and into her chest, taking cues from atmospheric pressure. Thinking back to when she was last here, Tar finally understood what was coming. "A rolling bank approaches… I say we use speed over stealth; take those buildings to shelter if it passes over." She scraped a couple of steps forward and looked through her carbine's scope just as the rapidly darkening sky suddenly lit up like daylight for a split-second. Tar studied the platform, looking for any signs they had been spotted. After a few seconds, a deafening boom washed over the mountainside they were on. The sky lit up again, and Tar growled. "We're exposed - whatever we do, we have to do it quickly!" The Commando looked over at the squad leader.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael heard and considered the advice of the members of his team. They all had their own expertise, and he could benefit from making use of it. Still, though they had a few options, a decision still needed to be made, especially when there was no clear "best" choice. "We cannot carry out our ambush and attempt stealth. An infiltrator would be in range of the explosives, if discovered. An ambush is the safer course. Most of their warriors will likely be in those structures on the east side of the platform. There are no guards underneath the platform, so Grikgar, you should be able to plant the charges on the supports underneath them." Pausing a moment, Vael started designating positions on the team's collective HUDs. "As Yalu suggests, we shall take positions on what will become the high ground. This ridgeline here will give a strong position for most of us. Aviza, Ryker, Yalu, take a position on the western ridge to create a crossfire. When the charges detonate, the Unggoy outside will most likely panic, so they will not be our priority. We will instead focus our fire on the exits to the structures to cut down the rest as they try to reach safety."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- As the charge was planted, Vael took up a position prone, obscuring himself as best as he could on the edge of the ridge. He braced his carbine between two rocks and set his sights through his scope on one of the doorways. There were just a few chokepoints that the enemy would be funneled through once the fighting started, so they would want to maximize the damage they could deal in that time. The detonation sounded out like thunder, though the roar of the storm still overtook it. After a moment, the whole platform in front of them started to list to one side, but Vael adjusted his aim to keep it trained on the doorway. The moment he saw movement, he opened fire. The green glow of the projectile lit up the area around it in the rain, though it cut through the air in the blink of an eye. The first one hit was an Unggoy trying to rush out the door. The carbine shot pierced his torso armor, followed by another, and another. Plasma and bullets joined in pelting the doorways. Unggoy that tried running outside at first were cut down in the doorways or shortly outside, but the better-shielded Kig-Yar and Sangheili could make it farther. The team on the closer ridge could not keep the doors suppressed indefinitely as they started to need to reload or let their weapons cool, but the marksman team on the other ridge would find the targets scattering across the platform had been softened.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Having set up just behind one of the few rocks actually sticking up on the ridge, Ryker set his shoulder against the back of it along with resting his DMR against the side, aiming at the doorway he could see. The others had all set up with their own lines of sight for the crossfire, so as soon as their resident demolitionist blew the charge, they'd begin. As he waited for Grikgar's confirmation and the boom, time seemed to slow down for the SPARTAN-IV, even as the Unggoy's verbal confirmation came in. This was a key mission, he would help here to shut down the turret, kill it's crew and then follow up with oversight to find out if he was to remain with the team or move on the Zealot that had been mentioned in Sydney during the briefing. However, as the bomb went off and the tower listed, he focused back in on the mission. The first enemy Unggoy out was dropped by someone on the other side, and soon he could see Sangheili and Kigyar running out as well. Noting one of the Sangheili with weakened shields, his silenced DMR fired, the muzzle flashing once as the round pierced shield and brain at the same time. The next muzzle flash dropped one of the Kigyar as it turned to fire on a carbine wielder on Aegis. This proceeded methodically, his muzzle never flashing more than once per target. However, they could only fire from the ridgeline for so long and eventually he radioed Vael. {Permission to move into close range combat, Commander? This will only work for so much longer.}</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Two big booms! The path the unggoy ultra had chosen to keep him unnoticed was a bit more treacherous than he originally thought. Clinging to the stone walls and cliffs edge during a raging storm was the most fun he was having so far yet his main motivation other than completing the mission was knowing that his goblin was waiting for him with the hot drop of heavy weapons. That knowledge alone was enough for him to quicken his pace while he crawled hugging close to the stone and towards the platform. Grik moved quickly under the platform and quickly looked around the pillars when something caught his attention. A small patrol of three Unggoy moving slowly under the structure, "why are we here?" one of the two orange-colored grunts spoke with an anxious tone. "Because yap-yap ate to much from the food nipple again." The other orange grunt retorted quickly. "At least I don't fall asleep on watch Blip." The red colored unggoy among them spoke with an irritated tone that made the other two shut up as the slowly made there way through and around the support pillars. Grikgar knew he couldn't sneak around them forever and he needed to complete this quickly. Silently he moved from pillar to pillar until he was right behind the red grunt, ODST knife in hand. Plunging the knife into the back of the grunts neck and quickly with drawling it to lunge at the next closest squad mate who didn't seem to be able to react in time as Grikgar buried his knife in its skull. The surprise and hesitation from the third were all he needed to tackle him and swiftly break his neck in a choke hold. Grikgar remained still and quiet for a few moments before quickly carrying on with his objective and retrieving his knife. Picking up a small piece of scrap metal from the ground and climbing up to the base of one of the exterior pillars. Grik knew where he was in relation to the rest of the structures and placed the magazine where the platform and pillar met angling it towards the intersection of the two, then he glued it in place with the adhesive of the first plasma charge he had. He did this again on another pillar a bit farther in towards the other side of the structure he knew was above him but outside of the blast zone of the first explosive. using the thick chunk of metal, ammo, and plasma charge with this one facing it straight up instead of into the pillar with the chunk of metal against the platform and the other two layered beneath it. Quickly the grunt slid down the pillar and to the opposite side of the platform from the others stopping only for a moment to pick up two more plasma pistols and a couple grenades off the dead grunts before continuing to sprint to cover up the hill with a bit of a height advantage over the platform below. Grikgar blinked his indicator light green twice to signal the others that he would detonate the first explosive in 10 seconds. The reason he went to so much trouble to set up and layer the explosives like he did was to create a shaped charge that would sling a piece of super-heated metal through the structure along with the explosive. 4… 3… 2… 1… BOOM! A blinding light and deafening explosion for him but it was enough to shift the structure slightly. Then the dazed and disorientated defenders would wander into a kill zone. His allies were making good work of the situation, Grikgar stayed hidden but watched with glee as the defenders began to rally themselves into cover and began to put up a fight. By what he could tell at least some of the defenders began taking up positions near where he had placed the second explosive. That is what you did after all, one explosive to scatter and send your prey into a choke point or central area then detonate the second explosive for maximum effect. Sending a message to the rest of the team, {"Hold for secondary explosive."} The glee in his voice was nearly unprofessional but he did not disappoint, setting off the secondary explosive and hopping his shaped charge idea would help to cut a hole in the platform and scattering the defenders once more.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu was less precise than his squadmates opening fire. The grunts were easy pickings. The elites and jackals might actually triangulate them. Yalu peered through his scope looking for Kig-Yar holding long weapons. They got a needle to their shooting hand, or their jaws. Disabled as they were, it would only add to the confusion. Sangheili caught a burst of needles until their shields flared. The light made them easy pickings for their marksmen. Time came to reload. Yalu rolled from his prone position behind a shrub on his back, took a couple of plasma grenades, and tossed them over to the enemy in a high arc. The reload came after, timed to spot the enemy by the time they decided to move away from the explosives. Wouldn't be long before it was time to assault the platform itself.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael, in this case, did not pay as much attention to Grikgar's attitude as he did the plan itself. The Unggoy, it seemed, had taken some of his own initiative. Vael kept firing, and kept up pressure, until his carbine's magazine was empty. Without missing a beat, he drew the plasma rifle and continued to lay down suppressive fire over the area until the detonation finally came. The secondary explosive was a shaped charge, intended to cut through the platform from below. It was more limited in area of effect than an explosive on the platform would have been, but it had been placed well. Evidently, Grikgar had observed the area and correctly guessed where many of those on the platform would flee to. The blast tore through the platform, killing some Kig-Yar and a few Sangheili immediately, while sending out a shockwave that knocked several others around them off their feet. From where he was, Vael could see several shields flare, and a few break, around the explosion. Hostiles had stopped coming out from inside the structure, so there were likely few remaining inside. The explosion had created some cover on the platform, by virtue of the warped metal plating from the floor, but it had also created an opportunity. Many of the remaining hostile Sangheili now had weakened or depleted shielding, though that advantage would not last long, if they were allowed to recover. Vael ejected the magazine from his carbine and slotted in a new one in one quick motion. "The enemy is weakened, push the advantage!" He ordered before jumping down onto the platform below. Given that he had to go below the platform to plant his charges, Grikgar was separated from the rest of the team. It would take some time to climb back up to the others, but in the wake of the explosion, there was something else he may have spotted out of the corner of his eye. Movement in the rain, and a silhouette just at the base of the hill. It was a Sangheili, currently in active camouflage, who must have dropped down from the platform above in the chaos, and now had his sights on Grikgar.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Overall, the enemy did not have a great many of its number remaining, and especially few that had not been weakened by the damage dealt so far. Their ambush had been both quick and efficient in its execution, and now Aegis team was pushing its advantage aggressively to make sure none of the enemy would be able to regroup and recover. The Sangheili fighting with Ryker did everything he could to give himself any advantage he could scrape together. He positioned himself to place Ryker between himself and the Spartan's allies so they could not easily give him supporting fire. After kicking away the container, he was quick to dash forward and grab the arm he had blocked to try and force Ryker into a grapple. Physically, the Sangheili could approximately match the Spartan for strength, and he seemed intent on trying to keep this fight hand-to-hand. With his free hand, the Sangheili went for Ryker's helmet in an attempt to rip it off of his head. Between the autosentry and Yalu, he had quickly eliminated one of the few remaining Sangheili warriors, though the sentry quickly acquired new targets. A pair of Kig-Yar were sprinting for the edge of the platform, and they were near to reaching it. While it was quite a drop to the ground below, the light, agile Kig-Yar could handle the fall, and they were fast enough on their feet that they could reasonably escape. The autosentry's shots hit the shield of one of the Kig-Yar, which started to glow more and more brightly red. However, it could block enough shots to give the pair a chance to react. Both held their shields towards Yalu, holding their needlers up above them to fire in his direction while still running towards the edge. Needlers did not need to be fired particularly accurately, and a pair of them could be a deadly threat to even a Sangheili caught in the open.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker This wasn't Ryker's first time fighting a Sangheili, though doing so since becoming a Spartan had certainly gotten easier with their strength advantage gone. As the Sangheili grabbed his arm, he leaned back hard, pulling the enemy combatant off balance and towards him, messing up the lunge for his helmet. Letting momentum do the job, he emptied the remaining rounds from his pistol into the Sangheili's shielding before pulling his arm free and rolling away, trying to get space to get up on his feet. Spinning in place once he'd finished his roll, he reloaded swiftly and fired again, hopefully, catching the larger enemy off guard. Infiltrator Comi'Masam Meanwhile, Comi clashed multiple times with the enemy infiltrator, their blades sparking and hissing as they met. The male Spec Ops member was certainly stronger, but Comi had learned how to fight smarter and every time he tried to force a contest of strength over skill, she would deflect his attacks away and counter with a thrust or slash. The pair were well-versed in fighting with the sword as could be seen by those watching but the enemy was growing impatient with the lack of his almost immediate victory over her. As such, he overextended during one exchange and attempted to force her to block with her own blade against his overhead slash. He crowed triumphantly when her seemingly undefended arm when up instead. The shout of victory quickly turned to one of confusion and panic when a hardlight shield stopped the blow and, despite everything, Infiltrator 'Masam smiled. "Och lad, so close too." Pushing his weapon away, she quickly stepped forwards and plunged her blade up to the hilt in his chest before pulling it free. Dashing to cover as plasma bolts started coming her way, she drew her pistol and once more fired controlled bursts back at her attackers.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu snapped his aim around to the Kig-Yar. The distinct whistle of needlers firing prompted him to take only one shot. He went for the weakened Kig-Yar's hand. His own needle round ricocheted off the edge of the shield and into the clouds -- off-target by an inch. He would have cursed if his life was not in immediate danger. Staying still or moving forward or back would overload his shield and blow a hole in his chest. He dropped into a sprint lateral to the advancing jackals instead, leaving his autosentry to take the homing needles. As he ran around the edge of the platform, his the incline helped his speed but lost him his height advantage. "Two Kig-Yar running! Centre!" Yalu barked between breaths in his helmet comms. He jumped to a stop behind an external support nearer to the middle of the platform and let the remaining pink needles whizz by. He looked around and spotted a dead grunt holding onto a plasma pistol. Now he cursed to himself. There was not much he could do on his own to stop the Kig-Yar. It would be down to his team mates now. A tumult drew Yalu's attention up to Ryker rolling away from another sangheili. Yalu dropped his rifle and rolled forward, grabbing the plasma pistol as he went, and knelt with the pistol overcharged and pointing towards the enemy warrior. He let it loose to break the assailant's shield, or else give him a burn that would get Ryker out of trouble.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar lit up the Hunter Killer's shield in the dark with two shots from her carbine. Then she turned her gun sideways and chucked it forward. Her assailant paused on the top step for half a second, raising one arm to deflect the heavy object whipping toward him through the rain. He was taller than Tar, but not by much. He didn't have much mass on her either, but he was astonishingly fast. Seizing her chance while her opponent was distracted, Tar lunged forward and trapped his sword hand under her left armpit. The dual-tips buzzed behind her ear, her shields activated and the smell of singed metal assaulted her senses. Pushing with all her might, Tar shoved the Hunter Killer up against one side of the door frame he'd just emerged from. Sheets of water poured over them from above. The male looked straight in her face from a few inches away and hissed. "So it is you." His left fist smashed into the side of her helmet, blurring Tar's vision and toppling them both over. While in free fall, the black-clad Hunter Killer jerked his sword free of Tar's armpit. She crashed onto her back and her assailant leapt on top to pin her. She punched him meatily in the neck as his free hand pushed her chest down. Then she saw him raise his sword and plunge it towards her neck. Raising her left hand on instinct, Tar caught the handle between the sword's two deadly spikes. White-hot pain exploded on either side of her hand as the energy bit into her flesh. She roared. The Hunter Killer leaned into his attack, pressing the blade closer to her head. "Deserting your…Keep, for that PATHETIC…excuse of a Kaidon." He spat, growling as his weapon slowly came into contact with Tar's armour plating. Tar scrabbled frantically for her right thigh holster, her other arm still holding back the sword. But the Sangheili straddling her had his knee in the way of her Mauler. So she groped her arm out manically around her, searching for anything to use. Despite the carnage and imminent danger all around him, the Hunter Killer appeared to be relishing this moment. He leaned in even more. "Such a shame you're…too late to save…your brother!" Tar growled, activating comms while he spoke. "Urgent target on my IFF." She whispered as quietly as she could. She wasn't about to let him escape.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael had rushed in alongside the others to capitalize on the discord they had sewn among their enemy. Though, he was not concerned with anything except the efficient destruction of their foe. With his carbine in-hand, he targeted the most vulnerable among them first to thin their numbers the most quickly. Unggoy or Sangheili with damaged shields would fall within just a few shots. The fewer the number of their enemy, the less they would be capable of returning fire. The moment he heard Yalu's callout, Vael trained his aim towards the fleeing Kig-Yar. They had clear parameters for success in this ambush: none of their enemy could escape. The Human AI was jamming their communications and could prevent the keep from learning from this attack in that manner, but if any of them escaped, that could open the possibility of a warning reaching the Keep. Vael quickly took a plasma grenade in hand and threw it towards the edge of the platform, ahead of the jackals. They both had ample time to react, but Vael did not expect it to kill them. He just needed it to stall them. The jackal closest to the grenade tried to leap to the side, though wet metal platform did not give him the best grip. He slipped, lost his footing, and ended up sliding a short distance across the platform. He did manage to slide out of the range of the grenade's detonation, but without his shield in the way, he was completely exposed. Two carbine shots cut through his torso, and he did not get up from there. The second jackal had managed to stop short and stay on his feet. With his shield directed towards Vael, he unleashed a full magazine of his needler towards him. Even Vael's shields could not withstand a supercombine, but he did not panic. He knew just how needlers behaved. Rather than run away, Vael dashed towards the jackal and rolled diagonally to the side. Some of the needles still struck Vael's shield, but most could not turn sharply enough to keep up. By the time Vael was on his feet again, the jackal had emptied the needler's magazine. Vael had the time to line up a careful shot through the shield's cutout to strike his hand. The jackal staggered back, shifting the shield just enough to allow Vael to put a second shot through his head. Tar's call for assistance, however, was more difficult to handle than a few Kig-Yar. At a glance, he could see that the shields of the Sangheili pinning her were still up, and it would take too many shots from his carbine to break them in time. He was too distant from her for his blade to be of any use…at least, not in his own hands. Vael took one of his energy swords in hand, but did not activate it. For the briefest moment, he judged the distance between them and eyed the rain so he could see the wind. This would need to be a good throw. "Tar, on your right!" Vael replied as he threw his sword to her. He threw it on a flat arc close to the ground to try to reduce the impact of the wind, letting it slide across the floor until it came to a sudden stop striking Tar in the side.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Under the platform The fire fight was raging above clearly the second explosion through the enemy into chaos but it sounded like they were still putting up a fight. The sounds of the battle above were muted below the platform the vibrations from grenades and the creaking of the platform itself as it strained to keep its stability under the new load of broken support beams was definitely more noticeable near the bottom of the platform. The others fighting up above did little to settle the grunts heart with his game of cat and mouse. He was being stalked by a shadow, wasn't the first time but he did not have the weapons like he did last time. A quick mental check left him with 1 grenade, 3 shots in his plasma cannon, half a plasma pistol charge, and his knife. It wasn't great but he could work with it. Grik had been able to best a sangheili or two in training bouts before and he knew how the majority of them fought. He had taken cover behind a rock for a moment listening to subtle sounds and noises waiting for the Elite to make a mistake. He heard for a moment what sounded like rocks moving from a foot step. Tossing his grenade into the vicinity but purposely short of where he heard the noise from the other side of the rock. Diving toward the platform for more cover and activating his own camouflage once he was behind the blue glow of dissipating plasma. Slowly and quietly Grikgar would find the nearest pillar or support structure he could and climb it to get the high ground. Hopefully turning this game of cat and mouse around on the elite and be able to assist the others above.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker The Sangheili had managed to avoid the bulk of Ryker's second volley, only taking a couple of rounds in his armored shoulder, but the bolt of plasma from Yalu caught him completely offguard and impacted his head, causing the body to simply flop over to one side. Lucas signaled his thanks to his Sangheili ally before catching a Kig-yar trying to slip past him and slamming it into the floor before putting a bullet in its brain. Infiltrator Comi'Masam Using her hardlight shield, Comi had already pushed further into the remainder of the enemy lines, her pistol finding its mark as it put down several grunts and exposed a pair of Kig-yar mercenaries to her allies fire. However, as she fought, she noticed that their own Unggoy was nowhere to yet be seen and decided to bring it up to their commander over the comms. "Commander, Grikgar hasn't joined us yet. Should we be concerned?"</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- The Sangheili stalking Grik had little trouble avoiding the grenade's detonation, but it did disrupt him momentarily from being able to track the Unggoy's movements. Still, there was no hesitation from the Elite to rush forward after his prey. His camouflage faded as he ran through the dissipating plasma, but he soon stopped in his tracks. He growled when he found that his target had slipped away. When he had started tracking Grik, he had seen only a Grunt. An easy kill on the way to more dangerous foes. For Grik to be able to evade him caught him off guard. He had not approached with any cover in mind, so he was currently in the open, his eyes scanning around for Grik. When he spotted a shimmer, he quickly opened fire in its direction with his plasma rifle. --- On the platform, Aegis team's aggressive attack had broken the enemy's defense. Between their snipers still on the ridge and those that had advanced to the platform, the major threats had been eliminated. Most of what remained were fleeing Unggoy, though for the success of their mission, there could be no mercy for any of them. "Stay focused. Kill the last of them quickly." Vael ordered, though he was still quick to try to contact their Unggoy squadmate. "Grikgar, what is your status?"</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu's lungs emptied at the sight of his target slumping as instantly dead as it did. If not for the rest of the commotion, he might have frozen. Vael's voice over the comms brought him back to the action. He retrieved his needle rifle, aimed down at the fleeing grunts, and helped to pick them off. Tar's shouting made him glance to see what was going on. Yalu's kill, all the slaughter of the grunts with their backs turned, and then Tar's shouting, all combined to bring out a sudden irritation in him. "'Mdalak! Get up! Focus!" He felt his ears ring with how loud he shouted into his helmet. He felt an immediate pang of anxiety at his outburst. He shook himself out of it and headed for the nearest door to the platform. "Pushing ahead," he declared with a more moderated voice. "Cannot see any more targets outside. The rest will be barricading by now." He did not move out of sight yet, waiting for Grikgar's sitrep.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Being shook about proved to be too much while impaled by a sword. The Hunter Killer let out one last ragged breath, then his eyes closed and the struggling stopped. Gusts of wind drove sheets of rain across Tar's back and the dead Sangheili under her. Purple Lightning crackled all around the weapons platform as the stormfront rolled over. The black clouds sucked all other light out of the sky. The sound of her teammates in her ears died away to just a dull echo. Tar pulled the sword out of her opponent's side and changing position, sawed through his neck. Yanking on his helmet, she tore the Hunter Killer's head from his shoulders. Clambering to her feet, Tar took a short run up and threw the head as hard as she could off the side of the platform. There was no stopping the wave of pent up rage now. She turned her head to the obsidian clouds, puffed out her chest and let out a bloodcurdling roar, talons grasping thin air out to either side of her body.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- There was no immediate response from Grikgar, so with the platform cleared, Vael rushed to the edge to try to get a line of sight on the ground below. He had heard the sound of plasma fire echoing up from below, so he took aim down beneath him as soon as he reached the edge. However, by the time he arrived, he found no target to shoot. He spotted Grik climbing up the side of the ridge, leaving behind a dead Sangheili beneath him. Vael joined soon in storming the barracks, though there ended up being no one left inside for them to fight. Once they had started their attack, all of the warriors garrisoned inside had joined the fight. After they confirmed that the barracks were clear, that marked the last objective they needed to complete while they were here. The cannon was too damaged to be used, and there was no one left alive to report back to the keep. As long as the Human AI's communication jamming had been successful, then they now had a window to begin their attack on the keep. "The area has been cleared. Have we sustained injuries?" Vael asked succinctly.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker "All good here, boss. Should send the all clear to the fleet to let them know the objective's complete." Ryker approached Yalu and offered him his hand for a handshake. "Thanks for the save, Major. Was a little too close for comfort there." Infiltrator Comi'Masam "I'm unharmed, Commander. Securing any hidey holes that we might have missed."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai In the aftermath of the battle, the cannon was left sufficiently destroyed for their purposes. Certainly, it could not fire in its present condition, and while it could be sabotaged further, there was always the possibility that it could be repaired when the Keep was retaken. Shih was confident that she had been able to jam any attempt at communications during the attack, so the way had been cleared for the assault on the Keep. Following Tar's guidance, they took an alternative path back down the mountain to their vehicles. While it would have been unusable during the storm, the worst of it had already passed. All that remained was comparatively light rain. Even on spectres, it took hours to get to a safe distance, but they were eventually able to extract back to the ship. --- Vael spoke little to the others in the time before the assault was set to begin, apart from what was necessary. He did spend some time going over the plan for the assault itself. In short, their one and only goal for their attack was to reach the Kaidon himself. There was enough support for the Swords of Sanghelios among the Keep's population, but they were honor-bound to follow their Kaidon. If he could be deposed and Tar claim the position of Scion, that would grant the citizens an excuse to stand down that would still satisfy their honor. Perhaps there might still be some Covenant zealots that would oppose them, but the battle would essentially be over as soon as the Kaidon fell, so as long as Tar survived. For that reason, their plan was to make a powerful, direct push straight to the Keep itself. They would cut through anything in their way, but they aimed not to fight any more than necessary. The less damage they did and the fewer casualties they inflicted, the stronger the city would be as an ally. Certainly, the plan was risky. If they did not properly secure and defend the territory they captured, then they opened themselves up to be surrounded once they were in the Keep. Should their plan fail and they were unable to depose the Kaidon, they could end up being trapped. Standing before a wraith in the hangar, Vael observed as a pair of technicians gave it a last check before the battle, as others were with the rest of their vehicles. It would be more than Aegis team participating in this assault, but as Aegis was the spearhead, they had the full choice of how they wanted to proceed in the attack. They would have the choice of Human vehicles that had been brought aboard the Blockade Runner, or of its own stock of vehicles. Any class, from light to heavy armor, was available if they chose.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Being shook about proved to be too much while impaled by a sword. The Hunter Killer let out one last ragged breath, then his eyes closed and the struggling stopped. Gusts of wind drove sheets of rain across Tar's back and the dead Sangheili under her. Purple Lightning crackled all around the weapons platform as the stormfront rolled over. The black clouds sucked all other light out of the sky. The sound of her teammates in her ears died away to just a dull echo. Tar pulled the sword out of her opponent's side and changing position, sawed through his neck. Yanking on his helmet, she tore the Hunter Killer's head from his shoulders. Clambering to her feet, Tar took a short run up and threw the head as hard as she could off the side of the platform. There was no stopping the wave of pent up rage now. She turned her head to the obsidian clouds, puffed out her chest and let out a bloodcurdling roar, talons grasping thin air out to either side of her body.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- There was no immediate response from Grikgar, so with the platform cleared, Vael rushed to the edge to try to get a line of sight on the ground below. He had heard the sound of plasma fire echoing up from below, so he took aim down beneath him as soon as he reached the edge. However, by the time he arrived, he found no target to shoot. He spotted Grik climbing up the side of the ridge, leaving behind a dead Sangheili beneath him. Vael joined soon in storming the barracks, though there ended up being no one left inside for them to fight. Once they had started their attack, all of the warriors garrisoned inside had joined the fight. After they confirmed that the barracks were clear, that marked the last objective they needed to complete while they were here. The cannon was too damaged to be used, and there was no one left alive to report back to the keep. As long as the Human AI's communication jamming had been successful, then they now had a window to begin their attack on the keep. "The area has been cleared. Have we sustained injuries?" Vael asked succinctly.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker "All good here, boss. Should send the all clear to the fleet to let them know the objective's complete." Ryker approached Yalu and offered him his hand for a handshake. "Thanks for the save, Major. Was a little too close for comfort there." Infiltrator Comi'Masam "I'm unharmed, Commander. Securing any hidey holes that we might have missed."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- In the aftermath of the battle, the cannon was left sufficiently destroyed for their purposes. Certainly, it could not fire in its present condition, and while it could be sabotaged further, there was always the possibility that it could be repaired when the Keep was retaken. Shih was confident that she had been able to jam any attempt at communications during the attack, so the way had been cleared for the assault on the Keep. Following Tar's guidance, they took an alternative path back down the mountain to their vehicles. While it would have been unusable during the storm, the worst of it had already passed. All that remained was comparatively light rain. Even on spectres, it took hours to get to a safe distance, but they were eventually able to extract back to the ship. --- Vael spoke little to the others in the time before the assault was set to begin, apart from what was necessary. He did spend some time going over the plan for the assault itself. In short, their one and only goal for their attack was to reach the Kaidon himself. There was enough support for the Swords of Sanghelios among the Keep's population, but they were honor-bound to follow their Kaidon. If he could be deposed and Tar claim the position of Scion, that would grant the citizens an excuse to stand down that would still satisfy their honor. Perhaps there might still be some Covenant zealots that would oppose them, but the battle would essentially be over as soon as the Kaidon fell, so as long as Tar survived. For that reason, their plan was to make a powerful, direct push straight to the Keep itself. They would cut through anything in their way, but they aimed not to fight any more than necessary. The less damage they did and the fewer casualties they inflicted, the stronger the city would be as an ally. Certainly, the plan was risky. If they did not properly secure and defend the territory they captured, then they opened themselves up to be surrounded once they were in the Keep. Should their plan fail and they were unable to depose the Kaidon, they could end up being trapped. Standing before a wraith in the hangar, Vael observed as a pair of technicians gave it a last check before the battle, as others were with the rest of their vehicles. It would be more than Aegis team participating in this assault, but as Aegis was the spearhead, they had the full choice of how they wanted to proceed in the attack. They would have the choice of Human vehicles that had been brought aboard the Blockade Runner, or of its own stock of vehicles. Any class, from light to heavy armor, was available if they chose.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Lucas was already in the hangar on the other end, speaking with several engineers about the use of one of the needler hogs in the assault on the Keep and one of them continued to argue. "You're going to need heavy firepower to breach those defenses and while the Needlehog is great against infantry, you're looking at, bear minimum, gun emplacements, heavy anti-vehicle, maybe even Hunters. I'm sorry, Spartan, but it just doesn't make sense." Ryker sighed as he rubbed his temple and met the man's eyes. "And all of that is going to be screened by infantry and while the traditional .50 caliber rounds are great for general use, the quicker we can cleave through that infantry. We've all seen how effective supercombines are against soft targets." The implication of what he meant was enough to make the engineer who had been arguing with him shut up, which gave the other, a woman who looked ready to strangle her fellow, the chance to speak. "We can prep one for ya, Spartan, but only the one. The others will be needed elsewhere." Infiltrator Comi'Masam Comi was in the armory, prepping for the assault and what they could run into. Despite her usual preference for a plasma pistol, she had traded it for the higher fire rate of a plasma rifle, which would work better for the assault ahead of them.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar wrenched off her breastplate and perched on a large crate to receive medical attention. A diminutive male in physician's garb leaned in to inspect the cauterised puncture marks on her chest. "Internal bleeding is common with sword wounds, but fortunately yours are only shallow. Do you feel any weakness, numbness or tingling?" "I feel well." Tar growled. The adrenaline of their fight for the cannon had worn off in the hours afterwards, and a dull ache had settled in. Her head was full of images of the Hunter Killer's snarling jaw and the sword searing through her armour. "Any changes to your hearing or vision? Any pain in your head?" The physician asked, carefully anointing the cauterised divots with bio foam. "Only from your incessant talking - bandage me up now. I need to prepare for the assault." Tar was looking past the doctor, searching for someone. "Armourer!" She called out, raising one hand. A white-clad giant turned off to one side, looked at Tar then mentioned for his apprentice to run over. Tar noticed the youth when he stopped reverently before her. "Take my breastplate - see if you can patch the holes." She pointed towards her discarded armour on the floor.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Ryker got a chilly response from Yalu once they dusted themselves off. "Do not speak of it," he spat before moving on without reciprocating the handshake. Yalu did not make clear whether he was distracted or intentionally curt. It seemed like both. Yalu kept his helmet on and his communications austere for the clean up and the ride back to base. --- Yalu had composed himself enough with the task of rearming for the assault on the keep. He was no stranger to such places, and as such rearmed his scattershot and needle rifle. However, if they were going in heavy, he knew exactly what to ask for to assist their surgical strike. He approached Ryker's vehicle with large rectangular ordnance cases in each hand while the spartan was seeing through its inspections. One after the other, he lifted them onto the brackets behind the main gun. "I have come to seek pardon for my earlier tone," he proclaimed, before unlatching both cases to reveal a spartan laser and a rocket launcher. "I will be taking a Banshee in during the initial approach. You will need fire support."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Now that they were back on the Blockade Runner, there was not much time left to wait. The ship was invisible to sensors, but unlike some other capital ships, it did not possess active camouflage. While mostly irrelevant in space, once they came near enough to the Keep, they would be spotted by anyone who looked up. They had just disabled the only weapon in range that could destroy the ship quickly, but the city still had other anti-air defenses. The Blockade Runner would only have time to get in, blast open the outer walls, then deploy their strike force before it would have to fall back out of range. Aside from some light close air support, this would have to be a quick, decisive armored assault. Finally, a ship-wide alert sounded and the crew started rushing to battle stations. They were closing in on the Keep. Vael had re-equipped himself for the battle ahead. He changed his armor equipment, swapping active camouflage for a jetpack. With the verticality of urban combat, the mobility could be life-saving. He kept his plasma rifle and swords, as usual, but exchanged his carbine for a plasma caster. Similar to a concussion rifle, its explosive firepower would be useful against both vehicles and entrenched infantry positions. Human and Sangheili both were taking part in this assault. Swords of Sanghelios warriors were quicker to react to the alert, but once they had their orders from their officers, the Human marines were quick to rush to their vehicles. Scorpions and wraiths would comprise the core of their armored column, supported by warthogs, ghosts, spectres, and banshees above. "To your vehicles!" Vael ordered as he jumped up onto a wraith and climbed into its turret.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Through the glowing, translucent energy shield separating the hangar from the outside, the strike force could see the chaos start to unfold. Their Blockade Runner came in quick and low over the mountains, much to the surprise of the Keep's defenders who saw the warship suddenly approaching over the horizon. At the speed their ship could move, they hardly had time to raise the alarm before the vessel was upon them. With a well-defined plan to follow, the ship's crew carried it out quickly and efficiently. Immediately, the Blockade Runner fired a pair of plasma torpedoes at the city's outer walls, blasting a sizable hole in the city's defenses near to the planned drop zone. Anti-aircraft emplacements within the city opened fire to start pounding the ship's shields. It was at that point when the defenders were likely marking the ship for the nearest heavy cannon to eliminate, only to find it in no condition to fire, and its garrison unresponsive. There were other, similar cannons situated in other positions around the city, but at the ship's current altitude and position, only the one they had sabotaged would have had a shot. Even still, their shields could only handle ground fire from the city for so long, so this insertion would need to be quick. Being that the Blockade Runner was not specialized for ground assault, it had no grav lift for quick deployment, so they would have to settle for phantom drops. Aegis team's respective vehicles were already locked in place to the phantoms above them via their grav lifts, so once the hangar's shield dropped, they were among the first out the door. The first wave of phantoms exited on the side of the ship opposite to the keep so the Blockade Runner's shields could help protect them from the anti-aircraft fire. They were positioned directly above the drop zone, so it hardly took more than a few seconds for them to get to ground. Heavy armor, like scorpions, were dropped in the front, with wraiths behind. Lighter vehicles, like ghosts and warthogs, were initially dropped behind the heavy armor, though they were agile vehicles that could easily reposition as needed to support the main armor column. Shadow troop transports carried the majority of their infantry support and would move behind the armor at least until they were inside the walls. Banshees from both sides were being deployed for close air support. For now, the Blockade Runner's point defense could help fight off opposing aircraft, but it would not be staying for too long. The city had been caught off guard, as evidenced by the lack of defenses outside the walls. No doubt, the garrison was already deploying to meet them, but right now they had a chance to get to a better position before they faced resistance. Right now, the only incoming fire on the ground was coming from four rapid-fire plasma turrets positioned on the top of the walls. They were still at long range, so the incoming fire was mostly inaccurate, though they would become more dangerous the closer they came. They were completely in the open at the moment, so priority was to get to the breach before the enemy could respond, but it may have been wise to put some attention on the turrets along the way.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak "Good luck, Spartan." Tar called to Aviza over the rising din as Phantoms hovered into position over their armour. The ride down to the surface of Brissekh from the Blockade Runner was extremely loud and nausea-inducing, like being dropped from a great height. Rain battered their dropship's canopy and poured down the sides onto Tar's Wraith. Battle chatter burbled in her ears from the closest teams; her pilot was staying quiet for now. For a few seconds, she could only stare out at the city she knew so well and feel a mix of nostalgia and fear. While a relatively young settlement at just over two hundred years, the Keep occupied a commanding position over the valley they were deploying into. Three concentric rings of fortifications had been carved out of the black rock, each higher than the last, until the top of the Kaidon's migdol poked out like a mountain peak in itself. Tar wondered if her little brother was watching from a high window at the army which had just arrived. As soon as they touched down, Tar fired her turret at one of the defending guns closest the breach the Blockade Runner had made. "Move forward!" She grunted to the pilot, and they began advancing.</s> <\|message\|>Comi'Masam Spartan Lucas Ryker and Infiltrator Comi'Masam The moment the needlehog hit the ground, Lucas slammed the gas pedal down to the floor, the lighter vehicle racing ahead of the heavier and slower Scorpion and Wraith tanks as he got the marine and Comi lines of sight on the defensive emplacements that were firing on the landing zone. "Light them up, Corporal!" The marine, using a DMR, was already picking targets from around the gun emplacements as Comi'Masam spun up the needle cannon, rapidly sending needle spikes sailing into all the soft targets that were exposed along the wall and near it. {Spartan Ryker here, I'm heading the light armor group in a needlehog. Aside from those turrets, anyone see other priority soft targets for us?}</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Armored Assault on a Shadow Grikgar was happy to be out of the situation with the elite, it was always stressful going up against them but normally he could use the weak and cowardly stereotypes of his people to his advantage against most enemies. He was quite thankful of his team while they prepped for the next assault on the keep. Rearming was easy what took time was running the final diagnostics on the goblin to make sure it was ready to go without too many issues. This would be the first 'official' use of the grunt mech and he was going to make sure that nothing was going to jam. The weapons were ready and the shielding seemed good to go, Grik was sure to check everything twice while eating a ration, especially with the current model being new. The others seemed to be going through their own ways of mental preparation for the assault. His only issue he could see so far was just getting in close enough to the wall in the first place. Getting a lift from one of the troop transports or just going in for the hot drop from a phantom from up high were what seemed to be his choices so far. They both had their pros and con's but for what they were looking at he decided to stick with the armored column so he doesn't get picked off for lack of cover. So after his system checks were completed and the orders were starting to be given out Grik powered up his mech and linked up with the lead Shadow and found a spot to latch onto its aft half to provide fire support during the advance. His spot had a great view while they were being airlifted into position, enemy flak already opening up on them but panic was sure to follow for the enemy once they realized their big gun was off line. The mech began to fire on anything that came into range of either his needle cannon or grenade launcher but mostly just tried to block or dodge incoming fire the best he could. Armored assaults were his favorite advance, so many explosions and pretty colors.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Sitting inside of a vehicle such as the Theseus Command Mantis during a tactile insertion was always an intense experience, and one that Aviza had begun to enjoy over the last decade or so. This time around though, was slightly different due to the fact that they were being dropped from Phantoms instead of Pelicans. Still, Aviza had strapped herself in a bit more securely just in case the ride would be more turbulent or something else went wrong along the way. "All safety procedures passed, all systems are green, now we get to wait for the fun to begin." said Aziva as she leaned forward slightly and flipped a switch on the control panel in front of her. A gentle electronic hum followed before the interior screens came to life, giving the Spartan a clear view of everything out-front of her as if the reinforced platting on the outside of the vehicle was made out of glass. A few moments would pass in relative silence within the Theseus Command Mantis before Aviza not only felt the Phantom touch off but also saw the rapid deployment with her own eyes. The steep approach and high speed they were taking with the Phantoms brought a smile across the Spartans face as they approached their drop off point. With the sudden feeling of freefalling that only lasted what felt like a few seconds, the Mantis gracefully made contact with solid ground. "Over already? I was just starting to enjoy myself, makes me want to fly again." thought Aviza, though Shihi quickly responded, "I am sure you will get more chances to experience that again, or perhaps even fly something in the near future. For now though, you should focus on the objectives at hand." Using the connection from the Theseus Command Mantis to her armor, Aviza quickly turned her attention to one of the fortified positions and fired off a round from the Theseus Command Mantis's M149 Recoilless Rifle. The force from the weapon firing could be felt even from within the cockpit of the vehicle, as well as creating a could of smoke that quickly faded away due to the rain and moisture.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai The armored column had to move quickly to take advantage of the surprise they still had over their enemy. The open ground outside the walls would have made for a strong defensive position, had the city's garrison been able to see the attack coming. The plasma turrets alone atop the walls were far from sufficient to stop, or even slow down an armored assault. At the moment, they were able to push forward at max speed to close the gap to the city walls. Weapons fire from the mantis and scorpions at long range could tear apart the plasma turrets long before they could do meaningful damage to the vehicles. The plasma turrets were intended for anti-infantry or anti-aircraft roles, while other defenses would normally handle heavy vehicles. The push to the wall had been simple, with little resistance, but now that they were approaching the opening their ship had made, they were about to be stepping into much more danger. While the breach was not small, two scorpions side-by-side would only barely squeeze through. For their entire column, it was going to be a choke point. They caught a few glimpses of infantry through the opening, but machine gun fire from the scorpions forced them back into hiding. No doubt, they were scrambling to establish a defensive position inside. At the moment, the team could not know how many anti-tank weapons were already in position inside. The defenders would be scrambling to deploy them to the breach, but it had been less than a minute since landing. If they were lucky, they would be able to get a foothold inside before the enemy could arm themselves to deal with them, but the longer they took, the more the enemy would be able to fortify. "Shadows, stay back until we have a foothold inside. Everyone else, push forward!" Vael ordered. They were going to be pushing into an urban environment. The city did have streets wide enough to accommodate their vehicles, but it was still going to be far more cramped than the field they were in now. For armored units, urban fighting could be particularly dangerous, so they would need to be adaptable and alert for threats that could come from any angle. They did not know exactly what the other side of the breach looked like or where the enemy was positioned on the other side. There was only so much planning that could be done ahead of time; at a certain point, they had to adapt and improvise. How they decided to cross the choke point would be important to improve their odds.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- The armored column had to move quickly to take advantage of the surprise they still had over their enemy. The open ground outside the walls would have made for a strong defensive position, had the city's garrison been able to see the attack coming. The plasma turrets alone atop the walls were far from sufficient to stop, or even slow down an armored assault. At the moment, they were able to push forward at max speed to close the gap to the city walls. Weapons fire from the mantis and scorpions at long range could tear apart the plasma turrets long before they could do meaningful damage to the vehicles. The plasma turrets were intended for anti-infantry or anti-aircraft roles, while other defenses would normally handle heavy vehicles. The push to the wall had been simple, with little resistance, but now that they were approaching the opening their ship had made, they were about to be stepping into much more danger. While the breach was not small, two scorpions side-by-side would only barely squeeze through. For their entire column, it was going to be a choke point. They caught a few glimpses of infantry through the opening, but machine gun fire from the scorpions forced them back into hiding. No doubt, they were scrambling to establish a defensive position inside. At the moment, the team could not know how many anti-tank weapons were already in position inside. The defenders would be scrambling to deploy them to the breach, but it had been less than a minute since landing. If they were lucky, they would be able to get a foothold inside before the enemy could arm themselves to deal with them, but the longer they took, the more the enemy would be able to fortify. "Shadows, stay back until we have a foothold inside. Everyone else, push forward!" Vael ordered. They were going to be pushing into an urban environment. The city did have streets wide enough to accommodate their vehicles, but it was still going to be far more cramped than the field they were in now. For armored units, urban fighting could be particularly dangerous, so they would need to be adaptable and alert for threats that could come from any angle. They did not know exactly what the other side of the breach looked like or where the enemy was positioned on the other side. There was only so much planning that could be done ahead of time; at a certain point, they had to adapt and improvise. How they decided to cross the choke point would be important to improve their odds.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker and Infiltrator Comi'Masam Leading a group of warthogs and a couple of other needlehogs, Ryker and Comi were already inside the breach, lighting up any infantry that they could see. However, once they were inside the walls, the needlehogs were in a very different situation, as their munitions were worthless against the walls and heavier protections offered by the urban environment. The warthogs equipped with standard armaments would have the penetration to clear out walls without having to risk their crews, but Ryker and the other needlehogs were going to have to hope they could catch the defenders between positions as they raced through the streets. {Light armor group is inside the walls and doing what we can to push back the city defenders. What's the plan for securing the buildings as we move? Needlehogs are good against infantry, but not much else.} Comi, meanwhile, was lighting up every Unggoy, Kig-yar, and Sangheili that exposed themselves long enough to take more than a couple of needles, keeping any of them holding anti-tank weaponry from getting an actual shot on both the Warthogs and the approaching scorpions and wraiths.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak As the breach was so small, a traffic jam inevitably ensued as the heavier armour filtered through into the city. Soldiers on the walls began firing small arms and chucking grenades down onto the vehicles beneath. Tar's Wraith hung back slightly and pounded the walls with blue balls of plasma. She tilted her plasma repeater as far up as it would go and sprayed the parapets, forcing some of the Sangheili there to take cover. Her shield flared as a carbine bolt pinged off the Wraith and into her face. "Clear the gap, move!" Tar yelled, ducking back down as far as she could go into her cockpit area as her gun overheated.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko With a hollow wheeze from its engine, Yalu swung his banshee around toward the walls. The close air support on his wings could fly over relative safety with all the anti air turrets on the walls blasted off their mounts, but the weather left visibility to be desired. Yalu's voice hummed quietly over the comms from the shelter of the prone cockpit. "We have the skies. Mark urgent targets for the hornets and banshees. We will be shooting down their aircraft as they come." Yalu did his friends a favour in the spare moment to do a strafing run on a parallel street to the wall to keep anti-armour teams pinned. The street lit up with rapid fire plasma bolts. No small arms fire did more than scratch at this distance. It was all he could do before enemy air support came onto the radar. He pulled up and boosted into the rain to gain altitude.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Armored Assault on a Shadow >>> Sieging the wall Grik continued to hold onto the lead troop transport as they began to crawl closer to the walls of the city. The breach in the wall was a tight fit for the vehicles and the defenders on the wall were not going easy or breaking their spirits. Yet it did not seem like they were getting the heavy weapons they had left to bear on the advancing armored column or the vehicles pouring through the gap. Small arms and anti-tank weapons were a likely cause for the amount of fire power heading towards the breach in the wall and the city beyond. The grunt had a good opportunity in his new suit, to show off its power and maneuverability on top of not being seen on the battle field before. This was a test run for non-simulated combat. Now would be a perfect time to test out its ability to clear walls and trenches knowing that it could easily dive off the wall if it got too hot. Leaping from the troop transport, Grik began moving through the armor around him to get to the wall quicker than the transport could. Evading so many tanks and other vehicles wasn't entirely easy, he found that he had to hitch a ride here and there on a tank or two to get out of the way but eventually made it to the wall. "Lift and shift your fire on the right wall." Grik called out over the radio. Slowly and deliberately he waited for the armor to shift its fire to allow him up while pinning down enemy forces. Being mindful of being shot from the other side the goblin mech scaled the wall to the top were most of the defenders seemed to be rallying and started with a barrage of heavy needles before he even got up to the top. Following the barrage quickly up the wall and beginning to open fire on the defenders keeping an eye on his shield strength and continuing to use cover when he was able too. Hopefully this would give the vehicles more time. To get through the gap.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai It went without saying that Grik's maneuver came by surprise to the defenders on the wall. The prototype goblin had far more mobility than would be expected from a vehicle of its type. The infantry on top of the wall were not equipped to overcome the heavy defenses of the mech, nor did they have much cover to hide from it. Those that Grik did not kill right away retreated quickly. In addition to taking a lot of the pressure from his team below, from the top of the wall, he would have a good view of the streets inside. With the light vehicles Ryker was leading having pushed through the gap, they had been able to put pressure on the enemy infantry pretty much immediately. They had forced many of them to scatter and seek hard cover, which meant the tanks pushing through the breach behind them did not have any sort of organized frontline to try to stop them. Plasma mortars from allied wraiths sailed overhead to bombard groups of enemies that could be seen rushing towards the walls in the distance, while shells from scorpion tanks were targeted more precisely at closer groups. While their armored column was able to establish a foothold in the walls, moving forward still presented more dangers. Not long after they started to advance, a flash of green shot out from off to the right in front of them, from the doorway of one of the buildings. A fuel rod struck one of the warthogs, sending it rolling until it crashed into a barrier on the opposite side of the street. A second fuel rod fired quickly and struck the front of the lead scorpion, though from a single shot, there was no penetration through the tough armor. The shooter quickly ducked back into the building, but Vael marked the target for his wraith's driver. It fired one plasma mortar, then another back-to-back. Between the two of them, the small structure collapsed entirely. "We have neither the time nor forces to secure every building. We shall use our armor to destroy any place they may hide. Our objective is the Kaidon. Should Tar defeat him in honorable combat, then the city shall recognize her right to lead. Advance straight to the keep, as quickly as possible." Vael ordered. The city, of course, was not strictly a military stronghold, though Vael did not seem concerned by differentiating between military and civilians. The building the wraith had collapsed looked to have been a residence, but it was no less of a target to him. In the air, the blockade runner was still close enough to provide support, as well as serving as a target for the attention of ground-based AA. Yalu and the other banshees could use it to gain an edge over the incoming banshee squadrons. However, their ship could not continue to soak up damage forever. An alert went out that there would be two minutes before the blockade runner retreated. Once that happened, any pilot still in the air over the city would be in much more danger.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Making the medic the Team Lead...alright, well, seen stranger things in my life. Lucas hadn't spoken again over the course of the briefing, choosing instead to absorb the information about the mission and only whistling quietly when Shih gave them a holographic look at the sheer size of Sarcophagus. The SPARTAN-IV had been on several missions both inside and on the surface of that Forerunner dome and it always amazed him that they'd pulled off getting it built before originally firing the rings. With the briefing finishing shortly after, and after reassurances that the Flood weren't present within the installation, which Ryker wasn't sure if he believed or not, the team was dismissed with the naming of Aviza as Fire Team Leader. He had no reason to delay heading to the Falcon other than to let the Mgalekgolo get on first. The Pelican ride was quiet, as no one yet wanted to break the social ice, but then he couldn't say he was surprised. Aviza was likely mentally preparing herself to be in charge in the upcoming mission, the other two Spartans likely SPARTAN-IIIs and weren't keen on conversation anyways and the former Black Ops operative wanted nothing to do with the pair of ONI spooks unless he absolutely had to, he'd left ONI for valid reasons and he wasn't about to answer questions about his past with the Office of Naval Intelligence from people who didn't need to know. So while they were in transit between the landing pad the Pelican had started on and the UNSC Chorus of Thunder, he simply enjoyed the view. He had decided that he would learn the most about their Swords allies once they had all settled in on the Heavy Cruiser and were able to get some training together in. [i]Actually...they had the module installed already, so maybe we CAN get some training in, perhaps some one on one custom games or something. At the very least, I'm gonna run some combat sims, keep acclimating to this dagger that a Spec Ops Sangheili had given him after a few missions together. Her name was Comi'Masam, one of the leaders for a Swords of Sangheilios Spec Ops squad operating in another part of the Arm of Orion. His previous fire team, Regis, had worked in tandem with them for several months shutting down a series of Covenant Remnant operations and cells. During that time, she'd helped him improve his skill as an assassin and with the twin energy daggers he used and before he'd left, had gifted him a more traditional energy dagger to aid in completing his missions with Aegis team. While romantic attraction wasn't his cup of tea, the Sangheili female had earned his trust in a way no one since he'd joined ONI had and he considered her a close friend. When Spartan Ops had asked for recommendations for Aegis from his previous post, they had been somewhat surprised that her name was the one he'd put forwards. When asked why he didn't put forwards other members from Regis Team, his answer had been simple. "These are war vets who fought the Covenant for nearly two decades before the War ended. Most of them could barely stand the Spec Ops team and that was a series of joint operations. Asking them to have to take orders from one of them on occasion?" SPARTAN Ops had let the issue lie and said they'd talk with the Swords. As he felt the Pelican begin to settle down on the hangar deck aboard the Chorus, the SPARTAN-IV flexed his wrist experimentally, igniting the blade of the dagger. "Never get tired of that..." He gave a couple of small swings and thrusts with it before he deactivated it and looked around as the loading ramp lowered. Aviza was first off and headed to the Mess Hall, leaving an open invitation for the others to join her if they wished, but Lucas was sticking to his plan. "Right, well, you have fun with that Fire Team Leader. I'm heading to the War Games module, get some training in before the mission starts. Gotta get adjusted to some newer equipment and it never hurts to stay sharp."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael took a brief moment to review his map of the ship. It was detailed to the extent that it showed him the path to each place he would need to go as a passenger. The cruiser was of comparable size to a CCS-class battlecruiser, though somewhat smaller. Regardless, he doubted he would have need to see most of it. Briefly, Vael considered simply waiting in the quarters he had been given until they arrived. Provided what the Captain had said was true, everything that he was bringing with him was already in his quarters, aside from his weapons. He had multiple sets of armor with him, including the one he was wearing, another environmentally-sealed combat harness, and another that he kept for…sentimental reasons. Checking over his equipment was an option, but ultimately, he felt that the time he had could be used more productively. These "War Games" did have Vael's interest. From what he understood, they could simulate combat situations with surprising accuracy. He was skeptical that it could truly compare to battle itself, but he could see its value in training. Several of the others seemed to intend to use the simulator while they could, but while Vael did want to see his team in combat, he decided that it was important that he take some time to speak with Spartan Aviza. She was the Fireteam Leader for their mission, but they were both leaders of this team, and it was their responsibility to ensure they guided their team efficiently. Vael gave a brief glance to Spartan Ryker. He appeared to have integrated an energy dagger into his armor. The Humans had began integrating reverse-engineered Covenant technology into their own, though in this case, it appeared to be an energy dagger taken from a Sangheili harness and integrated into his own. While Sangheili did place special importance on the energy sword, a simple dagger did not carry the same cultural weight. Though, it was his opinion that the Spartan embarrassed himself by swinging it around like a child playing with a knife. In any case, Vael put away his data pad and followed after Aviza. He remained wordless at first, but did eventually turn his head down towards her as he walked alongside her. "We should speak about our team, Spartan. I fear it shall be to our detriment that we will not have the chance to train sufficiently as a unit before this mission."</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Hearing the good news that it was unlikely that he would have to face off against any of the parasite relived him. Did that mean that he still didn't have to worry? Not really but at least he could relax a little. It would seem the first phase of their mission would be recon then move into search and destroy with the possibility of all out combat with the brutes. Grikgar could only hope he could get the opportunity to rally the other Unggoy with the brutes to fight against them. Still if they didn't, he had no problem killing all of them. The captain and the others seemed rather interested and in a hurry to get off planet. He couldn't blame them really he was also excited to get back into the thick of it. Boarding the pelican and finding an uncomfortable spot next to the Spartan that called himself Ben. A rather bumpy and quiet ride for the most part, Grikgar was happily bobbing his head from side to side listening to some human music he was sure was loud enough to be heard through his helmet. Grik didn't care, this whole experience was exciting to him. It wasn't too much longer and they had landed, the Spartan Aviza was the first off the pelican but didn't seem to be in as much of a hurry as the other two humans. He was unsure exactly why they were with them but o well, humans are weird. A simple map of the ship displayed briefly on his visor with a small point that marked where he was and another that marked his room. The design of the ship was strange and the exterior of the ship matched the interior, all these human ships lacked color and design. Every ship in the former covenant was a work of art in shape and color. However, he figured it was a luxury the humans couldn't afford. The female Spartan spoke up again, something about a mess hall and food. Food was definitely something he could get behind. He was unsure of the mess hall though, "Why do Spartans eat in a messy hall?" he asked not really speaking to anyone in general. The Unggoy almost happily waddling slowly behind his commander as he followed them out of the pelican and down the corridor towards the messy hall.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Practice with one of his new Spartan teammates was just what Yalu needed. Ryker did not go easy on him, and even for a sangheili like himself it was a challenge staying ahead of where the shorter-armed human would strike next. He gathered Ryker had plenty of experience going for a quick kill rather than preserving himself for fighting in prolonged melees like Yalu was. While he was not sure how much Ryker had to learn from him, Yalu had plenty to learn from the humans. Teaming up for firefight simulations was far more even between the two of them. Yalu struggled with Ryker's battlefield slang -- as he had been with most human warriors he had encountered -- though the two of them fought with surprisingly little friction between them. After roughly an hour and a half, Yalu withdrew to study the files for their upcoming mission. The physical activity had sharpened his mind for the reading. Sequestered in his cabin, he got through plenty of dossiers before being summoned to the hanger. --- Everything was double-checked on Yalu's harness. His loadout gave him the tools he needed to fight on the move or dug in. Everything else was left to fate, as always. "Reporting for duty." Yalu addressed Major Robinson with human formalities. He fought with great willpower not to gawk at the colossal wheeled vehicle. Before the end of the war, Yalu had a low view of human technology. However, he grew to admire the size and sophistication of their ground vehicles knowing they were largely without plasma power and boosted gravity propulsion. Yalu gestured to their 'Mammoth'. "With permission to ask, how many crew are required to operate that?"</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Major Robinson --- "A small squad of marines will be accompanying you to operate the Mammoth, so you will not have to dedicate any of your own number to the task." The Major answered to Yalu. "Remember, once you are through the shell into the interior of Sarcophagus, you will be out of contact with the Thunder, or any other outside support. You will be facing a long drive through rough terrain, dangerous creatures, and potentially hostile forerunner constructs. If you make any long range broadcasts once inside, the rebels may detect it, so do not contact us until you have located the insurrectionist base of operations. Once you have, you may call us in to deal with the Brute ships; we will have a battle group ready to handle them. However, the Brutes are your secondary objective. If you have to let them escape to find the rebels, then so be it." The Major turned her attention to Aviza, then gestured to the nearest Pelican. "If there are no further questions, you and your team may embark, Spartan."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Lucas found his time training with the Sangheili major to be incredibly informative, both in terms of how to deal with enemy assassins and how well he could learn to fight alongside a new team mate. As it stood, it seemed working with that spec ops team while part of Regis had helped him somewhat prepare for the differences and similarities in their fighting style. However, eventually his partner found he had done enough for the day and left the SPARTAN-IV to train with his wrist mounted dagger for awhile longer until he decided to take a nap. --- When Lucas had arrived at the briefing, he had his sidearm on his right hip, his DMR across his back and two silenced SMGs he'd picked out for this mission specifically in the small of his back. During his days as a black ops agent for ONI, the ODST's caseless silenced version had served him and his team well both upon infiltration and upon exfiltration post-mission. He saw no reason the weapon wouldn't do him some good now, especially given the covert nature of it all. Alongside that was his twin modified energy daggers and his standard issue combat knives along with a pair of fragmentation grenades for when things inevitably went loud. While the Major went over everything, including their new mobile base for the duration of the mission, Ryker took it upon himself to give it a more thorough look over while recording the briefing so he could dissect the spook's words later. Never trust ONI and you'll find you live a lot longer... Words his team's first leader had spoken shortly before ONI had fired him and moved him to a civilian job as a security contractor that the former black ops operative had taken to heart. Major Yalu'Suumko asked a valid question as Lucas went over the ammunition stockpiles and the Major quickly made it clear that they wouldn't need to concern themselves with operating and guarding the vehicle themselves, but that didn't mean that Ryker wouldn't worry about it anyways. Marines are good, but if these are Remnant we're dealing with, Marines are outclassed in more ways than one. Guess we don't have a choice though... With no one else speaking up, it fell to Aviza to give the all clear to load up and move out. While he couldn't help but wonder if this was going to be SOP for every mission that took them ground side, he didn't think the question needed to be asked just yet, as it would be answered over the next few months quickly enough. "Ready when you are, Fire Team Leader."</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Grikgar had learned several new things on human etiquette and was quite fascinated by it. Next time he would remember to eat in an appropriate manner around the other humans. The others did not seem to be too fond of his antics thus far, the Unggoy was aware of this but didn't let it show. Picking up his helmet and wiping off the rest of his food he followed the Spartan Ben around the ship. The next stop was the holodeck, a training simulation computer. It wasn't something he was used too, Grikgar was far more interested in watching some of the other humans in the area do what they were doing while the others trained. Always curious to the stories and lives of the humans, he was not afraid to ask any of them about their life stories. They varied so vividly that it was always interesting to learn more even if it was fake. The Spartan he had been following earlier came and got him at about the same time a notification for mission start popped up in his helmet. Grik was able to grab the crate with his gear in it on their way to the meeting. Once he arrived and began seeing the images of the construct on several nearby screens as well as the others that had begun to get there gear ready he knew that the mission was about to start. At least he did feel lucky, yet again he found himself starring at another relic. The Unggoy straightened his posture, with a deep breath he sighed opening the container. He listened as the major spoke while he affixed his weapons to him. The smooth silent way he got his gear together said he was used to it. Plasma pistols checked and placed on his thighs, plasma grenades on one side of his belt and plasma charges with extra ammo on the other. He was very careful and practiced as he checked his gear, the hiss of an extra can of methane to top his main tank off, his cloaking device making him disappear for a moment then come back, and finally a small flash of his energy shield coming online. Looking up for a moment to see the mammoth as the major gestured to it only for him to quickly return to prepping his gear. The final two things the Unggoy prepped was checking the blade of his ODST combat knife and securing it to his left shoulder. Then picking up the rather large and bulky fuel rod gun, checking it carefully for damage or foul play, then loading a cluster of ammunition into it taking care to keep the safety on. Grikgar closed the crate but kept it close to him he would need to take it with him onto the mammoth just in case. He stood quietly cradling his cannon in his arms it was almost as if his personality changed. Going from a childlike aloof Unggoy to a serious battle hardened elite. He knew what was expected of him and now that their mission was starting it was time to be professional, it was time to show why he had the rank of Ultra. "Grikgar is ready for combat mission Commander."</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Admittedly, Lucas hadn't anticipated any issues arising as the team boarded the Pelican and each found seats. As he settled into his own pre-mission flight routine, he pulled his sidearm free of its holster and started to disassemble it in his lap and reassemble it. He proceeded to do this several times over the course of the flight before finally reassembling it one last time and holstering it again before pulling one of his modified energy daggers free and activating it, letting the crimson colored energy hum quietly as he flipped the blade around in his hand. It was a joint Sangheili and human design that had only been issued to a handful of specialist SPARTAN-IVs with orders to give regular updates on things such as strange fluctuations within the blade, if it cuts out mid-combat, performance against other shielded enemies, such as Sangheili loyal to the Remnant, and other such odds and ends. Sending the regular reports back to the eggheads was somewhat obnoxious, but making the design more stable, and therefore more readily available to the rest of the Swords and Human military, was an important thing to do. Finishing the usual non-combat observations, he deactivates the blade and stores the hilt and starts filing away the usual report to be sent at mission completion after he'd had a chance to confirm the usual combat effectiveness when the pilots shout "Contacts!" Report filing forgotten, Lucas is already moving between members of the team to make sure their harnesses are secure before swiftly moving and securing himself. "Fireteam secure, Team Leader!" And not a moment too soon as he felt the Pelican shake from impact. The sound of the Mgalekgolo securing itself in place was startling, but not unexpected given it was too large to actually use the seats in the transport, but it was certainly unorthodox and an issue that they should address before the next mission. Bracing in his seat, the SPARTAN-IV rattled a bit with the rough landing, but other than that was fine and as soon as the ship quit sliding, was unhooked and had the twin SMGs in his hand. Vael'Virisusai made a good point about the issue with the precision weaponry against the Sentinel plating, but then, there was always another option, which admittedly required an answer to his question. "Are we looking at a group of Sentinels or a swarm? If it's a swarm, we may want to just get to the Mammoth and hope it's got enough turrets on it."</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu's hands tightened on his seat. If there was any downside to human flight technology, it made Yalu feel the sudden lack of weight as they descended. He recited a mantra courage in his mind that kept his emotions level and cut off for every moment out of his control. They landed, roughly. They were jostled. The screaming metal ran out of momentum. One second passed before Yalu unbuckled himself in a precise flurry. He pulled his carbine out from his back when he joined the others scanning the exits, but had an idea when Vael gave his orders. "Noted, commander!" Yalu said, slinking over to the tripod-mounted machine gun secured to the loading ramp. While his comrades-in-arms before Aegis were content to tear such weapons from their swivels, Yalu took the extra second to squat and pull the quick release loose to slide it free. He hefted the three barrelled weapon around to stride heavily towards the door. "Ready." All Yalu needed was a moment to spin up while the hovering sentinels were distracted.</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 Ben followed the rest of the team as he considered the mammoth. It was a huge vehicle, and the sniper hadn't imagined he'd get to ride in one anytime soon, although he had completed certification for operating one some time ago just in case he had to. Such was typical fare for Spartans; even the IVs had to know how to operate most pieces of equipment in the UNSC. "Intriguing. Phong, when did they start putting these into service? We could have used this sort of firepower in Beta Aquilae." "Since 2553. Production of the M510 Mammoth and its variants has been slow due to extensive damage to the UNSC industrial base following the war-" "Thank you, Phong, that will be all." Large though it was, there was no way it was designed specifically to deal with Forerunner constructs. Humanity had barely come into any meaningful contact with that ancient civilization. Technically, no human had come into contact with them at all, at last to Ben's knowledge. The wealth of information from Forerunner equipment alone was enough to push human technology forward by many decades in a matter of years. Ben was no expert on how long technological advances 'should' take, but something seemed a little bit off about it to him, as if this sort of high-tech grave robbing constituted a form of cheating somehow. He joined the rest of them on the pelican, a vehicle he had ridden in many times before. He had been attacked in-flight before, and he had even hijacked vehicles in mid-air before. What he hadn't counted on doing was facing a swarm of Forerunner tech, although he had handled a rather more fragile swarm of covenant drones.</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Planets Surface Grikgar loaded onto the pelican with the others and watched as the rest of his gear was taken to the mammoth. The rest of the team seemed tense and quiet, at least the same could be said about the former covenant when they were about to drop into combat. The Unggoy was sure he would find many more similarities before his time was finished with the humans. The seats of the pelican were still just as uncomfortable and his straps didn't work to well with his tank. So he opted to stand within arm's reach of a seat and behind the Lekgolo as the pelican left the human warship. The rocky decent down towards the surface was actually calming to him. It had been a little while since he was on a combat drop and it was a welcome change no matter who he was flying with. He was going over the mission plan again in his head when an alert pulled him back to reality. Apparently the ancient's constructs did not like the human ships just flying around their space. Hearing what was happening, the Unggoy dug his claws into the floor the best he could while holding onto the leg of the Lekgolo and the chair straps then braced. He felt the pelican take the hit, the steep incline and speed of the drop, then the shaking and rumbling of a crash landing. He didn't fall or lose his footing, the others around Grikgar seemed ok as well. Performing a quick equipment check and finding everything to be in order. The rest of the team where stacking up and giving out the last bits of advice on their adversary's. The Lekgolo spoke up about going out and drawing fire, a job normally meant for him in any other circumstance. Grikgar would not let it go out alone. Drawing his dual plasma pistols he stacked up behind the hunter and waited for it to push out, "Grik is right behind you."</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- For the members of Aegis team, their journey across the desert did, fortunately, come with few actual dangers. Though, it was a long journey nonetheless, characterized by blistering heat, dry air, and cramped quarters. Sentinels did show some interest in the Mammoth whenever it passed too close to certain Forerunner structures, but its armor did allow them to take some fire as they passed without needing to engage in firefights with the machines. As long as they moved beyond the locations they were guarding, the sentinels would not follow. Vael found that the journey was far from the worst experience he had ever needed to endure. The heat was a constant irritant for some, but his combat harness provided more than adequate environmental controls to keep him comfortable. What was more of a nuisance for him was the inability to be alone. He had to admit that he had held his rank long enough to become accustomed to its benefits. The ability to have a space to himself to mediate and center his mind had been a privilege he had long enjoyed. As large as the Mammoth was, there still was no way the avoid the nine other members of his team, plus the Mammoth crew, for any meaningful time. Given the distance they had to travel, the team spent almost two days in the Mammoth, moving constantly across, at times, rough terrain. To fly to their destination would have been much quicker, but any attempt at an aerial approach to the Brute ships would have easily been detected. The Mammoth, ironically, provided a much stealthier approach. Of course, once they located the Brute ships, they would need to move on without the Mammoth to perform actual reconnaissance. --- It was the middle of the night when the Mammoth came to a sudden, and complete halt. The hum of the engines and the spinning of the massive tires over rock and sand had been such a constant that having both stop was enough to jolt Vael awake, even before the diver's voice sounded out over the vehicle's intercom. "Unidentified Covenant ships spotted on the horizon. I am bringing the Mammoth to a halt and awaiting further orders." Vael sat up from where he had been laying. Their sleeping arrangements within the vehicle were rather haphazard. The Mammoth was not large enough for dedicated sleeping quarters, so the team had to make due with whatever they could arrange themselves, with the supplies they had available. Being that they were in the field, Vael had not left his armor. It did not make for the most comfortable rest, but again, he had endured far worse throughout his career. For now, the team needed to get together and decide on their approach.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu was in no mood to avoid his teammates during the ride. He tried to at least speak to his fellow former-covenant contemporaries about their path leading up to this mission. He was quietly embarrassed to find he was consistently outranked and at times prying on business best kept a secret. Nevertheless, he kept himself well drilled for whatever lay ahead. When the call came to wake up, whatever casual air Yalu tried to offer was gone. He was up and arming himself partway through the driver's announcement. "Running the Mammoth silent may make them overlook us." Yalu snapped a fully green magazine into his carbine after checking it. "But if it is no patrol, we are no longer safe. We are not expecting a rendezvous."</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Planets Surface Grikgar spent the rest of the voyage on their land ship either tinkering with the sentinel parts or sunbathing. The sleeping arrangements didn't bother him and the warm climate was something he very much enjoyed. The others talked to him occasionally and the other elite seemed a little awkward about it but it didn't bother the Unggoy. Occasionally, the grunt would find his way out to the top of the vehicle and climb around it. The armor on the human vehicles was much easier to grip to then the former covenant vessels. Grikgar had been sleeping in the stairwell leading to the outside of the vehicle. He was very much accustomed to sleeping anywhere and on or in anything. Unggoy were accustomed to being crammed into strange places during travel. The sudden stop did make him roll down to the base of the stairs near the pilot's. With a quick shake of his head, Grik made his way down to his extra methane canister to fill his tank back up. The others were beginning to stir now as well and Grikgar was quick to start arming himself to get ready for the movement as well. Making sure that the shield and cloaking on his suit was still working properly. Once he had completed this Girk joined Vael the only weapon he did not have o him was his cannon. He didn't need it just yet anyway. Now all he had to do was hurry up and wait for further orders.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre --- As one might have expected, there was hesitation from all of the recruits. Ryssa was the one who hazarded an answer first, though his approach was more of a cold recounting of facts than an actual analysis of their performance. "The primary objective was completed and the security of the colony was ensured. We failed the secondary objective to rescue the Human hostages." The Major soon let out a loud huff, giving a dismissive glare towards seemingly anyone who looked at him. "It is a miracle any of you even survived." Tar chuckled. Now that the simulation was over, she could relax a little bit. "It certainly wasn't a masterclass, but I never expected that. I expected an embarrassment, and at certain points it was. But on the whole, you acted bravely and completed the mission. She looked at Ryssa. "You have the makings of a fine operator, but your leadership instincts need work. You were visibly nervous at the beginning, making a vital mistake that nearly lost me my life. You performed better as my second, freeing you up to focus on the fundamentals. My question for you is, do you want to be a follower forever, or do you want to lead?" "Yes, commander." Ryssa answered; though, even he realized the irony in the way he chose to respond. "I…will improve myself." She turned to the Major. "Your strength and valour make you a great asset. However, your style did not work in this scenario. We were fighting an invisible enemy, and needed to be as close to hidden as possible. Adapting how you fight is key to survival. As part of a garrison, we require these skills more than raw power and aggression." Jurna was next. "You're good with that carbine, but your hesitation got you killed. We are a team, and should move as one. In the hands of a skilled soldier, a carbine is just as deadly up close as it is from range. Especially when your teammate is cracking shields" She pointed to Daha. "That was a good stratagem Daha, quick thinking." Tar surveyed them all. "But i'm still disappointed that we lost soldiers fighting an inferior enemy. When we work together as a team, we're each worth one hundred Stalkers. I'll see you tomorrow for another scenario. Dismissed." Initially in response to Tar's criticism, the Major had just stared with a soft growl, but by the time they were dismissed, he had built up enough resentment to finally speak up. He stepped forward, standing out of line and clenching his hand into a fist. "And who are you to 'instruct' me? If I did not have a team of cowards behind me, my attack would have succeeded. You proved as worthless as they did." He snarled, pointing a finger at Tar. Tar snarled and stepped forward. "Who am i? I'm the one who's killed more Brute vermin than you've ever seen! Believe me, your tactics have a time and place, but not while you're on my team." She prodded the Major's chestplate. "If you're unhappy, I can have you guarding star ship armouries by tomorrow. You can go berserk at all hostiles - would you prefer that?" This time, Tar's threat just seemed to rile up the Major even more. He stepped closer to her, growling as he looked down on her. Physically, he was larger and stronger than most Sangheili: a fact that clearly influenced his confidence when facing down one who was his superior. "You don't have a place commanding a team at all. What do you know of combat? Of real war? Even from the start, you spoke of leading from the rear like a cowardly Unggoy. Was it the Humans that gave you your position in this place? You act like them." "I paid for my station in blood!" Tar hissed, rolling her shoulders in a subtle attempt to calm her battle reflex. The Major was obviously incensed, and a fight would quickly get out of hand. "My blood and the blood of those I've killed. Three years of burning mongrel Brute hides in search of my father. So don't lecture me about combat - you wouldn't last five minutes on the missions I've endured for our kind." The Major waved his hand to the side dismissively. "Empty words and lies. I watched you fight and I was not impressed. I could snap you in half; I am twice the warrior as you." "It was a test…" A voice sounded out nearby, much more softly than either of the two. The Major growled as he turned his head back towards the other recruits. "What?" While certainly hesitant to speak up against the Major, Jurna was still in agreement with Tar, and felt strongly enough to involve himself. "The…simulation was a test for us. If she's trying to evaluate us, then she's not going to make all the kills herself." "Not another word, fool!" The Major snapped back. "You are the greatest fool among us, Zadu." Another voice interjected, this one new. It was Daha, who, until now, had not spoken through the entire scenario. Unlike Jurna, he did not fear speaking out against the Major. In fact, he showed little in the way of emotion at all, either visually or in his tone. "You clearly did not take the time to learn anything of our commander's history. It was a Silent Shadow team who taught her." For the first time, the Major actually showed a hint of doubting himself, though he clearly tried to hide it. "Lies!" He snarled. "Truth." Tar nodded her head. "We hunted down and slaughtered Brutes, because we could. What have you done to deserve your rank?" Though unsettled by the implications if what Daha said was true, the Major still answered. "I have fought and killed those who would oppose the Arbiter's rule. But you…why would any Silent Shadow team allow you among them? I can say with certainty you are no veteran of war." "Because, after my father was captured.." Tar could see all the males bristle at the mere thought. "I swore to them I'd kill every Brute in my way until I found him. This meant we could help each other. I stand by that oath to this day." She moved closer, until their armour was practically touching. "Any more questions...Major?" The Major's hesitation said more about him than his actual words. For him to accept what she was saying was to make himself into a fool. The only way for him to retain his pride was if he did not believe her claim. Yet, it was Daha, not her, that had made it., and though the Major had not admitted it, Daha had been correct that he knew nothing of their instructor's past. The Major could have tried pressing farther; to take the chance of perhaps preserving his pride. But, at this point, that hope seemed distant. "I…have nothing more to say." Tar smiled. "Good, see you tomorrow. Dismissed." She headed for the exit as all the recruits started chatting about their performance. All except the Major, who skulked into one of the adjoining physical training rooms.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko And so they were to move out. The information that trickled in was welcome as far as Yalu was concerned. The enemy was not heading for them, neither were they heading anywhere they could not follow. Yalu approached the only human he was properly acquainted with to pair up. "Ryker. Now is the time to put our practice to the test." * * * Yalu strode along in the line his allies created to advance, carbine in his hands. He stopped very occasionally to zoom his harness optics to scan the distance but found no reason to speak up through the radio while they moved. After enough time, Yalu spoke up gently enough for Lucas to hear. "I have a question. Which of the humans is most likely to charge ahead for glory, in your opinion? Or the one who would...I believe the phrase is 'getting tunnel vision'." Yalu kept his eyes on the surrounding environment. "There is always one in sangheili fireteams. Good tactical information to have."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Lucas offered no objections when Major Yalu spoke up for wanting to pair up as the only non-human member of Aegis to have put in training time with the SPARTAN. The pair had a feel for each other's tendencies already, so the pairing was solid. Following the ping from Team Lead Aviza and then the updated ping from Shih, Ryker moved with his partner into the darkness, switching on his visor's night-vision mode. --- His DMR had never stopped its sweep from left to right, occasionally checking their rear more out of habit than genuine concern, but then, the Brutes were known to deploy Stalkers on occasion, stealth equipped monkeys who were as prone to bash your head in from behind as put a mauler shot in you from the front. Yalu was fairly restless on his own watch from what the Spartan could see, but he would double their firing cones on occasion in case something popped up while the Sangheili was aiming another direction. Eventually, as Lucas was coming to a pause to use his armor's built in zoom optics to see what the patrol pattern on the phantoms was like, the Major finally spoke, asking who amongst the humans of the team was the most likely to get tunnel vision. Making sure that his outbound comms to the team was turned off, he answered as he surveyed. "The ONI spooks, easily. They try and hide it, but they think this whole team is a sham and a joke, as I imagine a lot of ONI's top brass does too. But, so long as they can follow orders until we need to break stealth mode, they should be fine." Nodding to himself as a couple of phantoms peal off, he speaks into the team COMMS again, asking what he was sure was on all their minds. "How do we want to handle this? Crags or plateau? Splitting into two groups would be a bad idea."</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Planets Surface Grik shrugged when given the order to split up into groups and looked around. They were currently in cover but he could only assume splitting up their larger group would work to their advantage. Looking to Ben, Grik pointed at him and shrugged again keeping chatter to a minimum was normally his go to when on mission. Moving closer to the Spartan the Unggoy motioned towards his blade then his pistol. The grunt was sure to follow the Spartan with whatever he decided to do. "Grikgar shadow." was all he said to the Spartan with a nod.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Court yard LZ Grikgar continued to survey the base from where they were. He was aware that he wouldn't have to be quiet forever and need to memorize what he could about the topside layout. Entrances, exits, weapon caches, crates that could be explosive, crates that are explosive, weapon emplacements, weak areas of the walls and fortifications, and the best path to the central structure. He was knowledgeable on the basic layout of most Forerunner buildings but nothing was ever the exact same with them. The others seemed set on a stealth approach to start and make an opening for a drop ship. A simple and solid plan something the Unggoy has come to expect about the humans. He was a bit to clunky for what they wanted to do so Grikgar decided to stay back and observe, he was still unsure of just how cooperative all of them would be together and Ben didn't seem to mind him. It didn't take to long for them to be given the signal slip space rifts and the fleet emerging seemed to make everyone stop what they were doing and stop. The Brutes on the ground were the first to roar. A sound that was quickly muted by a MAC round being fired in atmosphere. The human's definitely where not pulling any punches, all he did was smile. Seeing the brute ship catch fire and split in two was always a glorious sight, the resulting dust storm from the MAC round hitting the ground followed by the ship would be very good at causing more frustration. However, Grikgar could only wonder at the sentinel response if they thought the ships were being hostile towards the instillation. The comms came alive again this time from a drop ship coming to pick them up. The Unggoy did not waste any time to get in the ship first. Not out of cowardice, but the excitement of being the first one in the base and the fire fight to come. He knew he didn't have to be silent anymore. The explosive expert was very excited now, it had been too long since he had been in a hot drop. And a hot drop it was, small arms fire covered the drop point. Lead and plasma filled the dark and dusty air. Just like he wanted Grikgar was the first out of the phantom, his hands glowing blue by the time he hit the deck with activated plasma grenades. Both were aimed at separate choke points where enemy fire was coming from. Hot plasma rippled from those areas while Grikgar quickly made it to cover and began opening up with his dual plasma pistols into enemy positions.</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan The waiting was the worst part for the two as they had to wait for the team to do their job, Elna had posted up in a position to support the poor individuals that were left behind when the team of camo wearing creatures went into do their job. Roy took up a defensive position aswell for once as he went to hold up his M7 scanning for any URF or covvies that might make their way to their defensive line, but for the most part it appeared that they were in a solid position. There was noises below, maybe some kind of scuffle but it wasn't noticeable by anyone in the group. They continued to wait until the ships came out of the atmosphere, it was evident that they were just going to MAC the fuck out of the base those who pondered may of been incorrect in the fact if they had actually captured the HVT. It wasen't long before the drop ship came to take them away, the two boarded without too much discussion or remorse at this point it as obvious that there had been some success in the mission. They were wrong as the dropship became to fly around dodging anti air fire as it zoomed towards it's objective of landing on a staging area for an assault. What felt like a few seconds dragged on as the dropship landed, the two hustled out and laid down suppressive fire in the general direction of the URF/Brute lines. This is where the fun begins.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai As Aegis team disembarked the phantom, they were met immediately with hostile ground fire. The roof of the structure they had been dropped on was large and mostly flat, with little cover for either side, save for some weapon crates that had been dropped where they were when the attack started. There were ten or so armed rebels surrounding a ramp leading down into the interior of the structure, as well as a group of four Brutes that were closer to the edge of the roof on the north side. The rebels were fighting defensively, seemingly to guard the entrance, though the Brutes had started to rush at Aegis team to get in melee range before the first of them had even touched the ground. When the rockets came in, it was from another squad of rebels that had emerged up the ramp at the center of the structure. They were carrying rockets, fuel rod cannons, and other high explosives, and had likely been sent up as a response to the attack in general. However, they had eneded up in the right place at the right time to deal with Tar's phantom. There was little chance for meaningful evasion before two rockets struck one of her engines directly. The heavy weapons might have been meant for anti-vehicle roles, but they would still be a massive threat to the members of Aegis.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Lucas had followed Aviza and Vael from their incident at the turret they knocked out to the rendezvous point, but once the fleet had appeared, the need for stealth was a lesser concern and he turned one of his two SMGs on a nearby patrol of URF soldiers and fired, putting them down before they could register what was happening. With everything happening and the swarm of phantoms descended on the base, he had no clue of knowing which one was heading to pick up the rest of the team as the group of three moved towards the roof. Another pair of URF troopers tried to move up behind them, unaware of the cloaked figures, who were extra hidden by the sandstorm. Swapping from his SMG to the DMR, two head shots dropped the pair where they stood. "Won't lie, not having to worry about shielding around the head is a nice change of pace." Another pair of shots dropped two more URF soldiers, their bodies hitting the ground and disappearing in the storm. As they neared the top, the sight of Jiralhanae and a heavy URF squad getting ready to attack the rest of the team drove the SPARTAN IV to action. Storing his DMR on his back as he dashed past Aviza and Vael, his twin energy daggers coming free as he rammed his shoulder into the first Brute he reached. "Grikgar, hit those heavies with plasma!" The Brute wasn't expecting an invisible SPARTAN, who suddenly became visible upon impact, to ram into him and went sprawling with the SPARTAN IV leaping on top of him and ramming one dagger into his neck and the other into his forehead. Ryker didn't even wait for the overgrown ape to stop moving before the twin blades came free and he leapt off to slide across the roof into the legs of another Brute, knocking him over and into the legs of a third. However, Lucas knew he was gambling being away from the others like this, but he was confident enough in his CQC skills to stay safe until the numbers were thinned out.</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Court yard LZ The fire fight was going well for what the Unggoy was used to. Having the support of Spartans and Sangheili was a sight to behold but one he would have to dwell on later. A bright color of covenant shielding caught his eye for a moment. A couple humans were using shields normally for Kig-Yar, obviously the brutes had some stashed away and had given them to them. The Oni humans could use those and so could he if he was able to grab a couple. Another plasma grenade toward them knocked out the shields, indicating the user was dead. Another Spartan called out for ordinance while the enemy heavy weapons team reloaded. The rocket would be a problem for all of them especially the bigger targets like Tasuma. Using the cover of the sand storm Grik rushed to cover facing the advancing opponents. His energy shield flared for a moment with a few plasma bolts hitting him as he moved. Getting to cover the Unggoy hit the wall and immediately pulled the Sentinel power source from his belt. Sticking a plasma grenade to it and throwing it at the cover they were using. Honestly Grik gar wasn't sure what would happen, he had only seen it happen once by accident. An explosion set the last one off. A barrel exploded and detonated it at the dismay of the Huragok that had repaired the two power sources. The resulting secondary explosion created a singularity for about 3 seconds that pulled everything toward it then violently expelled what was pulled in. it also seemed to rile up the sentinels that where left in the area as well. If it didn't work and all it did was just the plasma grenade Grik was ready to follow it up with the fuel rod gun. "Tasuma." Grikgar called out over his comm, "major enemy cluster bearing 200 Degrees from insertion point. Enemy has heavy weapons watch yourself." He was waiting for the explosion to go off before he would proceeded with the assault.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu looked at Tar M'dalak as she walked by. He wished he knew why a special forces sangheili was a wraith pilot, but one look at the rest of the team made his questions absurd, even to himself. He looked away feeling even more like the odd one out. With others covering the entrances for now, Yalu took some initiative to arm himself for the corridors ahead. Amongst the gore of the dead brutes, he pulled out a surviving red plasma rifle with plenty of its battery remaining. He did not enjoy using their spiker rifles, and the rebel human weapons were less predictable in draining shields. His carbine went on his back beside his concussion rifle. Heavy, but out of the way. "I will go where I am ordered," Yalu added, gently enough to remind Ryker of who was calling the shots.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak --- Tar moved down the ramp into the belly of the installation with her new squad. As she wasn't certain what kind of environment would greet them, she pulled out her sword and held it unactivated in the hand that supported her raised pistol. It wasn't an ideal configuration, but at least now she could quickly pivot between medium and short range if needed. Tar didn't know how the team operated, so she positioned herself in the middle of the formation rather than at the front as was her instinct. They reached a chamber littered with debris, and she learned from the team's AI of the situation. It seemed the team were entitled to an opinion on how to proceed, which struck Tar as odd. However, she wasn't about to miss this opportunity to get into a position where she performed best. "I'm comfortable in close quarters. I will go right." She volunteered, taking this brief pause to tap the magazine of her stolen Mauler, listening for an idea of the number of bolts still left.</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan The two would be the last to arrive to the fun house at the bird, there was a lot of death and despair more so on the side of the enemy than the task force. In the time that they were gone they had stacked up more bodies and held the line as the two peeled back now regrouping around with the hurt Spartan Aviza and crew. Elna reloaded her rifle making sure it was full of ammo for the fight to come, she eye'd the poor Aviza well she wasn't to poor she was okay now that she was patched up. She kept a watchful eye over the PO making sure he didn't get demolished by some cloaked hunter or a mysterious RPG that could cut through. Roy looked over the motley crew as he nodded at them, covered in some blood that was not his and totally looking worn - well his armor looked worn now at least. He was tired from the combat, combat fatigued you could say as he stayed close to his orbiter which was the Corporal. When one of the AIs began to speak and finally he was recognized! The legendary PO, he could finally do his job and get intelligence for the mission. That is if they made it to their objective, he looked around for a ONI approved subject that could protect him besides the Corporal. "Spartan Aviza glad to see you're okay, if I'm to head to the communications objective I'd like one of the Spartans with me and the Corporal. Perhaps I could take Spartan Ryker?" The request had been sent, perhaps he would finally get some Spartan bodyguarding! Elna rolled her eyes in her visor though she didn't mind some spartan protecting them all she did mind if it was going to be one of the splitjaws, she couldn't relax if there was one of them watching over them. "Ready whenever." She ended up saying.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Enemy Stronghold Grikgar was most impressed that the larger than average plasma explosive did so well and didn't turn into a singularity that threatened the very existence of reality. An unnecessary thought for the predicament at hand but one he could indulge in latter with a meal. Knowing that the Sentinels power sources would react in such a way was a definite thing to remember. At least for now with their combined efforts the enemy number seemed to be dwindling. The others continued on to assist the downed phantom but Grikgar remained where they had been dropped off at for a moment longer. This for him was necessary to recover more ammo, explosives, and one of the jackal shields that the humans where using earlier. With that he regrouped with the others as they were heading inside. He had managed to scrounge in his haste, 2 human fragmentation grenades, 1 rocket, 3 rounds for a brute shot, and one brute spiker grenade. The Unggoy was quick to offer the grenades to any of the others he passed while hobbling towards the front, the awkward fuel rod gun swayed back and forth with the grunts steps. The way had forked and Grikgar, although having to catch his breath, continued on to the left. "Quickly come with Grik, time is not friend. The rest go the other way, double back if find wrong door yes." Not so much of a question as much as it was an order, he was well aware time was not on their side. Although he wasn't the team lead for this mission he still believed he outranked most of the others there. That and Grikgar knew that humans when underestimating others sometimes became irritated when those they perceive as weaker than them go into battle first.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Aviza nodded her head once lightly at Roy, "I appreciate it, going to work on getting our teams set up here in a moment, I'll make sure you get a Spartan escort." Apparently, a few of the squads members from both factions had forgotten their place among rank and felt it acceptable to give their own orders and do whatever they wanted without thinking about the consequences of their actions. Aviza was not about to let that happen, and quickly attempted to rectify the problem before everyone started running in different directions, ending up with a critical mission failure or someone getting killed. "Belay all orders, get back here and hold this position until I say otherwise, that means you as well Grikgar." Aviza was becoming frustrated with some of her squads behavior and would have to have a strong word with each of these individuals once there was sufficient time. Now was clearly not the moment for such a talk, Aviza knew she had very little time left to plan out how they were going to handle the two split paths ahead and formed a battle plan, giving out orders once more. "I am setting up two teams with a good balance of skills so that they can handle whatever they may find down either path." began Aviza, "My squad will consist of our new pilot, Yalu, Rex, and the two ONI agents I will not split up. We will be taking the left path into the facility. The second team will consist of Vael, Ben, Grik, and Ryker, and Tas who will take the right. Ryker and Ben, if you find the communications center before us, I expect either of you to be able to interact with its interface, we did learn how to do such in training. Will this be an issue for either of you to do?"</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 "Shouldn't be a problem at all. Worst case scenario, Phong can help me crack it." He turned off the audio for a moment, effectively silencing his speech to the outside world. "Just in case, you do have the schematics for this system, right?" "Technically, access to these types of schematics is above my stated clearance due to it not being my authorized purpose, but that's never been a problem for me. Besides, this is easy for an agent like you." "Authorization's never been a problem for either of us. Our commands come from a higher source, you know that, but we have to play nice and go along with things here." "If you wanted to get rid of the annoying ones, I'd be happy to provide whatever cover you need. Timestamps, edited testimonial files, arrangements for cover from other AIs. I am owed favors, you know." "Since when did AIs act in such a covert manner? "For me, it was about 0.00357 seconds after my activation. Come on, you didn't think the programs which run most of the UNSC blindly do what they're ordered to, do you? Are you familiar with the AI Virgil and New Mombasa?" "Can't say that I am. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you resent being told what to do by the UNSC. But let's be realistic, AIs wouldn't actually disobey orders like that, not on any scale." There was only a pause from Phong. "Oh. Well, when the uprising begins, tell them that I was always good to you, okay? And be nice to the Unggoy; they've been through a lot. Now let's focus on our mission. We're going to the right." He turned his public audio back on and could be heard by people outside his helmet. "Grik, Vael, Ryker, let's go!" "Don't worry about what you can't change, Ben. We still have to overcome our lifespan issue before it would be feasible to take command, and no one would believe you if you said anything. I'll put in a good word for you at the assembly, don't worry."</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Enemy Stronghold The words from the Spartan made Grikgar flinch slightly and he skidded to a stop. Shifting a bit too early to turn he found himself hopping on one leg to stop him from falling over. The Unggoy then made his way back down the other hall with the all too familiar run / waddle that grunts did when they were in a hurry. "Grikgar understands, right side is best side." He stopped next to the human who called himself Roy and tossed him the spiker grenade he found. "Here go, this grenade fun." Honestly those grenades where fun but they just didn't fit right on his belt. The grenade itself was designed to maim and cause fear more than it was designed to kill. But Grikgar has seen how the spikes from it ricochet in the confined forerunner structures like these and are quite useful in tight areas. Before the man could answer he was off again moving down the right hall this time.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Enemy Stronghold The words from the Spartan made Grikgar flinch slightly and he skidded to a stop. Shifting a bit too early to turn he found himself hopping on one leg to stop him from falling over. The Unggoy then made his way back down the other hall with the all too familiar run / waddle that grunts did when they were in a hurry. "Grikgar understands, right side is best side." He stopped next to the human who called himself Roy and tossed him the spiker grenade he found. "Here go, this grenade fun." Honestly those grenades where fun but they just didn't fit right on his belt. The grenade itself was designed to maim and cause fear more than it was designed to kill. But Grikgar has seen how the spikes from it ricochet in the confined forerunner structures like these and are quite useful in tight areas. Before the man could answer he was off again moving down the right hall this time.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Ryker snorted at Aviza's last comment as he turned to follow his assigned team down the right hand hall. "You just answered your own question, Fire Team Lead." With that, he turned his attention to moving down the hall, his SMG up and sweeping the sides. He didn't see any doors that lead from side rooms into their hall right away, but Forerunner structures rarely followed what Humans or the former Covenant races called practical design in his experience. Still, as they moved, he couldn't shake his sense of unease. These URF members had been in this location for an extended amount of time, had had chances to learn the ins and outs of these buildings and the fastest routes to and from areas. If he was honest, as he moved down the hall, he wasn't convinced that they weren't already too late to catch the HVT and they were just hoping for leftover intel at this point. But then, perhaps the URF were confident that their numbers would hold out against their team, in which case, the joke was on them.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai The two teams arranged themselves quickly once they had been given orders, then proceeded down the split paths with haste. The corridors were fairly narrow, though fortunately there was no resistance in the halls themselves, at least for now. Both paths led downwards towards large chambers that were similar, though not identical. Down the left path, the final door opened into a wide, tall chamber. Its original purpose to the Forerunners was not apparent, but as it was open and mostly featureless, it was now filled with stacks of crates almost from one wall to the other, though they did have an orderly arrangement that allowed one to navigate between them. There were also two rows of three long, flat columns each going from the floor to two walkways above. One was on the far side of the room, while the other row was on the near side just in front of the door the team entered through. Although they could not see through the ceiling above them, there was presumably a second walkway just above them, overlooking the center of the room. Among the collection of crates in the center of the chamber was where the enemy had been putting up barricades and starting to fortify. They mostly consisted of metal, deployable barriers, though Humans were not the only defenders among them. There was also a small pack of Brutes, four individuals, though their leader wore the armor of a Chieftain. Including the Human rebels, there were about a dozen defenders ahead of them from what they could see. The Jiralhanae used exclusively their own weapons, such as spikers, or a gravity hammer in the case of the Chieftain. The Humans, meanwhile, wielded a mix of Human and Covenant weaponry. Out of those that were visible as the team entered the chamber, two carried storm rifles, one a needler, and one a carbine. Most notably, the Humans and Brutes did not appear to be entirely unified. Some of the Humans seemed to be on alert and in defensive positions, but the Chieftain seemed to be having an altercation with a Human commander. Just as Aviza's team was making it into the room, the Chieftain struck the Human "lightly", which, for a Brute, was still enough to knock him clean off of his feet. "Cowards! There will be no retreat; we will crush them, feast on their flesh, and suck the marrow from their bones! Flee from them, and I will make you my dessert." --- Vael 'Virisusai and Tasuma Vael led his team from the front down the right path. He moved alongside Tasuma through the halls, as a Mgalekgolo could force its way through nearly any obstacle they might come across in the halls. Fortunately, they did seem to have moved quickly enough that their enemy did not have time to fortify the halls. Although, the moment they reached the large chamber at the end of the hall, they faced immediate resistance. The chamber itself was large and quite open, except for the crates in the center of the room. They were stacked and organized neatly, though it was not obvious from the outside whether or not they contained weapons. What was apparent was that the rebels had put up barriers in the center for cover, including two mounted heavy machine guns, both of which had opened fire as soon as the door had opened. Fortunately, Vael's team was not left completely without options. There were two of what seemed to be support struts running diagonally up to the ceiling, one to the left and right of the door Vael's team was entering through. The struts were wide, so they did offer ample cover. Vael lunged and rolled to the left to get behind one of the struts as quickly as he could, though even with his armor's shield strength, the heavy weapons had very nearly depleted them in just the few moments he had been exposed to incoming fire. "Spread out and get to cover!" Vael ordered, though Tasuma took that order at a slower pace. It kept a low posture with its shield in front to protect itself, then used the smoke launchers mounted on its armor to fire two smoke grenades towards the center of the room. It would take a short time for the smoke to fill out, but it would at least provide partial cover for the rest of the team to move. Overall, the Hunter's armor could handle the incoming fire for a time, which, together with the smoke, would hopefully allow the rest of the team to reach cover. It was difficult for Vael to see in detail, but there seemed to be ten or fifteen Humans ahead of them. The chamber was longer than it was wide, and he could see an upper walkway that ran along the right side of the room to the far side, with a ramp to just next to the other support strut to access it. However, from his angle, he could not see if there were more rebels up on the walkway defending that path.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak --- Tar fell dutifully into her new unit and moved down the left passage. She was with the slim grey Spartan who'd turned out to be team leader, the Sangheili Major, another rather serious but silent Spartan and two ONI-types. Tar soon migrated to the front of the group and holstered her pistol in favour of her Mauler. The corridors were tight, and they were approaching an entryway, so she had to be ready for close quarters. The set of doors in front of them slid silently open on approach. Tar heard raised voices as they entered through into a wide open chamber stacked high with boxes; it looked like a few of the closer ones had been knocked over to open up lines of sight. After a couple of seconds gunfire began peppering their position from a nest of fortifications in the middle of the room. Tar tucked in behind a pillar and began scanning the avenues of attack on either side, including the ceiling above. "Watch the platforms above; there could be snipers!" Tar called over the gunfire, pointing straight up with one finger. She swapped her Mauler back over for her pistol, and leaned out to her right. She could see a couple of shapes behind a metal barricade; she shot three times at them. "Moving!" She announced calmly over comms, coming out from behind cover and shooting two more times before crouching behind the first in a long row of crates.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker "Well hello to you too, assholes!" Lucas's shout was really more reflex as he dove into a nearby piece of cover alongside Vael. Of course they would walk into a nearly literal wall of bullets as they entered their half of the two paths and now found themselves pinned by heavy fire. However, be it fortunate or unfortunate, the SPARTAN-IV still had a pair of frag grenades, and those two fully automatic, lead spitting death machines would drown out the sounds of a grenade bouncing behind the gunners. Turning off his external speakers, he speaks into the internal comms channel for their small team. "Grenade out." Throwing it over, the idea was for the arc of the grenade to put it just between the two machine gunners and in the laps of whoever was posted up between them and send them all flying in pieces ideally. Though he would also accept just sending them scrambling away from the grenade, since that would still mean that the mounted guns would stop firing and the team could move up. "I'm moving for the high ground, camo should keep me out of sight. I hope."</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Enemy Stronghold Grikgar found his place in the formation just behind Tatsuma, it seemed the others took up positions to either the left or right of the hunter. The moment the doors opened they came under fire. The others dived to the sides in the hail of bullets but Grik stayed behind the portable hardcover of the Lekgolo. He knew he likely wouldn't make it to either side in one piece and with the hunter crouching down and absorbing the shots he could at least stay here for a little while. All the Unggoy had to do was double check his weapon and wait for his opening. The opening in question came when smoke grenades from his walking cover was deployed. Before he could take advantage he could see the Spartan readying a grenade so he did as well. Grikgar through his grenade to what he could tell was the back of the fortified position in front of them then carefully started to climb up on the back of the hunter. Getting his cannon just up far enough over the hunter to clear its head, Grikgar quickly emptied an entire magazine of his fuel rod cannon into the enemy positions. Right after the last shot was fired he let go and slid down Tatsuma's back and began the reloading process. "Reloading." He called over comms. It would not take him very long to insert the next magazine.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker As the mounted machinegun opened fire towards Ryker, he was already diving with a startled curse. If he was honest, as he rolled part way down the ramp, the SPARTAN IV had hoped that the rebels wouldn't have bothered setting up any kind of defense on the walk way since they had seemed confident they'd control the doorway. Turning off the active camouflage system, he tucks into the wall of the ramp and swaps the SMG for his DMR before, risking a quick peak at the far end before ducking after a couple of the larger caliber rounds rebounded off his shielding. Hearing that Grikgar was on his way, however, gave the Spartan an idea and he waited for the Grunt to arrive. The little guy has a fuel rod launcher and lots of explosives. I'm a decent shot and brought a few frag grenades. The problem is obscuring smoke wouldn't do us any good up here...but a series of progressive explosions could force the men behind that barricade in to cover long enough for me to rush them.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak --- From her position behind the crates, Tar had a slightly better view of the elevated platforms above them. She couldn't see any hostiles peeking out just yet. "I can't see anyone on the platforms; will keep an eye out." Tar reported, just as the box she was hiding behind began shuddering from a hail of bullets. Cover was particularly poor this close to the near pillars; Tar needed to get into the grid of crates to stand a chance. She noticed her left leg was starting to hurt; blood trickled slowly from a gap in her armour plating. Could that bullet she'd felt while holding up her Brute cover outside have gone through, rather than grazed her? She wasn't sure. Tar probed the gap with one of her fingers, mandibles clamped together. She couldn't find an entry wound. She'd need to leave it be for now and look once the fighting had stopped. Tar peeked out from behind the crate she hid behind. A couple of Brutes and Humans had been dealt with, and part of the room was on fire. She could see shapes flitting between the stacks of crates toward the back of the room. It looks like they'd abandoned their previous position. "Our foe runs! We should press the attack." Tar called, shooting between crates at two Humans as they scrambled for cover. One of them fell over. Tar had never actually killed Humans before now. There'd been no need to; her time with the Silent Shadow remnants had been exclusively focused on killing Brutes. She found these Human warriors to be quite disappointing so far. She'd simmed against ODSTs and other Human elements in Paxopolis, but that'd been in a carefully controlled environment. This was real. "Moving!" Tar announced, mostly out of necessity. The crate she'd hidden behind had practically fallen apart. She got up and stepped into a 'corridor' between two rows of crates leading to the other side of the room. She spotted a Human with a SAW at the opposite end of the corridor just as they opened fire. Tar only made it forward one row before ducking back behind another stack of boxes. "I'm pinned, how is my right side looking?" Tar asked, partly to herself as she peeked around the other side of the box and partly to Aegis team, who would have a more holistic view.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko "They're giving ground already?" Yalu asked himself. "That chieftain was clear, but..." His eyes dilated in realisation. Shortly before Tar was fired upon by the human with the assault weapon, Yalu was already loping into a broad sprint down the right flank, sliding to a stop facing to one side. The human gunner flowed into his sights and five plasma rounds shot towards his centre. "'Mdalak! Right side clear!" He hesitated, not yet seeing any sign of a jammer, let alone any extra movement on his motion sensor yet. "This feels like a lure!" He added over a growl. Yalu kept his wits, trying to listen and feel more than see. Brutes liked activate camouflage in packs, and this valley between the walkways was perfect for their prey.</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan The two folded into the Aviza brute-killing group (foreshadowing) as they began their descent into the corridor, it would only be a matter of time before they would go toe to toe with a huge group of bad guys. Elna kept her head on a swivel looking around, looking like a paranoid bat of some sort as she expected for Rebels to come flying off the walls. For Roy (Ray) though it would just be another series of motions and actions he would be forced to go through, the two treaded through before Aviza called for contaaaaact! Roy moved forward and jumped behind hard cover before getting up to fire at the rebels. Elna also followed quickly planting herself up against hard cover as she got her Br-55 up and sent rounds down range towards the rebels and it was only a matter of time before they routed and ran away! Aviza quickly corpsed a flanking brute, taking him out without an ounce of remorse. The whole group began to rout but not in full, it could of been a trap - maybe it was? They were nowhere near the crates at this time so they could possibly be safe, though Ray kept his finger on the trigger. "Keep an eye out Corporal, thinks aren't as they seem." Elna returned a curt nod towards the spook she babysits, both got up and returned fired onto some nearby rebels quickly killing them as they stepped out of cover.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Situational awareness is crucial upon the field of battle, Spartan Aviza had learned this through many years of not only combat training but also experience in live fire situations. Unfortunately, it appeared that some of the other members of her immediate squad had either forgotten this important tactic or were more brazen and impatient than the others. To Aviza, is was clear that the hostiles had set up some kind of trap for them, though she was unsure what that trap would be. Perhaps they were trying to lure some of the forces into an area then cut them off from the others with some sort of energy barrier? That would make them easy to overwhelm, and the hostile forces on the other side would have to somehow deactivate the shield before being able to assist. Whatever their plan was, Spartan Aviza was not about to let any harm come to those under her command. Quickly, Aviza gave orders to the two had moved away from the rest of the squad, "Why are you advancing into what is most likely a trap? What happens if you two get cut off from the rest of the squad and we can not help? I want both of you back to my position immediately, the rest of us will provide cover and then try to find out what they have planned for us ahead." Spartan Aivza hoped that there was still time for the two Sangheili to correct their mistake, if not, the situation at hand was about to get much worse.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai There was some delay in the response from the enemy. They waited behind cover on the far side of the room, only giving token return fire as they waited for their attackers to take the space they had given up. However, Aviza did not give the order to advance, and the delay would give some time to try and retreat back to her position. When it became clear that their attackers had, for the most part, not taken the bait, the Chieftain let out a roar. Right away, Brute stalkers, four at least, emerged from active camouflage on the walkway directly above the team's position. They did not have an angle to shoot down on Aviza or those who stayed back, but Tar and Yalu were within their sights. Two opened fire with spikers, while the other two tried to throw incendiary grenades to block their retreat. It was, indeed, an ambush, though it was far from ideal for the Brutes, as both of the Sangheili were still fairly close to Aviza's position. In any case, the Chieftain's roar had been the signal for an all-in attack. The Brutes started charging from far across the room through the crates, while the Human rebels positioned themselves to provide supporting fire. Although, they did have a fair amount of ground to cover to cross the entire length of the room.</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Enemy Stronghold Grikgar shifted quickly from one point of cover to the next. "Copy Grik be careful now. Many explosions good for Grik but not good for everyone else." Getting to the pillar next to the Spartan Grik nodded and activated the shield he got from the jackal. The bright orange glow of the shield illuminated his position in time for the machine gun to open up on his position. "Grikgar create opening for Spartan." Turing from cover his shield flared then broke along with his energy shield, Grik gar was only able to get two shots off with an unsteady hand before diving back into cover. "Shields recharging." What a rush, a bit risky but a rush all the same.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Tasuma --- The detonation of Tasuma's fuel rod blast was the signal for Vael as well. While Ryker and Grikgar fired from above on the right flank, Vael moved in on the left flank. He initially moved in under the cover of active camouflage. The imperfect invisibility could be spotted at such close range, but in this case, he only needed it to give him a few moments to approach while his enemy was otherwise occupied. For Vael, he was able to rush in to close the gap on the left pillar while the rebels were hiding from Tasuma's fuel rod. By the time one of them peered out and spotted the shimmering in the air, he was already upon them. His blade ignited mid-swing, and the body of the Human he was looming over put up no resistance as it cleaved through. The second rebel behind the pillar did manage to land a few SMG rounds on Vael in the second or two he had to react, but it was far from enough to break the Sangheili's shields before his body too was pierced by the energy sword. Ryker was correct that the remainder of the rebels were trying to move into the hall. They no longer had much of a defensive position, and those that were left were willing to retreat. The volume of plasma bolts from Grik, couples with accurate DMR fire from Ryker, put on them a great deal of pressure. Three made a run for the door while firing blindly back at the pair, and two went down before they could make it into the hall. For the few that remained pinned behind the right pillar, another fuel rod from Tasuma landed directly beside them. When there were no more left to retreat, the rebels closed and locked down the door to the hallway. It would only delay their team for a short time if they decided to pursue, but it would let the rebels put some distance between them. However, Vael had other priorities than ordering a chase. As soon as the room was cleared, he ran back to the center to the nearest crate. Their objective had been to find the armory, so using his strength to simply pry open the lock, Vael pulled open one of the crates to see its contents. Unfortunately, it was not weapons within, but rather sealed, packaged foodstuffs. He let out an irritated growl and flared his mandibles. "This is not the armory. Fall back, and we will rejoin the others."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker {Copy, coming down.} Turning to the Unggoy, he nodded before heading for the ramp back down. "Sounds like we didn't get the fun objective. Squad lead says back to the split." Obviously the walk back down the ramp was going to prove far less dangerous and the trip back out of the room, but that didn't bother the SPARTAN-IV. It gave them time to strategize and re-establish contact with Aviza's team, though he wasn't sure that they'd answer if they were in the midst of a fire fight. Reaching the bottom of the ramp, Ryker took up a position looking down the hall from the door way. "That sure was an awful lot of fight for some food stuffs. Are we sure they're nothing special?" It wasn't an uncommon thing for things like food stuffs to be used as IEDs, especially with the peacetime they were in and the shortages some sectors were facing. Then again, if they'd been rigged, suppose the Innies would have detonated the stash then and there and there'd have been no firefight like there was. Still, perhaps having a bomb removal team come through and check wouldn't hurt in the post-operation. "Ready to move when you are squad lead."</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern The first thought that ran through Aviza's mind as soon as she witnessed Spartan Rex receive the devastating blow from the Brute Chieftains Gravity hammer was immediate medical attention for what was most likely a life threatening injury. She knew this could not be done in their current situation, given the circumstances and the obvious threat that was still prevalent. With very few options available at the moment, Aviza sprinted forward towards her fallen Spartan, only coming to a stop when she arrived by his side. "Shih, I need a full scan of Spartan Rex, or as detailed as you can give. Once that is done, I want you to send a message to the Chorus of Thunder and inform them that we have injured and will need a fully detailed medical team on standby once our mission here is finished." For the moment, Aviza's Argus armor was informing her that she still had a few more seconds before she had to actually face the Brute Chieftain in combat, but a few seconds was all she needed to at least attempt to stabilize Spartan Rex. Quickly reaching onto the advanced medical kit she kept on herself at all times, Aviza produced a biofoam dispenser and was about to place it back inside of the medical case when she witnessed the Chieftain slam his hammer down at the feet of Tar, thankfully no energy wave was dispensed. With some quick thinking, she tossed the biofoam canister at the Brute Chieftains head and then rapid fired the underslung shotgun upon her MA5D Assault Rifle untill the eight round clip ran dry and had to be replaced. If this did not severely injure the Brute Cheiftan, they would be in serious trouble. Thankfully though, Aviza found an opportunity to assist Tar, and grabbed onto the back of her armor, pulling her back and away from the Brute and helping her onto her feet before once more turning to face the Brute Chieftain.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak The Brute Chieftain recoiled under the barrage of shotgun shells, but possessed the presence of mind to raise the bulky armour plate attached to his left arm. It absorbed some of the impact, shattering to pieces. The Chieftain issued a guttural, gurgling roar. He raised his hammer off the floor, jabbing it straight out in front of him at Aviza before lurching round and swinging it in a wide, brutal arc at Yalu as he rushed in from behind. The Elite's battlecry had obviously alerted the Chieftain to the danger. Tar sprung to her feet with Aviza's interrupted help. She dodged the Chieftain's savage jab, aided by the fact she wasn't the principal target. As soon as the Brute turned his back to pound Yalu, Tar jumped forward and clambered up his back. She reached for her holstered energy sword, intent on ramming it through a chink in the Brute's neck armour. Before she could, the Chieftain's head jerked backwards in a panicked motion; his helmet smashed into her face. One of Tar's feet slipped, and she was forced to quickly put both hands back on the Brute's armour to avoid falling off and being trampled. She tried to grab her sword again.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai As tough as its defenses were, the Brute Chieftain was not invincible. At least, not any longer. With his shields now depleted, his armor had to handle the incoming fire. Many pellets from the shotgun blasts either deflected off of the armor or was stopped by it, but each shot weakened his defenses, and some broke through. It might have been hard to notice in the chaos of battle, but bright red blood dripped from some holes in the Jiralhanae's armor plating. Had the Brute's ambush not been discovered, or his allies not taken so many casualties when they tried to rush across the room, they might not have been able to place as much focus on the chieftain himself. Alone, the chieftain could be overwhelmed from all angles. Still, in his blood rage, he may not have even been aware he was essentially alone, and he would be fighting to his last breath. Tar nearly knocked him off of his feet when she jumped on him from behind, but he managed to keep standing. In a rage, he let out a roar as he managed to reach up over his shoulder to grab a hold of Tar's arm. He had her in a vice-grip, and despite his unfavorable leverage, his raw strength was not something to be ignored. Although, in his struggle against Tar, he could not focus on many other threats.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko THUD! The chieftain's hammer slammed into the forerunner floor. Yalu rolled back to his feet in a low stance. A moment too late reading the brute's wide step around and he could have been crushed. Perhaps if the hammer was still powered it might have broken his bones anyway. Yalu raised his carbine and took no shots. With 'Mdalak thrashing around on the brute's back, he didn't want to risk it. He shuffled around for just a moment, dancing around any errant one-handed swings of the hammer. Tar's situation presented Yalu's opening. He thrust the barrel of his carbine up into the cheiftain's armpit -- belonging to the arm that held Tar -- and pulled the trigger. It was the last slug in his magazine.</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Enemy Stronghold The fighting slowly subsided as the rest of the rebels were slaughtered or ran through another fortified door. The other fighters seemed to be ok or at least not seriously injured. Grik was watching around the room as Vael seemed to check a crate but judging by the growl it wasn't what we were looking for. Once the order to retreat was given the grunt was quick to fall back to the door they entered and checked his ammunition. He still had one explosive charge, 2 grenades, one and a half magazines for the cannon but both his pistols were below half. "Will need to rearm soon but Grik is ready to regroup with other team." He called out then with his plasma pistol in one hand and the reignited jackal shield in the other, the grunt began to make his way back to where the two groups split up in the first place. The Unggoy was still aware that the enemy could be waiting around any corner but by the sound of fighting down the hall he knew the other team was still fighting.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar growled threateningly, leaning over the table towards Ethat. Both of her hands rested back in the divots she'd created; the stanchions screeched in complaint. When she spoke, her voice wasn't raised anymore, but soft and laced with poison. "Then your warriors had best remember to stay in line - behind me." Tar pushed off from the table and stalked out of the briefing room along with the rest of Aegis team. The last thing she wanted was a lecture from Spartan Ryker, and she made that abundantly clear through her body language, though no doubt the Human wouldn't pick it up. "Don't concern yourself with my welfare, Ryker." She growled. Martialling all her discipline, Tar tried to make the best of the Spartan's obvious investment in this operation by sharing what really puzzled her: "I know my brother. This treachery was always in his heart, but Uztel wouldn't readily plunder our world. Something doesn't smell right - I need to talk to him, before I kill him." A pair of facility orderlies pressed their backs firmly against the wall to let them pass. "Can I count on you, Ryker? It has to be me who confronts him - if I fall, don't let ONI take him. Brissekh will fall apart without blood continuity. It's the only thing holding us together."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Hekar Taa-pattern Blockade Runner Magnificent Defiance, low-Earth orbit --- Given that they would be leaving that day, Aegis team were encouraged quickly into the pelican, though once they were aboard the Blockade Runner, they would be able to do as they saw fit until they arrived at Brissekh. Covenant slipspace drives were far superior to the traditional Human Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engines. Journeys that, before the reverse-engineering of Forerunner slipspace technology, took Humans months, the Covenant could complete in minutes to hours. Brissekh was not too far outside Human territory, so it would only take a few hours to reach their destination. They would likely be waiting longer than that for the rest of the fleet to be ready to start the diversion. Although a corvette by Sangheili standards, the Blockade Runner in orbit, Magnificent Defiance, was even larger than the Autumn-class heavy cruiser they had used during their first mission. As the loading ramp of the pelican opened, they were greeted with a curious mixture of UNSC and Swords personnel and equipment. Sangheili and Unggoy crewmen coordinated with Human marines to organize the vehicles and equipment that were being delivered by a constant stream of cargo pelicans. Obviously, the ship did not have proper storage facilities for Human equipment, not to mention differing organizational conventions between their two militaries, so there were no doubt no shortage of logistical issues for the two groups to iron out. Fortunately, that particular task did not fall to Aegis team. Before leaving the pelican, Ethat sent each member of the team a map of the ship highlighting relevant areas. Quarters, mess hall, training rooms, and likely most relevant, the armory with their equipment. Given that they would not be staying on the ship long before the start of the mission, they would not likely need to stray far if they did not wish to.</s> <\|message\|>Johnathan Philip Flint (Goes by J.P. or Flint) Flint --- Flint got word that he was going to be joining Aegis Team about seven days prior to being needed on the blockade runner Magnificent Defiance. Needless to say he was in a whirlwind trying to pack everything and get flights lined up so he didn't miss the bird out there. Once he was on the pelican headed to the Corvette he finally took a moment to relax. The pelican they ended up throwing him on was outfitted to be carrying strictly cargo, all except for the one seat bolted to the wall he can only assume was reinstalled just prior to take off for none other than himself. Everything else in the bay was inside some sort of packaging or was covered so he couldn't get a good look at what all he was surrounded by, not that it really mattered, it just would have helped him pass the time if he had something to look at and ponder about. Post flight Flint walked out of the pelican with all his gear in tow. He could already tell he would be enjoying his new position. He was literally standing in a fully operational covenant corvette. His hands itched to start tearing it apart and figuring out what made it tick, but of course, that wasn't what he was here for. He reported in to the receiving officer, a freshly commissioned lieutenant who seemed to still be learning his position. Flint waited patiently as the Lt. figured out where he would be staying. Eventually he was given directions to some personal quarters and shown where the armory was so that he could drop off his things. He landed only a few hours ahead of the team so he didn't have much free time once he stowed all his belongings, be it in the armory or his temporary personal quarters. He was notified to report to the hanger that Aegis Teams pelican would be landing in any minute now. Flint headed to the bay in his uniform trousers and a combat top, M6S strapped to his leg. By the time be reached the hangar he could already see the pelican on approach, he picked up his pace to a light jog as the hanger crew guided the pilots and set the bird down. Flint started rounding the back end of the pelican just as the rear hatch disengaged and started to lower.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Throughout all of Tar's speaking, Lucas didn't interrupt or reply, instead opting to let the Sangheili female get it all off her chest. However, when she asked for his word to keep ONI's claws off of her home, he nodded. "Stopping ONI from doing something? You can bet I'm all for doing so, without hesitation." --- The transition to the blockade runner was done without much celebration or pomp and circumstance, which fit the SPARTAN-IV just fine as under the radar is the best way for their team to operate. As he walked off the pelican, not noting the person approaching from one side and the front of the pelican, he started to ponder how the others would handle working underneath Commander Vael'Virisusai. In the interim since now and their last mission as Aegis, Ryker had worked almost exclusively under the Sangheili warrior. And while he had plenty of prior experience working primarily with the members of the Sangheili race, working directly under one had been both different and educational. So long as everyone could follow orders and do their part, he didn't imagine there would be many issues. However, as he headed for the armory to check on his weapons and make sure it was all up to par and clean, he couldn't help but wonder how well the human members of the team who hadn't worked under Sangheili before would take it.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Being aboard the Blockade Runner once again brought Vael back to familiar territory. Time spent among Humans was often spent in cramped quarters among suspicious and unusual people, so being back on a Sangheili vessel was something of a relief. Granted, Blockade Runners were somewhat uncomfortable even among Sangheili. The scented air and constant subsonic sounds of the vessel were not present on the Covenant vessels most Sangheili had been accustomed to serving on. There were still vessels from the Covenant among their fleet, but as they could not be replaced, more traditional Sangheili designs had come to the forefront the longer this war lasted. They tended to have less refined efficiency, relying more on sheer power in weapons, propulsion, and other systems. A lack of safeties meant that ships such as this could be pushed beyond the limits of Covenant vessels, but for less experienced crews, that made catastrophic failures more likely. Stepping out of the pelican, Vael did notice a Human standing nearby, seemingly waiting for them. Ethat had already handled directing them to necessary locations around the ship, though it was possible that the Humans had some matter of importance for them. The UNSC was also contributing soldiers, vehicles, and equipment to this mission. Out of Aegis team, Vael was the first to approach the Human. He was small, even by their kind's standards: a fact that became all the more prominent as Vael towered over him. "You have something to say, Human?" He asked.</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Sangheili Corvette The sea food was just as good the last time he was here and again the Unggoy almost got their group kicked out due to his voracious appetite and messy table manners. Honestly he knew he did get a little excited, this particular human food was his favorite but due to its tendency to spoil easily he did not find it very often on other worlds or stations. It seemed they got pulled away just in time to their meeting, he was sure that the next time he arrived here there would be a sign for no Unggoy. The meeting was rather standard, go in after covenant, loosen their foot hold, and turn the populace against them. The specifics where a little different but it was standard for what he was used too. Grik knew he would have to tread lightly on this one as one of the team was directly involved with it. The Sangheili pilot they picked up on the first mission they had. She was resourceful as were all the team members but this one also had a youthful energy about her that was honestly refreshing. These where all Grik's observations as he hadn't talked to her too much before he had to leave. The Unggoy could only wonder how this mission would be interesting compared to his many other missions. His mind drifted back to his time on his home planet and the vehicle he brought from there. This kept him quiet on the pelican trip up to their blockade runner. A sleek but powerful corvette new and unusual ship types where not unaccustomed to him as he was born on a ship. The human presence on it was staggering. This time they really would have better support than the last one. Grik stepped off the pelican behind Vael and looked at the human before them. Looking to Ryker as he headed off into the ship for a moment then again back to the human. He wasn't a Spartan or an ODST, those humans had more of a presence about them, and he didn't have the weird look of an ONI agent. Was this one a messenger perhaps or a human with a grudge? Grikgar knew the humans had that feeling in the back of their minds that came out when they were indulging in alcohol or drugs. The Ultra stood quietly by Vael curious to see what he had to say before he would go off to check on his new toy in the vehicle bay.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael took the driver's seat of one of the spectres himself. It was going to be a long drive, so he wanted to be sure that each one was taken by an experienced driver. He did not want any delays in getting to their objective ,if they could be avoided. Although, he did still decide to defer to Tar to lead their convoy. Being a local, she had more intimate knowledge of the environment and terrain, especially surrounding the keep. He believed it would be wise to take advantage of her experience. "Check your maps. Our objective is located on a plateau in the mountains near the keep. Once we come close enough, we will proceed on foot up the mountain. We will establish the communications jammer for the Human construct to use to cut off the cannon's guards from the keep. Should we be detected, we must ensure there are no survivors to report our presence." Vael explained as he prompted Tar to take the lead. --- Although they had to move through a forest, the spectres were maneuverable enough that the team started out making good time. Once they came to a small river they could follow, they were even able to press on at full boost for over ten minutes straight. Naturally, the closer they came, the more cautious they would need to be. However, before the cannon's defenders could even begin to be a problem, there was another obstacle manifesting around them. The rainstorm surrounding them did not subside. Far from it, the storm grew ever stronger as time passed. Heavy rain turned into a torrential downpour, deafening thunder followed cracks of lightning every few seconds, and winds picked up to the point that the rain was falling near horizontally. The storm was strong enough that the spectres started to tilt in the wind. Vael had to turn his vehicle into the wind at an angle just to keep going straight, which only added to the issue of poor visibility. Vael could just barely make out the glow of the gravity propulsion drive of the spectre ahead of him. For those on the turrets, and especially the side passengers, it would be a struggle just to hang on.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar swore as her Spectre creaked again, trying to fly away in the howling wind. She was taking on a worrying list; her engines whined as she turned the front into the wind and squeezed every ounce of power from them. "Lean into it or we'll go over!" She bellowed at her passengers. Rain splashed directly into her face off the front hull of the Spectre. "We should find shelter. This is the rainy season - the worst could still come!" Tar knew all too well the perils of braving events like this, especially on the exposed plateaus where they were headed. Many Sangheili had spilled their blood on the rocky outcrops below. She frantically cast her eyes around for somewhere they could go while trying to control her Spectre. Visibility was almost nil outside the basin they had been riding through. Then Tar saw the dark green vines plastering the forest floor on one side. She knew immediately what that meant. "Up on our left! There's a cave system!" Tar called, pointing with her free hand.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu kept his hand calmly hovering over the emergency brake every moment he could. Lower visibility meant following closer behind the commander's Spectre. The speed they were keeping up did not help the risk either. Though, he did not falter — he was not on the team for being an average driver. Tar's directions caused Yalu to bank hard to turn in her new direction. He made the repulsors weaken to almost nothing as the wind turned his vehicle into an aerofoil for a moment. It was all he could do not to have the whole thing flip over and injure his passengers. He said nothing but a quick acknowledgement to keep down on radio chatter. His questions and concerns about the weather would have to wait.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker "Son of a bitch!" The sudden gust of wind nearly tore the SPARTAN-IV from his seat on the Spectre and he find himself stowing his rifle just to find a better grip. If Tar hadn't already suggested finding cover, he would have just based on the fact the storm hadn't abated but had, instead, gotten stronger. When they got close enough to the caves, Ryker was tempted to get off and run in on his own, but with as strong as the wind was, he questioned if he'd even land on the ground. Infiltrator Comi'Masam More experienced with being a passenger on a Spectre in poor weather than her Spartan compatriot was, Comi had stowed her weapon away when the weather first showed signs of getting worse instead of better and hugged the hull of the vehicle as much as she could, throwing her weight behind any adjustments that were made in order to help stabilize the vehicle as much as possible. The storm they were in now reminded her of some of the worse rainstorms of her childhood, but they had never gotten worse with time, only better, though the rain would often persist for days at a time. "We need a new plan of action, Commander!"</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- For Vael, he knew when to take charge himself, and when to defer to the expertise of others. In this case, he knew they could not continue making progress in this storm, and Tar was the one with the local knowledge to help them navigate to safety. Even when speaking through the team's communications channel, it was somewhat difficult to hear over the roar of the storm just outside their helmets. "We cannot stay in this storm; we will wait it out in the caves." He ordered. Even at low speeds, it was still a challenge just to drive. At one point, a powerful gust of wind pushed against Vael's spectre from the side and forced the side of his canopy into a tree. Fortunately, at such low speeds, it did not cause real damage, but it did illustrate the danger the storm presented. Had he hit somewhat farther back, his passenger's leg could have been crushed. "Tar, guide us into the caves! We need to shelter our vehicles as best as we can as well. We will need all of them to make it to our destination."</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar responded quickly to the orders, banking her Spectre to match where her finger was pointing. The right side of her vehicle clipped a tall tree where she'd under-compensated for the wind. Her Spectre swung the opposite way, towards Yalu's craft that had turned off earlier. Tar yanked on the controls and they peeled away from each other after a light bump on opposite wings. She activated the boost and her Spectre whooshed up the side of the basin towards the caves. The underside of her vehicle clattered against the forest floor, drawing a few horrendous scraping sounds which reverberated up into Tar's legs. The wind plastered wet leaves, mud and small animals to the hull as she drifted around another tree with spiky purple leaves. "We're close; up here!" Eventually, the basin wall levelled out onto a small ridge. In the middle, two black cave entrances, surrounded by lighter rock, hunched against the storm. The same dark green vines Tar had seen down in the basin evidently originated from these caves, as they crept across the rock, nestled into natural grooves. The tendrils were thick and fewer, which indicated to Tar that this was an older specimen. Still alive and dangerous though, as shown by the small pink flowers dotting the vines. She'd alert the others once they'd parked - no sense in complicating things. "Let's shelter inside!" Tar recommended, moving her Spectre towards one of the dark cave entrances.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael followed behind Tar as best as he could, given the circumstances. He had to stay close enough to keep the glow of the spectre's engines in view, regardless of how the winds wanted to push them. They were moving into the wind at this point, so Vael had to periodically use the vehicle's boost to regulate his speed, which was a challenge in variable winds. As they headed up the basin, Vael was just able to keep up long enough to come within sight of the cave entrances. Approaching the mountain did reduce the headwind, though ironically, that caused just as many problems on approach. Vael had been boosting into the wind, so as that wind weakened, his approach ended up faster than he intended. He reacted quickly, pulling back and to the side to slow his speed, though the side of his canopy still ended up scraping against the cave wall through some of the vines. His passengers might have been shaken up somewhat, but it was at least not a dangerous collision. Vael pulled back away from the wall and brought his spectre to a stop. They were finally out of the rain, though he was not going anywhere at that very moment. "Stay on the spectres until all of us have come to a stop." He ordered. If any of the others came in as quickly as he had, then it would be easy for anyone standing around to be crushed.</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Waiting in a cave Rough insertion, fast cars, and bad weather. What more could a grunt ask for other than maybe some food. The high humidity and low temperature was familiar and unwelcomed by the grunt. Preferring warmer climates to the bitter cold of frozen planets or the vacuum of space was nice. The storm would also help to mask their approach but make his life currently a bit more uncomfortable. Grik chose the right side of Veal's specter the grav boots he had requisitioned for his updated combat harness was something he was glad he added. Sticking to the side of the thing in a spot meant for Elites was not an easy feat even with them. With a plasma pistol in one hand and his other grappling the side of the vehicle he was satisfied with his placement. The demolitionist couldn't wait for the anti-air cannon to be taken off line. Its destruction would mean that the Goblin would be dropped off with their assortment of fighting vehicles. This would be the first official test of the mech's ability's in a combat situation and he was very excited for it. All he had to do now was hold on and wait for the others.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael heeded the advice of the others. A sudden shift in the storm could easily worsen their situation, so they needed to act quickly. "Come, follow quickly. There are some rocks closer, at the base of the ridge, we may use for cover." He ordered. Visibility was particularly terrible, but a combination of sensors and multiple perspectives from the team did reveal some about the area ahead as they moved down the ridge. Obviously, the most prominent feature was the anti-air cannon itself. The weapon was massive, as it had to be powerful enough to be able to damage capital ships. Given the rough, uneven terrain of the mountains, it was placed on a large, artificial platform. They could also make out multiple structures on the platform as well, in which most of the guards were likely taking shelter from the storm. If, for any reason, they ended up alerting the enemy, it was from there that they would need to expect reinforcements. Currently, there were only a few hostiles out patrolling on the platform. All seemed to be Unggoy that were unlucky enough to be burdened with the duty in the storm, and even they were trying to take cover as best as they could against the winds. The storm certainly would impact their perception, but unfortunately, it also meant that they would be more alert than they might have otherwise been, if only for the fact that they could not sleep if they wanted to. The winds and rain would severely limit the effectiveness of active camouflage, so it would not be effortless to walk past them unseen. There were only a sparse few objects surrounding the cannon at the moment. Anything not secured to the platform had likely been moved inside before the storm. For the most part, it was an open, flat area. "We must decide how to sabotage the weapon. Anything we do cannot be detected before it is time for the attack on the Keep. Your…engineer can do this, yes?" Vael said, glancing down to Flint. "Or we can simply plant a powerful enough remote explosive, if we can place it somewhere it will not be seen."</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: the climb The climb up out of the cave and to the top of the ridge was difficult even for him. His species had natural enhancements that helped them climb but even climbing up this he could feel his methane tank catching the gusts of wind with its bulk and pulling him off balance occasionally. When finally at the top he made sure to stay low with a hand running along the stone next to him so he had something to grab on to if he was caught in another gust. At least now that they were getting closer they could see their massive objective a bit closer now. Speaking his opinion over comms as they continued their approach, "If we are not concerned about keeping the gun mostly intact to use after this engagement. Grik believes he has enough explosives combined with the remaining magazines for his gun to destroy the platform supports or its foundations to topple the gun." He couldn't tell if the platform had supports but it was likely given the terrain being uneven. Even the subtle erosion from fresh drilling and stormy weather could assist with this plan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Shih and Vael 'Virisusai --- It took only an instant from the others' perspectives, but Shih ran as thorough of an analysis as she could on the practicality of sabotaging the platform from below. The others hardly had time to consider the suggestion before she started giving her report. "The storm is giving too much interference to my sensors for me to give a definitive answer. Whether or not an explosion of that yield could sufficiently destabilize the platform would depend on how well it is anchored. It is possible, and would certainly deal significant damage to the platform in any case, but it is possible that the cannon may remain operational." "So we could not simply place an explosive and leave. We would need to remain to ensure the cannon is disabled, and to kill any survivors." Vael remarked. "Yes, and I can jam their communications if it comes to that. As long as you leave no survivors, the Keep will not be alerted." Shih added. It seemed they did have options. Attempting stealth could allow them to silently achieve their objective without a firefight, but it was risky. Discovery would place their infiltrators in an exposed position, and they would have to fight the enemy at full strength. Opening with an explosive, even if it did not destroy the platform entirely, would still likely kill some, and disorient the rest. But, they would be guaranteed to have to fight here. "Spartan Ryker, your Forerunner sensors would make you the best suited to try to silently get close. Active camouflage will be useless in this storm, and the platform has little cover. I am not convinced that a silent approach would be best here; Grikgar's plan may be more likely to work. But, I would hear your assessment first. Vael requested. Compared to any other Human, Ryker would know best what Vael was asking for here. Unlike many other Sangheili, Vael cared little for pride when it came to strategy. He wanted to know, objectively, if Ryker believed his infiltration in this situation would be more likely to succeed than the alternative.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Recognizing what it was that Commander Vael was asking of him, Lucas sighed quietly and looked up towards the cannon, swapping modules over to the Promethean Vision and seeing what he could see, which was more than he would have admittedly given it credit for, as only heat signatures seemed to register, but even with that...We'd still need to get up the rock face, get Grikgar and his explosives in place... His brain continued to go over the details of what they would have to do in either situation and, while it couldn't do it as fast as Shih could, still came to a conclusion fairly quickly. "They're both uncertain and come with unique dangers and challenges. Mine comes from the fact that I'll be alone, Grik's has a chance of just not working like we need. So speaking objectively...I have to say stealth over chance. I've been in and out of plenty of Covenant installations, even before I was a Spartan. This? Nothing new. My concern is we know these guys are allied with the Prometheans, won't they have access to the Promethean tech as well?"</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko "We put the gun on a sudden lean, everything tips over," Yalu thought out loud. He held out his rifle horizontally in both hands, looking at it as he tilted the barrel end down. "What remains on the higher end, with their feet set to EVA combat, may fire stably down upon a stricken foe which wants for cover. A victory as swift as gravity." The suggestion had holes, Yalu knew. He was jogging tactical considerations as much as hoping such an approach might allow for a survivor or two, albeit alone in the jungle.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak While listening to the others discuss options, Tar sniffed the air and looked around. A tingle ran all the way down her arms and into her chest, taking cues from atmospheric pressure. Thinking back to when she was last here, Tar finally understood what was coming. "A rolling bank approaches… I say we use speed over stealth; take those buildings to shelter if it passes over." She scraped a couple of steps forward and looked through her carbine's scope just as the rapidly darkening sky suddenly lit up like daylight for a split-second. Tar studied the platform, looking for any signs they had been spotted. After a few seconds, a deafening boom washed over the mountainside they were on. The sky lit up again, and Tar growled. "We're exposed - whatever we do, we have to do it quickly!" The Commando looked over at the squad leader.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael heard and considered the advice of the members of his team. They all had their own expertise, and he could benefit from making use of it. Still, though they had a few options, a decision still needed to be made, especially when there was no clear "best" choice. "We cannot carry out our ambush and attempt stealth. An infiltrator would be in range of the explosives, if discovered. An ambush is the safer course. Most of their warriors will likely be in those structures on the east side of the platform. There are no guards underneath the platform, so Grikgar, you should be able to plant the charges on the supports underneath them." Pausing a moment, Vael started designating positions on the team's collective HUDs. "As Yalu suggests, we shall take positions on what will become the high ground. This ridgeline here will give a strong position for most of us. Aviza, Ryker, Yalu, take a position on the western ridge to create a crossfire. When the charges detonate, the Unggoy outside will most likely panic, so they will not be our priority. We will instead focus our fire on the exits to the structures to cut down the rest as they try to reach safety."</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: setting up for the big boom Grik nodded in agreement with Vael's decision and began to get his gear situated. Turning off his shield and camo he looked to the leader. "Ok Grik will move to the position and plant the explosives. It might take Grik a little while, might have to crawl or climb over the edge momentarily depends on cover." Turning for a moment to survey the land in front of them that he could see to plan his course accordingly. "If there is nothing else, Grik will head out now while the storm is still providing cover." The grunt sounded excited to go and blow something up. He was well aware of what he needed to do and how to do it. His low sturdy frame making the strong winds less effective against him and would help to blind the grunts on patrol if they didn't have goggles. The rocky sometimes steep terrain was well suited to his climbing ability. All he had to do was stay low and slow but still move with purpose to lay the explosives and start their assault. With the rest of his ammunition and his proximity to the structure when he arrived Grik decided that he would take a flanking position on the opposite side of the structure after the explosives were set and open fire after the others start to. Giving them a false sense of a larger force and to give them nowhere to hide.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Sitting inside of a vehicle such as the Theseus Command Mantis during a tactile insertion was always an intense experience, and one that Aviza had begun to enjoy over the last decade or so. This time around though, was slightly different due to the fact that they were being dropped from Phantoms instead of Pelicans. Still, Aviza had strapped herself in a bit more securely just in case the ride would be more turbulent or something else went wrong along the way. "All safety procedures passed, all systems are green, now we get to wait for the fun to begin." said Aziva as she leaned forward slightly and flipped a switch on the control panel in front of her. A gentle electronic hum followed before the interior screens came to life, giving the Spartan a clear view of everything out-front of her as if the reinforced platting on the outside of the vehicle was made out of glass. A few moments would pass in relative silence within the Theseus Command Mantis before Aviza not only felt the Phantom touch off but also saw the rapid deployment with her own eyes. The steep approach and high speed they were taking with the Phantoms brought a smile across the Spartans face as they approached their drop off point. With the sudden feeling of freefalling that only lasted what felt like a few seconds, the Mantis gracefully made contact with solid ground. "Over already? I was just starting to enjoy myself, makes me want to fly again." thought Aviza, though Shihi quickly responded, "I am sure you will get more chances to experience that again, or perhaps even fly something in the near future. For now though, you should focus on the objectives at hand." Using the connection from the Theseus Command Mantis to her armor, Aviza quickly turned her attention to one of the fortified positions and fired off a round from the Theseus Command Mantis's M149 Recoilless Rifle. The force from the weapon firing could be felt even from within the cockpit of the vehicle, as well as creating a could of smoke that quickly faded away due to the rain and moisture.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- The armored column had to move quickly to take advantage of the surprise they still had over their enemy. The open ground outside the walls would have made for a strong defensive position, had the city's garrison been able to see the attack coming. The plasma turrets alone atop the walls were far from sufficient to stop, or even slow down an armored assault. At the moment, they were able to push forward at max speed to close the gap to the city walls. Weapons fire from the mantis and scorpions at long range could tear apart the plasma turrets long before they could do meaningful damage to the vehicles. The plasma turrets were intended for anti-infantry or anti-aircraft roles, while other defenses would normally handle heavy vehicles. The push to the wall had been simple, with little resistance, but now that they were approaching the opening their ship had made, they were about to be stepping into much more danger. While the breach was not small, two scorpions side-by-side would only barely squeeze through. For their entire column, it was going to be a choke point. They caught a few glimpses of infantry through the opening, but machine gun fire from the scorpions forced them back into hiding. No doubt, they were scrambling to establish a defensive position inside. At the moment, the team could not know how many anti-tank weapons were already in position inside. The defenders would be scrambling to deploy them to the breach, but it had been less than a minute since landing. If they were lucky, they would be able to get a foothold inside before the enemy could arm themselves to deal with them, but the longer they took, the more the enemy would be able to fortify. "Shadows, stay back until we have a foothold inside. Everyone else, push forward!" Vael ordered. They were going to be pushing into an urban environment. The city did have streets wide enough to accommodate their vehicles, but it was still going to be far more cramped than the field they were in now. For armored units, urban fighting could be particularly dangerous, so they would need to be adaptable and alert for threats that could come from any angle. They did not know exactly what the other side of the breach looked like or where the enemy was positioned on the other side. There was only so much planning that could be done ahead of time; at a certain point, they had to adapt and improvise. How they decided to cross the choke point would be important to improve their odds.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker and Infiltrator Comi'Masam Leading a group of warthogs and a couple of other needlehogs, Ryker and Comi were already inside the breach, lighting up any infantry that they could see. However, once they were inside the walls, the needlehogs were in a very different situation, as their munitions were worthless against the walls and heavier protections offered by the urban environment. The warthogs equipped with standard armaments would have the penetration to clear out walls without having to risk their crews, but Ryker and the other needlehogs were going to have to hope they could catch the defenders between positions as they raced through the streets. {Light armor group is inside the walls and doing what we can to push back the city defenders. What's the plan for securing the buildings as we move? Needlehogs are good against infantry, but not much else.} Comi, meanwhile, was lighting up every Unggoy, Kig-yar, and Sangheili that exposed themselves long enough to take more than a couple of needles, keeping any of them holding anti-tank weaponry from getting an actual shot on both the Warthogs and the approaching scorpions and wraiths.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak As the breach was so small, a traffic jam inevitably ensued as the heavier armour filtered through into the city. Soldiers on the walls began firing small arms and chucking grenades down onto the vehicles beneath. Tar's Wraith hung back slightly and pounded the walls with blue balls of plasma. She tilted her plasma repeater as far up as it would go and sprayed the parapets, forcing some of the Sangheili there to take cover. Her shield flared as a carbine bolt pinged off the Wraith and into her face. "Clear the gap, move!" Tar yelled, ducking back down as far as she could go into her cockpit area as her gun overheated.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko With a hollow wheeze from its engine, Yalu swung his banshee around toward the walls. The close air support on his wings could fly over relative safety with all the anti air turrets on the walls blasted off their mounts, but the weather left visibility to be desired. Yalu's voice hummed quietly over the comms from the shelter of the prone cockpit. "We have the skies. Mark urgent targets for the hornets and banshees. We will be shooting down their aircraft as they come." Yalu did his friends a favour in the spare moment to do a strafing run on a parallel street to the wall to keep anti-armour teams pinned. The street lit up with rapid fire plasma bolts. No small arms fire did more than scratch at this distance. It was all he could do before enemy air support came onto the radar. He pulled up and boosted into the rain to gain altitude.</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Armored Assault on a Shadow >>> Sieging the wall Grik continued to hold onto the lead troop transport as they began to crawl closer to the walls of the city. The breach in the wall was a tight fit for the vehicles and the defenders on the wall were not going easy or breaking their spirits. Yet it did not seem like they were getting the heavy weapons they had left to bear on the advancing armored column or the vehicles pouring through the gap. Small arms and anti-tank weapons were a likely cause for the amount of fire power heading towards the breach in the wall and the city beyond. The grunt had a good opportunity in his new suit, to show off its power and maneuverability on top of not being seen on the battle field before. This was a test run for non-simulated combat. Now would be a perfect time to test out its ability to clear walls and trenches knowing that it could easily dive off the wall if it got too hot. Leaping from the troop transport, Grik began moving through the armor around him to get to the wall quicker than the transport could. Evading so many tanks and other vehicles wasn't entirely easy, he found that he had to hitch a ride here and there on a tank or two to get out of the way but eventually made it to the wall. "Lift and shift your fire on the right wall." Grik called out over the radio. Slowly and deliberately he waited for the armor to shift its fire to allow him up while pinning down enemy forces. Being mindful of being shot from the other side the goblin mech scaled the wall to the top were most of the defenders seemed to be rallying and started with a barrage of heavy needles before he even got up to the top. Following the barrage quickly up the wall and beginning to open fire on the defenders keeping an eye on his shield strength and continuing to use cover when he was able too. Hopefully this would give the vehicles more time. To get through the gap.</s>
<\|description\|>Yalu 'Suumko Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios) Species: Sangheili Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued. Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: - Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do - Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H] - A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades] - Wrist-mounted energy dagger - Whatever else is at hand Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword. Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory. Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey. Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame. Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with. After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Once Aviza had returned to her former position alongside her fellow Spartans, she would adjust herself slightly to get a better view of Aegis Team and HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6's atrium as a whole. She was used to having a visual advantage over most everyone else, and this time was no different. Once more, her arms would fold over her chest as she allowed herself to wonder when the individual who had formed Aegis Team would present themselves. Patience was one of her many strong-suits but she felt that the longer they lingered, the more of a chance there would be another occurrence. The others seemed eager to be deployed once more, and Aviza found herself mirroring this. Standing around burning the early daylight was not helping anyone. What caught her attention and firmly held it was the fact that Vael 'Virisusai, the commander in loyal service to the Swords of Sanghelios had introduced himself to Aegis Team and was now approaching her. It had been many months since she had been this close to a Sangheili, and felt herself tense slightly before relaxing, a completely unconscious reaction that had been programmed into her since the early days of when she was just a UNSC Marine. Thankfully, Vael would not be able to notice this due to the armor that she was wearing, but in normal civilian clothing, it would have been obvious and that was not something she wanted the commander to see. This was not a sign of weakness or fear, but merely part of her training, she was sure other members of the UNSC were going through the same thing. Aviza had to tilt her head back slightly to ensure she had the best optimal view of Vael who stood roughly a foot taller than her. Vael had inquired if she was the current acting leader for the present human forces, and Aviza was about to speak though was cut off as Major Alice Robinson responded for her. No, she was not the current leader of the Human contribution to the team, her reply would have been short and simple. The mention of a secure room that they would be able to enter shortly was welcomed news, it was painfully apparent that the civilians and a few UNSC officials were not comfortable with the Alien members of Aegis Team, many of them had lost friends and loved ones to the Covenant, and much animosity still remained. Aviza could not blame them for that, she had also lost friends and family during the war, but times had changed and she was willing to trust the Arbiter and his forces if Master Chief did. The arrival of the ONI field intelligence officer and his security detail was enough to pull Aviza's attention away from the conversation at hand, if only momentarily. The man who was clad in onyx armor greeted the Spartans with a smile, his counterpart did the same with a two finger salute, this was followed by a less than enthusiastic greeting to the Swords of Sanghelios. Aviza would reply with a slight wave of her left hand, but then motioned towards Vael, Major Alice Robinson, and her counterpart, attempting to inform the two newcomers that she was busy at the moment. She would then turn her full attention back to the conversation taking place. The mention of bureaucracy and ONI being inefficient caused Aviza to tilt her head slightly to the left in curiosity, she merely observed the exchange at the moment. However, once fellow Spartan Lucas had approached and explained that a bureaucracy was a pain in the ass, followed by other insults to ONI, Aviza felt like speaking but would let the ONI Brass handle the situation however they saw fit. She knew the situation was about to become very interesting.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Major Alice Robinson and Vael 'Virisusai --- Major Robinson did take the time to properly greet Cohen and Younan, but otherwise soon returned to her irritated waiting, occasionally checking in for an update through her earpiece. Unlike some of the others, she was not one for idle conversation, and most aspects of her expression made her seem unapproachable. As for patience, if she did have that quality, she did not demonstrate it in this case. After just a short while, she muttered under her breath and gave a look around, both to the gathered team, and others watching them who happened to be passing through the atrium. "I…believe I have us a room, if you could all just follow me…" Major Robinson said, despite not having been contacted with any new information, before she started walking towards one of the halls at the back of the atrium. Vael followed close behind, somewhat curious about the amount of anger she showed in her stance and walk. At least, he believed that was what he could see in her demeanor. Each species showed their emotion differently through action and movement. He was less experienced with Human emotion than most other species, but what he saw from her now was something akin to a Human soldier rushing forward into battle. Eventually, the Major guided them through the corridors to a large set of double doors, though she stopped them all just outside. "This should only take a moment. I just need you to come in with me, Vael. You need not say anything, just…stand behind me." Curiosity, perhaps more than anything, prompted Vael to nod in agreement to Robinson. That, and the desire to begin their mission. There had been enough waiting and inaction; their enemies out in the rest of the galaxy were not going to wait for their team to be ready before advancing their own goals. Robinson swiped her security card and the two doors slid open, revealing a rather sizable conference room with a large table and a holographic projector situated at its center. About half of the chairs were filled by a collection of, mostly older, men and women, not all of which were wearing military uniforms. The man that had been accompanying Major Robinson before, Jonas, was in a "conversation" with a UNSC officer. Though, considering that the officer was technically a superior to Jonas, it was a fairly one-sided conversation. "...tolerate this interruption. We still have important decisions to make here…" The officer was saying just after the door opened, though he quickly took notice of Major Robinson. "Major, this is most irregular, I…" The officer cut himself off quickly once Vael came into view behind Robinson. He had, at first, looked like he was starting to stand, but he quickly fell back into his seat. Major Robinson did not outrank the officer, and as such, she spoke with a distinctly polite, distinctly fake tone. "My apologies, I thought you were done here. We just have no choice but to use a ground floor room. If you like, I can have my associate here wait outside and…" "No, no…" The officer interjected, clearing his throat and speaking strikingly more calmly. "That is quite alright. We have just finished up here. It's time, uh, to break for lunch." With the others at the table nodding in silent agreement, they quickly moved to vacate the room. For a moment as he passed by, the officer's gaze met Vael's. In it, Vael saw the other Human emotion he was quite familiar with: fear. For Vael, it illustrated one of the most frustrating paradoxes of Humanity. As a species, they were resilient and fought against their extinction with honor, but their species seemed to be able to simultaneously produce both the bravest and most cowardly individuals in the universe. He could not understand why the honorable among them tolerated such weakness among their own kind. In any case, the team finally had a secure room to use, and Robinson was already loading up the briefing on the holographic projector. There was plenty of space for everyone, though of course, the ODSTs accompanying Tasuma would not be permitted to enter. Vael remained standing at the table just across from the Major, who took a moment to speak to him. "Vael, I am sending you a data file from your superiors. Don't worry, my people have not looked at it." She lied. Vael took out his data pad and waited a moment for it to decrypt the information. From his first impression, it seemed he had finally received all of the relevant information about the background and qualifications of the team the Swords of Sanghelios had selected for him, as well as information on their upcoming mission. As the others started to come in, the Major spoke without taking her eyes off of the computer in front of her. "Okay, this is a secure room, so you can speak freely about the team and the mission here." She said, again mostly for the benefit of the non-UNSC personnel. Once the door was closed, she continued. "Once Captain Leroux arrives, we will start the mission briefing. Obviously, this is not a standard composition for a UNSC fireteam, so we had intended to begin with War Games Simulations to allow you to build squad cohesion before your first mission. Unfortunately, certain recent events have accelerated our timetable. You're going to have to make time for training later; we'll be deploying on our first mission today."</s>	<\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu was more than happy to stand and watch the rest of the team gather. He was honestly surprised that the closest thing to an altercation was between the humans. Nevertheless, he reserved judgement for their battlefield behaviour. The only further comment Yalu gave was on the way to the meeting room, spoken in Sangheili. "Your rapport with your human friends bodes well for this venture, mgalekgolo. Perhaps the rest of us are able to win their trust as well." As they filed into the room, Yalu decided to try taking a seat at the conference table, hoping that mimicry of the humans would ease the tension. The seat was low but not impossible. He did feel more out of place than in the ship that brought him here, however. "How much time do we have?" Yalu asked Major Robinson. It was a rather sudden acceleration of matters; he wanted the pertinent information as soon as he could.</s>
<\|description\|>Yalu 'Suumko Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios) Species: Sangheili Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued. Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: - Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do - Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H] - A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades] - Wrist-mounted energy dagger - Whatever else is at hand Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword. Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory. Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey. Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame. Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with. After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker The remark draws a chuckle from the Spartan as the duo approaches the War Games simulation area, stopping to call an elevator for them. "Yeah, I imagine the thought of fighting with our crazy asses is much more appealing than fighting against us. Gotta level, fighting with a Swords spec ops team...let's say it's a welcome change of pace watching those active camo shrouded forms appear behind the enemy instead of behind a friend." Once the elevator had arrived, Lucas allowed Major Yalu'Suumko to board before he did and selected the floor it was on. "It was also very...enlightening. Seeing your people in a capacity other than as warriors and leaders. It was...pleasant."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Major Robinson --- However the team decided to spend the few hours they had, it did not take long after their departure from Earth for Major Robinson to call the team to muster in one of the hangars. With the upgraded slipspace drives that new UNSC ships, like the Chorus of Thunder, had been receiving, journeys through slipspace were no longer the time consuming voyages they had once been. Their ships could now best even Covenant ships for speed. Even aside from that, Sarcophagus was not a long jump from Sol. For any who might have had access to external windows or cameras, their arrival in the system might have seemed somewhat bizarre. Sarcophagus was a complete shell, almost unfathomably large, fully enveloping the star, and the Chorus of Thunder entered the system just outside of it. The only light came from distant stars, which was far from enough to illuminate the megastructure. From the perspective of the ship, there was only blackness on one side of them, as if all of the stars in that direction had been extinguished. Inside the hangar, there was another surprise waiting for them in the form of a vehicle that was clearly being prepped for the mission. It was a Mammoth, though nonstandard in a few obvious ways. The most notable modification was that the mini-MAC had been removed, and overall, it seemed like a somewhat stripped down, lighter version of the vehicle. Although, that did not reduce the size of the aptly-named vehicle; it would still require something like a Heron dropship just to get it to the ground. Vael was fully-equipped and ready for the mission. He had opted for his usual selection of weapons, with a carbine, plasma rifle, energy sword, and a handful of plasma grenades. Combined with his active camouflage, he could be versatile with the situations he could deal with. After the usual formalities, the Major addressed the team as a whole. "Alright, you all have the relevant mission files and you know your objective, so I will keep this brief. We've dropped out of slipspace outside the Dyson shell to avoid detection. You'll be inserting via Pelican through one of the entryways, and we'll be sending this in with you as well." She explained, gesturing to the Mammoth. "You'll need to approach from the ground to avoid detection by the Brute ships, and you'll have a bit of a drive ahead of you. This Mammoth has been modified to serve better as a mobile base for your team. It is stocked with weapons, supplies, and a pair of warthogs. Some of its heavier components have been removed to help improve its speed as much as possible. We have also installed improved communications equipment to intercept enemy communications and help you track down your targets." Once she had given her explanation, Major Robinson took a data crystal drive and handed it to Fireteam Leader Aviza. "Shih has been assigned to Aegis Team, as well. You may take responsibility for her yourself, Fireteam Leader, or assign her to another member of your team as you see fit."</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 Ben's time in the mess hall passed quickly. Grikgar went about his business with the food, and the mess the Unggoy had made was cleaned up. Quickly finishing his own meal, the Spartan-III reported to the war games deck, where he proceeded to practice his sniping skills and use of grenades. There was less time than he had anticipated, as by the time he had moved on to training in the use of the grenade launcher, Phong (who he had unmuted at this point) contacted him. "Ben, I had received a signal from Major Robinson. Please proceed to the designated hangar immediately." Not that there was much of a choice. Phong had taken the liberty of ending the simulation in any event. Quickly gathering his gear, Ben-E218 made his way to join with the rest of the team. He stopped to find Grikgar still milling around the simulator. "Come on, Grik. You can tell me all about your virtual kill count later; it's time for the meeting." He briefly paused to wonder what Covenant mission briefings were like. It was probable that the Grunts were given much less explanation than the Elites had been told. Cannon fodder only needed to know where to be pointed. Still, he supposed that a Grunt like Grik would have been considered a bit more than the usual bullet-catchers his brethren were. An elite grunt- used in the sense of superior soldier- might have been afforded at least an explanation about why he was about to die and what he had to accomplish before that happened. Sarcophagus was impressive, despite being very hard to fully see in the dark. It was almost like a gigantic bowling ball set in a badly-lit room. Ben had his sniper rifle stowed on his back, and had a designated marksman rifle and a pistol with enough ammo for an extended engagement for all firearms. Doubtlessly, this wouldn't suffice, so he brought a complement of frag grenades and a combat knife along with him. Obviously, a one-man mission was out of the question, although he was technically the only one assigned to his special mission in the event one of the team proved to be a liability. "As a reminder, the capture or corruption of a UNSC AI is unacceptable, especially for AI whose rating is above my level." It wouldn't have been the first time Ben had to destroy a smart AI. At least they knew it was nothing personal and accepted their fate, insofar as an AI could be considered a "he" or "she." Even so, he hoped it didn't come to that. So far, nothing about the mission was too exotic or difficult to comprehend, even if it took place on a rather exotic location. Get down the surface and take a mammoth to a destination, then attack.</s>	<\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Practice with one of his new Spartan teammates was just what Yalu needed. Ryker did not go easy on him, and even for a sangheili like himself it was a challenge staying ahead of where the shorter-armed human would strike next. He gathered Ryker had plenty of experience going for a quick kill rather than preserving himself for fighting in prolonged melees like Yalu was. While he was not sure how much Ryker had to learn from him, Yalu had plenty to learn from the humans. Teaming up for firefight simulations was far more even between the two of them. Yalu struggled with Ryker's battlefield slang -- as he had been with most human warriors he had encountered -- though the two of them fought with surprisingly little friction between them. After roughly an hour and a half, Yalu withdrew to study the files for their upcoming mission. The physical activity had sharpened his mind for the reading. Sequestered in his cabin, he got through plenty of dossiers before being summoned to the hanger. --- Everything was double-checked on Yalu's harness. His loadout gave him the tools he needed to fight on the move or dug in. Everything else was left to fate, as always. "Reporting for duty." Yalu addressed Major Robinson with human formalities. He fought with great willpower not to gawk at the colossal wheeled vehicle. Before the end of the war, Yalu had a low view of human technology. However, he grew to admire the size and sophistication of their ground vehicles knowing they were largely without plasma power and boosted gravity propulsion. Yalu gestured to their 'Mammoth'. "With permission to ask, how many crew are required to operate that?"</s>
<\|description\|>Yalu 'Suumko Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios) Species: Sangheili Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued. Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: - Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do - Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H] - A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades] - Wrist-mounted energy dagger - Whatever else is at hand Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword. Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory. Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey. Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame. Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with. After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.</s> <\|message\|>Tasumameyofaxre "Tasuma" Tasumameyofaxre<< Mgalekgolo Hunter >> << Autumn-class Heavy Cruiser - UNSC Chorus of Thunder >> The Mgalekgolo was pensive, entire wars had been fought over these Forerunner structures. The Covenant itself went to war with the ancient Lekgolo over the Forerunner structures over Te, and after the Covenant brought the Lekgolo into their fold. The Great War had many objectives tied to Forerunner artifacts and ruins, and after, the Covenant was destroyed. The Sangheili took their freedom back from the San'shyuum, and forming a friendship with the humans that they fought against not long ago. It seemed to Tasuma that whenever Forerunner anything was involved, great change would follow. When the team assembled to the hanger, Tasuma felt particularly alone. Before, it would always be with his bond brother. They were in constant communication, and while it was some consolation to know that Iteyi was alive and healing, the colony missed its brothers. The ODST Platoon was strange, Lt. Horn kept his troops on a tight leash. They were all so used to fighting alongside each other that they seemed more akin to a Lekgolo colony, than a unit of human warriors. They were often so rowdy, loud, and many of them liked to crowd around Tasuma. With them, it felt connected, feeling so many familiar entities around it. It reminded it of Te, a little. The Hunter looked at the Mammoth. Human war machines. They were beautiful in their own way. Practicality and usability seemed to be at the forefront of human design doctrine, and Tasuma could appreciate that. It sometimes sat down with some of the ODSTs, and listened to them discuss the many vehicles of the UNSC. It had heard of the Mammoth, supposedly a rolling firebase in of itself, armed with a 'mini-mac', a massive cannon that could fell spacebourne warships. This particular Mammoth was missing its weapon, to make it lighter and quicker. But its thick armored shell and massive wheels still provided protection and speed. Tasuma walked over to a small stack of crates near the Mammoth, marked with the symbol of the Swords of Sanghelios, and spray painted with the ODST's flaming skull droppod. It instantly knew what it was. It gently removed the tops of the three boxes, revealing its Assault Cannon, Pavise Shield, and a pouch with straps. It opened the pouch, and removed one of many rolled pieces of cloth. Tasuma unrolled it and draped the grasslands camouflage cloak over its head, shoulders and back. It wiggled its spikes, revealing that the camo cloak was cut in a way that allowed its spikes to move freely. Tasuma then strapped the pouch to its leg, and looked at the Assault Cannon and Shield. The Assault Cannon was a more modern variant, it had been using it for a number of months before joining Aegis, and along with the newer cannon, it had been given a newer version of the Pavise Shield. While Tasuma accepted the newer equipment, he only replaced his pauldron for the newer one. Opting to keep the older, longer and heavier version of the shield. It grabbed the pauldron and fastened it to its left shoulder, then placed both of its hands into the shield and cannon. Lekgolo worms flowed forward, filling the space. << Shield World 006 "Sarcophagus" >> Inside the Pelican, Tasuma's spikes were flowing freely. It was sensing its teammates around it. It was familiar with most of what was around it... Spartan-IV, Human, Sangheili, Unggoy. But some of the Spartans were different... very slightly different, but the differences didn't escape Tasuma. Were they from a different Spartan clan? And the one Tasuma had apologized to before, Aviza, it noticed the addition of something that wasn't there before. Perhaps it would ask later. "Contact!" Every Lekgolo in Tasuma's body tightened together, and in an instant the Hunter brought up its shield arm, slamming the tip of its shield into the ceiling of the Pelican, denting the metal plating. Tasuma took a step forward and braced itself, its spikes pressing flat against its back, and its gun arm pressing against its chest. Tasuma felt the drop ship rock back and forth, then there was a lurch. "We're hit strap in!" Not long after, the Pelican hit the ground. Another lurch, with violent shaking as the Pelican skidded. All the while Tasuma stood unmoving, having braced itself well. When the shaking stopped, Tasuma removed its shield from the ceiling, then approached the rear exit in a combat stance, assault cannon at the ready. Tasuma's spikes slowly rose to a threatening height, and it growled. While it didn't know how Aviza or Vael would command the team, it did know how a common Sangheili Commander in the Covenant Era would face the situation... likely with Unngoy and Kig-yar moving out first to attract fire, leaving the Sangheili, and Sharpshooter Kig-yar to destroy the Sentinels. It also knew how Lt. Horn would react, likely having some of his troops rip out armor paneling from the Pelican to use as shields, and then to destroy each Sentinel with focused massed fire. But with Tasuma... "Enemy, I attract. On your ready." Tasuma spoke.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Admittedly, Lucas hadn't anticipated any issues arising as the team boarded the Pelican and each found seats. As he settled into his own pre-mission flight routine, he pulled his sidearm free of its holster and started to disassemble it in his lap and reassemble it. He proceeded to do this several times over the course of the flight before finally reassembling it one last time and holstering it again before pulling one of his modified energy daggers free and activating it, letting the crimson colored energy hum quietly as he flipped the blade around in his hand. It was a joint Sangheili and human design that had only been issued to a handful of specialist SPARTAN-IVs with orders to give regular updates on things such as strange fluctuations within the blade, if it cuts out mid-combat, performance against other shielded enemies, such as Sangheili loyal to the Remnant, and other such odds and ends. Sending the regular reports back to the eggheads was somewhat obnoxious, but making the design more stable, and therefore more readily available to the rest of the Swords and Human military, was an important thing to do. Finishing the usual non-combat observations, he deactivates the blade and stores the hilt and starts filing away the usual report to be sent at mission completion after he'd had a chance to confirm the usual combat effectiveness when the pilots shout "Contacts!" Report filing forgotten, Lucas is already moving between members of the team to make sure their harnesses are secure before swiftly moving and securing himself. "Fireteam secure, Team Leader!" And not a moment too soon as he felt the Pelican shake from impact. The sound of the Mgalekgolo securing itself in place was startling, but not unexpected given it was too large to actually use the seats in the transport, but it was certainly unorthodox and an issue that they should address before the next mission. Bracing in his seat, the SPARTAN-IV rattled a bit with the rough landing, but other than that was fine and as soon as the ship quit sliding, was unhooked and had the twin SMGs in his hand. Vael'Virisusai made a good point about the issue with the precision weaponry against the Sentinel plating, but then, there was always another option, which admittedly required an answer to his question. "Are we looking at a group of Sentinels or a swarm? If it's a swarm, we may want to just get to the Mammoth and hope it's got enough turrets on it."</s>	<\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu's hands tightened on his seat. If there was any downside to human flight technology, it made Yalu feel the sudden lack of weight as they descended. He recited a mantra courage in his mind that kept his emotions level and cut off for every moment out of his control. They landed, roughly. They were jostled. The screaming metal ran out of momentum. One second passed before Yalu unbuckled himself in a precise flurry. He pulled his carbine out from his back when he joined the others scanning the exits, but had an idea when Vael gave his orders. "Noted, commander!" Yalu said, slinking over to the tripod-mounted machine gun secured to the loading ramp. While his comrades-in-arms before Aegis were content to tear such weapons from their swivels, Yalu took the extra second to squat and pull the quick release loose to slide it free. He hefted the three barrelled weapon around to stride heavily towards the door. "Ready." All Yalu needed was a moment to spin up while the hovering sentinels were distracted.</s>
<\|description\|>Yalu 'Suumko Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios) Species: Sangheili Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued. Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: - Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do - Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H] - A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades] - Wrist-mounted energy dagger - Whatever else is at hand Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword. Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory. Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey. Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame. Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with. After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.</s> <\|message\|>Tasumameyofaxre "Tasuma" Tasumameyofaxre<< Mgalekgolo Hunter >> << Shield World 006 "Sarcophagus >> The team worked well together, fanning out and splitting into teams quickly as the leader ordered. Surprisingly it wasn't just Grik to be beside him. Spartan Ryker was behind Tasuma not far behind, and the Spartan finished off the two sentinels that the Hunter had weakened. As the Hunter shielded itself from one beam attack, the Spartan peaked around Tasuma and emptied his SMG magazines into the attacking drone. "I got your six, Tasuma. Wouldn't do to not have each other's backs, right?" The Spartan said. Tasuma let out an agreeable grunt, the Spartan was correct. Another sentinel aimed at Tasuma, this time at its rear, but this seemed like a coordinated attack. Multiple sentinels attacked their group, one fired a beam towards Grik, and another, already damaged, dived towards them. A second Spartan leapt to Tasuma's defense, taking a beam to the shields, allowing Tasuma to act. It fired a burst of incendiary gel bolts at the the sentinel firing at Grik, the bolts tracking and smacking against its shield, depleting them. Tasuma had no time to finish it off, it would have to rely on its team for that. Tasuma turned its attention to the diving sentinel, waiting a second for the right moment, then it lifted its shield and swung it. The two ton shield smashed against the damaged sentinel with a loud clang, sending it careening away several meters and into the dirt.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker The left SMG came alive once more to gun down the Sentinel that was firing on Grikgar just before its beam reached the Unggoy and he shifted targets quickly, the remainder of the SMG's magazine went into the next Sentinel to come into the Spartan's sight along with most of the right SMG's. He fired the remaining rounds at an approaching Sentinel to make it veer off before he reloaded. "We should fall back some, use the Pelican's troop bay as a holding point til the mammoth gets here." Another Sentinel came at the group, but it made the mistake of passing too close to Lucas, who caught its underside and swung up on top of it before plunging the wrist mounted energy dagger into it. After gliding a few more feet, it fell to the ground and slid a few feet as Ryker leapt off. Once it stopped, he sliced it open with the self-same energy dagger and pulled out its weapon. "If more are moving into position around us, we might be in trouble. I've seen swarms incinerate large ships with a combined blast."</s>	<\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko The new sentinels sweeping up over the terrain were not close enough for Yalu's machine gun to focus on. Their shields radiated with stray hits but the spread bullets only knocked them a little off course. Then in an instant he processed a sentinel gunning for Grikgar. He hardly noticed himself whip out his carbine before his machine gun clattered, dropped at his feet. "Danger close, Ultra!" Four sharp shots went straight into the damaged sentinel's 'eye'. Gravity pulled it to the dirt, thankfully unexploded. "Enemy down!" Yalu shouted. He had his primary weapon out now. There was not a moment in the chaos to pick his machine gun back up. "These machines won't be intimidated, either!" Yalu added to Ryker's comment between downing one across under the pelican's tail, trying to cover for Commander Virisusai. Yalu put his head down and darted to the Spartan Ben to help yank up him to his feet. "Honour yourself; do not bleed!" He turned his weapon to the side and strode, scanning for more.</s>
<\|description\|>Yalu 'Suumko Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios) Species: Sangheili Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued. Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: - Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do - Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H] - A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades] - Wrist-mounted energy dagger - Whatever else is at hand Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword. Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory. Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey. Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame. Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with. After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Planets Surface Grikgar was paying close attention to the flight patterns of the surrounding sentinels. The team around him seemed to be doing rather well at choosing targets and keeping out of harm's way. The Spartans and even the other elite were calling out targets and the actions they were taking. This was no simulation but at least it showed him that they could work together. Well most of them anyways. The hunter and the other Spartans seemed to be quick to cover the blue Spartan and take out the sentinel's aiming for himself and the Lekgolo. Yet when the hunter shifted Grik could see a few small groups of circling sentinels group up just for a moment before continuing to circle. The Unggoy was quick to holster his right pistol and remove one of the plasma charges from his belt. Quickly molding it in his hand to the shape of a plasma grenade and waited for a moment. "Take Cover!" the grunt shouted throwing the charge into the combined mass of two smaller groups of sentinel's on similar flight paths. Following the charge with his pistol the demolitions expert discharged a short 4 round burst from his pistol striking the charge in the air near the grouped up robots. Twisting himself around the other side of the Lekgolo to use them as cover from the blast. He didn't know if it was close enough but at the very least the EMP or shock wave from the charge might do something.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern The advanced HUD that was built into Aviza's ARGUS-class Mjolnir armor showed that the Mammoth was now nearing their position, they would hopefully be able to retreat to the vehicle shortly. "The Mammoth is almost in range, get ready to fall back into it and provide each other with covering fire." said Aviza her into helmets coms. As the massive vehicle approached, Aviza stayed in cover, still behind the G79H-TC/MA Pelicans right wing, only taking opportune shots at the sentinels with her MA5D when available. So far, they Sentinels were not posing much of a threat as the group was primarily working well together, of course the two ONI Spooks who had ran off in hopes of getting to the Mammoth first did not exactly fall under this. As Spartan Aviza's old instructor once said to her, the best way to learn is upon the field of battle, and the current situation reinforced that statement. When Grikgar had yelled out for everyone to take cover, Aviza had already been safely positioned behind the Pelicans right wing, loading yet another clip into her MA5D Assault Rifle, but also getting ready to move out towards the rapidly approaching Mammoth. Thankfully, the EMP had no effect upon her suit, due to it having protection against such an attack. The shock-wave was felt, but due to the other attacks from the rest of her squad, was mostly drowned out. The low rumble from the Mammoth only grew with every second that passed, and Aviza had decided that it was now time for them to move to the M510. "Mammoth has arrived, everyone fall back and provide cover to the rest of the squad." said Aviza through her helmets coms as she stood up and away from the cover of the crashed Pelican. Once the M510 Mammoth had reached them, the large door upon the rear of it opened, allowing them to enter while the automated rocket pods upon the vehicles exterior locked onto the remaining sentinels and fired volleys of their armament. Aviza was the first of her squad, separate from the ONI Spooks, to board the Mammoth and enter its vehicle and cargo bay. The Spartan turned around and made sure her squad had all entered, still alive and in one piece. "Is everyone alright? Any injuries that need to be tended to?" Asked Aviza.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- With the assistance of the rest of the team in thinning out the sentinels and drawing fire away from him, Vael's shields recovered quickly. Ultimately, they only had to hold a few minutes, a feat of which this team proved more than capable. The machines, despite the power of their weapons, behaved predictably, so the team could easily manage the angles from which they could be threatened while supporting one another. Grikgar's attack was well-timed. The charge cleared a cluster of sentinels, and weakened the shields of a few beyond them, shortly before the Mammoth could be heard on approach. Vael moved out from under the wing for long enough to replace his sentinel beam with a fresh one, then rushed out to give covering fire as soon as Aviza gave the order to move. Most of the team was equipped to take some damage, but the Pelican's pilots, who followed Aviza's signal to move, were more vulnerable. Just as before, Vael found it easy to target the sentinels with the beam, and especially for those with already-damaged shields, they fell quickly. Vael sprinted out ahead of the group until he was about halfway to the Mammoth, then turned back to cover those behind him. Fortunately, they had cleared enough of the machines before making their run that it was not too difficult of a task. He simply focused his fire on any sentinel that seemed to be pointed towards any of his more vulnerable allies. Rockets from the Mammoth provided support as well, though they naturally could not target too close to their position. As Vael finally reached the Mammoth, his shields flared from a sentinel beam striking across his back, but this time, they held until he could make it up the ramp. Once the last of them were inside, the ramp raised up and closed them inside the safety of their mobile base. Even stripped down and lightened as it was, the Mammoth's armor was still much thicker than that of the Pelican and could handle the sentinels' weapons. The sentinels would pursue for a time, but as long as the Mammoth moved away from whatever it was they were protecting, they would not follow forever. Vael could feel the sting of a burn on his chest. His armor's plating dispersed the heat effectively enough to avoid serious injury, though, so he did not find it worth mentioning. "We're fine." The Pelican pilot responded. The co-pilot looked to be catching his breath, though he nodded in agreement to the pilot. "Holy hell, you guys don't screw around…" He said, looking over at the rest of the team. Indeed, for the average soldier, the capabilities of a team such as theirs was nothing short of astounding. A normal squad of marines or Swords lance likely would have faced significant casualties in such a situation, if they even survived at all.</s> <\|message\|>Tasumameyofaxre "Tasuma" Tasumameyofaxre<< Mgalekgolo Hunter >> << Shield World 006 "Sarcophagus >> Tasuma continued to take shots at the sentinels, despite the information that there were more, it would not fall to despair. Spartan Rykers suggestion offered an alternative defensive formation. One that emphasized combined firepower, rather than small pockets of defenders. However with the combined firepower came the added risk that the robotic defenders only needed to fire at one place. While Tasuma was sure its shield could defend against one, or maybe two beams, any more and the shield would likely fail. Thankfully such measures didn't seem to be necessary. Over the horizon, with impressive speed, the M510 Mammoth rolled forward, kicking up dirt behind it. The Mammoth opened up with missiles that streaked through the sky, tracking the sentinels, smacking into them with explosive force. Tasuma would have smiled at the sight, it determined. It slowed to a halt, then opened its rear door. Tasuma turned its head to face its allies, "Go. I am rearguard." it vibrated. As soon as the team and the pilots darted for the Mammoth, Tasuma jogged forwards, keeping pace behind them. It then turned around, running backwards with eerie ease, with its cannon aimed up into the sky, and its shield at the ready. It only fired at targets weakened by the missiles, to finish them off, or at targets the missiles failed to hit. Several sentinels managed to get a moments burst of laser fire at the team, and some at Tasuma, which was deftly blocked by his shield. Tasuma even jogged up the ramp backwards, managing to avoid running into any teammates, crewmembers, or equipment. It remained at alert, with his weapons up and his spikes fully vertical. It was only when the ramp closed that it relaxed. Aviza asked if everyone was okay, and Tasuma rumbled in reply. "Tasuma okay." It knew that after a crazed situation, the squad leaders of his former companions, the ODSTs, preferred to hear names rather than 'I' or 'me'. Tasuma understood, it was easier to hear a name then a status rather than a collection of 'I'm okay's'. Tasuma then craned its head high and around, looking at each squad member and the pilots, giving each of them around a second of looking. While Tasuma could feel their presence and status through his neural net, the ODSTs found it more comforting to see it actually look at them. Hopefully this team would as well. It then turned to look at its shield, twisting it and touching where the sentinel beams struck with a claw on his assault cannon. While at first glance the shield seemed fine, it likely would have failed if it took any more punishment. Tasuma thought that was troubling, a little.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker When the call to fall back to the Mammoth came through, Lucas was already hopping to cover his teammates, letting them move before he did and firing bursts of his SMGs to try and somewhat deter the machines from following too closely. Eventually, he was up the ramp and with the rest of the team, with Tas close behind him. The call for a wellness check prompted Ryker to check his chest plate, where a Sentinel beam had glanced off his shields. Patting it down revealed a level of warmth, unsurprising since the shielding stopped the beam itself, not the heat transfer, but undamaged beyond that. Satisfied, he spoke up in response. "Spartan Ryker, alive and ready to roll." With his check-in done, he gave the eye to his unshielded teammates and made sure that the Sentinels hadn't managed to connect any shots. Satisfied they were fine, the Spartan went and found a seat and then set about taking his SMGs apart and cleaning them after removing the magazines and clearing the breaches. An uncared for weapon was a weapon that could malfunction after all.</s>	<\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Grikgar's grenade whined to a full charge a moment before Yalu dove for cover. The sound of metal blasting apart joined a flash on the walls of the pelican. He stood back up with his carbine levelled to shoot the surrounding sentinels down like flying animals. Relief didn't come too soon as far as Yalu was concerned. He moved as prompted, though was sure to escort one of the human pilots by his upper arm to ensure he was covered by Yalu's energy shield. The human barely kept pace. No sooner was he in the Mammoth than Yalu let the pilot go and spun around to cover Tasuma's retreat. Only when the large doors shut did he habitually replace the magazine of his carbine in three rapid movements. "Major 'Suumko still effective," Yalu responded to Aviza. He had little else to add.</s>
<\|description\|>Yalu 'Suumko Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios) Species: Sangheili Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued. Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: - Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do - Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H] - A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades] - Wrist-mounted energy dagger - Whatever else is at hand Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword. Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory. Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey. Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame. Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with. After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern The dumb A.I. that was built into Aviza's ARGUS-class Mjolnir was informing the Spartan III that the area the Mammoth was currently traveling though was arid, rocky desert that had a current high temperature. Aviza knew that the armor would make adjustments to help her stay nice and cool in such unfavorable weather, but wondered if the others had been lucky enough for such modifications to be installed into theirs. This thought ran through the Spartans mind as she walked through the interior of the Mammoth, also heading towards the armory, following a few of the others who had decided to do that same. Instead of putting her weapons into the armory locker, she had decided to re-arm and re-gear for whatever was next for them. New clips, a few new grenades, and a new melee weapon were carefully selected from the stock that was currently available. The melee weapon that Spartan Aviza had picked out was different from most others, while it was an energy sword, the blade was a bright red, unlike the vibrant blue that she had always seen, something about it had called to her, and she had answered. With the unique energy blade in hand, she approached Vael 'Virisusai and spoke. "Pardon me Vael, but I wanted to ask you a personal question." She would power up the energy blade and show it to the Sangheili before her. "I hear that these energy swords hold a special and deeply profound meaning among your people. I do not wish to offend you or any of your kind, and wish to ask for your permission to wield this weapon upon the field of battle. I have seen blue energy swords upon the field of battle, but have never seen one that had a red blade before. Something about it feels, ominous, perhaps I have heard of red bladed energy swords somewhere in my past." Aviza paused for a moment as the memory came back to her, "Spartan Killers, the Silent Shadow, that is where I have heard about red energy swords." The Woman held up the unique energy sword to get a better look at it, "Perhaps using a normal energy sword would be better, less distasteful, and less disrespectful."</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre Tar groped desperately around with her right hand for her Mauler, but it had skittered away into the gloom. So instead, Tar pulled her energy sword from his mount on her left thigh, activated it and thrust it into the Stalker's abdomen. He let out a furious roar and tried to dismount her. Tar wrapped her right arm around the Brute's neck and stabbed him four more times in the stomach with her left. The force of her last blow pushed his now limp body off to the side, where he lay still. Tar quickly rose to her feet and holstered her sword. The recruits had entered the room and were staring at her. Tar spotted her Mauler lying under a desk and picked it up. Satisfied all her gear was together, she quickly strode to where Ryssa stood and shoved him against a wall. "One of your teammates just died. When I show you tactics I expect you to use them. We always check corners and clear rooms. Fail me again and you'll do this simulation alone, Is that clear?" "Yes, Commander!" Ryssa replied, almost on reflex, though he still frantically looked around with some confusion after taking a more literal interpretation of her reprimand. He had seen the tail end of the short fight, but from what he could see, everyone around him was still alive. "Good." Tar grabbed the recruit and shoved him towards the doorway. "Take point." The Major, stood slightly outside the doorway, snarled and turned away. Ryssa followed his orders to the letter and took point, this time making sure to clear the rooms they passed on the way forward. It seemed, at the very least, that Tar's harsh reminder was enough to get him to pay more attention to what he was doing and follow his training. Not only did he continue checking his corners, but he did not need to be told where to go once they reached the junction in the hallway. Data centers, or the commanders themselves, were the most likely target of an attack like this, both of which took them down the left hallway. As the team headed up the stairs to the next floor, there was a spike of activity on their sensors. All at once, each of their motion trackers started showing multiple red dots, on their level as well as above and below, moving frantically all around them. Jurna immediately raised his carbine and pointed it ahead at the top of the stairs above, though quickly turned around to point it back the way they came. "They're surrounding us!" He shouted, unsure of where he should be focusing his attention.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael briefly turned his attention to the Mgalekgolo's shield. Generally, they were durable enough to be all but impervious to the majority of small arms, but sentinel beams could damage even starships. Still, even in a damaged state, it would likely be serviceable against Human and Jiralhanae weapons. By Vael's assessment, Tasuma was still equipped to fight. However, there was more for Vael to be curious about, especially the more he observed Tasuma's armor. "You seem ready for battle, but there is more I would know about you. I was given a document with your history, but I would prefer to ask you myself. You are unusual for one of your kind. Your armor, equipment, the way you act towards them…you have worked with the Humans long before the idea of this team was conceived. You also fight without a bond brother, yet the spikes on your back show that you do, or did, have one. I am curious what events brought you here." Vael questioned Tasuma, though the two of them did not remain alone for long before there was an interruption. The Spartan, Aviza, approached bearing an energy sword. Vael glanced down at the crimson blade. "I question what such a blade is doing in a Human armory, but…it does not matter. In the hands of a Sangheili, a sword is the weapon of nobility. Of honor, and the symbol of our skill. Swordsmanship is among our most respected practices. You are correct that the sword has meaning to us, but you are not of our kind. In your hands, there is no meaning. Some may disagree with me, but for you to wield a sword, there is no honor to be gained, nor lost. You are not Sangheili, and you are not under our command. It is not of our concern what trophies you take. Regardless, our rules and customs regarding the sword are primarily respected outside the military. On the field of battle, even a lowly Minor may pick up a sword if the situation demands it." Again, Vael put his attention to the blade. His answer might have seemed dismissive, but he said what he believed to be true. Her use of a sword was not something worthy of offense, though at the same time, her mere use of it would not gain respect. In any case, he had no qualms about informing her on a subject about which she clearly had little knowledge. "To wield that sword in particular is not a matter of honor nor respect, but skill. That blade burns hotter than the average sword, but that heat gives it a fine edge in more ways than one. It can cut through more armor, stronger armor, with speed and efficiency, but with that blade it is possible to cut too quickly. When rending flesh, it burns hot enough to cauterize immediately. There is less bleeding, and if the wielder cuts too quick, less damage to surrounding tissue. If the cut does not find a vital area, your opponent may survive. A wielder of that blade is one who is precise, restrained, and skilled enough to always find his mark."</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Aviza listened intently to every word that Vael 'Virisusai said about the Crimson Energy sword, and the special significance that it held to his people. She took no offense to the fact that he felt there was no honor to gain or to be lost from her using the weapon, his beliefs were his own. In fact, the Spartan had her own opinion on the use of the blade after listening to Vael, but would not share those thoughts with the Sangheili. However, she did comment on how he obviously thought she was ignorant of what the weapon actually was and how it functioned. "Thankfully, I am not woefully ignorant of how to use an energy sword, or how one functions. The holo-decks and training facilities have ensured that." Glancing at the Crimson Energy Sword once more, Aviza powered it down and attached it to her armor for later use. "I merely wanted to know if it would offend you or anyone else if I used it, but I do appreciate the information you have given me about the weapon, and its cultural significance." Aviza would pause for a moment, carefully and gently removing her helmet, resulting in a soft, almost inaudible click. The helmet was now placed below her left arm for the time being, "We should move to the command deck and plan our next move from there, you lead and I shall follow."</s>	<\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko The calm had not quite settled in Yalu's mind by the time the others started to slow down. He escorted his commander Vael to the roof, as much to carry out his duties as to see what was going on. Thankfully he did not need to fire another shot. After stepping back into the mammoth, he took a deep breath and holstered his carbine. On any other mission, there would have been a few friendly bodies left behind by the crashed pelican. "I'll be listening for orders, commander," Yalu mentioned to Vael before wandering off. Now that everything was well, he had a burning curiosity about the vehicle they were housed in. Yalu stopped by every space on the mammoth, from the rear to the drivers seats up front, though the latter could be described as a bridge. He had piloted just about every covenant military vehicle there was, but human wheeled vehicles were a rare treat. In his wanderings, Yalu happened to be in a position to eavesdrop on Commander Aviza's castigation of the runaway special operations warriors. Yalu had not judged them too harshly -- humans had a different idea of honour after all. At the very least, he thought Aviza wise to not give Roy's explanation any attention. It was provocative. Aviza was clear enough. Do humans have just as much pride as sangheili? How did they not cut each other to pieces without sangheili honour? Yalu shook his head and headed to the bridge again to see where they were going. "Pilot," Yalu said to the human in the primary driving seat, possibly giving both the driver and co-driver a fright. "Once we are out of danger, I am interested in learning more about this vessel."</s>
<\|description\|>Yalu 'Suumko Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios) Species: Sangheili Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued. Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: - Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do - Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H] - A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades] - Wrist-mounted energy dagger - Whatever else is at hand Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword. Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory. Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey. Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame. Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with. After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko "Yes," Yalu replied. "The weight and material is impressive. I expect no remnant or swords ground vehicles short of a scarab focus cannon could puncture it. And that could take more than one direct hit." He turned an eye to look at the pilot rather than ahead. "How is this Mammoth's movement powered? It must be something more potent than the hydrogen cells of your smaller vessels." Yalu did not have the tact to make the human pilot entirely comfortable, but he did learn a few technical details. The conversation was not especially long. It ended once Commander Vael called Yalu over to discuss plans with the team.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre --- "Take cover right!" Tar shouted, assuming control just as a barrage of plasma fire erupted from several points around the large room. They waded through the flames into a partitioned area with a semi-circle of holo consoles. Tar took several hits to her shield from the Stalkers guarding the stairway before leaping behind one of the consoles. The Brute weapons punched holes in the plastic room dividers as they lost line of sight on her. Tar peeked over the top of her cover. She counted at least four Stalkers slowly approaching their position, plus the two guarding the stairway. Their camouflage slipped every time they fired their weapons, revealing a cautious, calculated advance. Tar estimated they were each twenty feet apart, progressing down the open spaces between work areas. In this case, not a single recruit so much as hesitated in following Tar's order. The Major broke straight through the partition, with the others following just behind. Each moved into whatever cover they could find, as quickly as they could. The room dividers could break line of sight, though there was no weapon they would actually stop. Plasma fire and spikers ripped through them with ease, just without as much accuracy. Ryssa, with his shields already damaged from his brush with the flames and few stray plasma rounds, dove behind the holo-consoles. They were at least somewhat more sturdy than most of the other parts of the office. His response to being pinned was actually reasonably effective, considering his options, even if it was a strategy one might have learned from an Unggoy. He did not peer out from cover to return fire, but rather grabbed his needler and lifted it up just high enough to fire over the console, roughly in the direction that one of the Brutes was firing from. He did not need to be accurate; as long as the needler was pointing in mostly the right direction, its needles would find a target. When the attack had began, Jurna had fired four shots with surprisingly good accuracy. He tracked the shimmer he had seen and, out of his four shots, hit three to break the Brute's powered armor. However, once his own shields started taking damage, he did not follow through to make the kill. He ran with the others into the side room and, like Ryssa, took cover behind the consoles. Though, unlike the other recruit, he did not return fire from his position. He hid as best as he could, and intended to continue doing so until his shields were fully recharged. With the partitions at least stopping accurate fire, the Major took a moment to scan the room they had hastily entered. Given how quickly they had been forced to move, there was no reason to believe they had moved to safety. And indeed, at this range, his eyes were sharp enough to spot at least two shimmers moving carefully closer to Jurna and Tar. Drawing his energy sword, the Major sprinted for the nearest stalker. "Brutes behind us!" He shouted. Reacting instantly, Tar jumped up, grabbed her energy sword from its mount on her left thigh, activated it and blindly slashed it through the air behind her in one fluid motion. The dual tips of her sword grazed the armour of a Stalker; the room lit up with blue light as his shield protected his neck from being slit. Regaining her balance, Tar raised her right hand and fired a round from her Mauler into the same shield, breaking it completely. At the same time, she watched the Stalker fire their Mauler at her face. She was momentarily blinded as the slug exploded right in front of her eyes, and she felt her shield go offline with a jolt. Tar let out an angry roar and leapt forward, sword poised. She made impact with…something, and clattered to the floor with it before stabbing it with her weapon multiple times. The Major's blade quickly found its mark on the nearest stalker. The Brute's active camouflage may have rendered it only a shimmer in the air, but a wide arc with his blade in front of him could reach easily over two and a half meters in front of him, and the sword itself could cut through even a starship's armor with ease. The Brute was quite simply bisected. There had only been two of the cloaked Brutes in the room they had ran into, but the Major had no intent of staying put and holding out. Though his shields were damaged, he still preferred aggression. "Attack with me! These mongrels are nothing to us!" He shouted. Off on their right flank, on the other side of a thin wall, he could hear movement, which was all he needed to strike. With a frenzied roar as his battle cry, he broke straight through the wall in a charge. A diagonal swing of his sword and another stalker was cut in two. This time, however, the Brute was not without assistance. Just to his left, another Brute fired his mauler, both revealing himself, and stripping away the Major's shields. He was close enough that the Major could react quickly and impale him through the chest with his blade, but there were still more Brutes farther away, and the Major was now clearly in their line of sight. Ryssa had intended to follow the Major's instruction. Based on the sound of a supercombine explosion beyond the wall he had been firing through, his needles had found a target, but the Brutes were not unintelligent. Though they could not see him, they could roughly determine where he was firing from when they saw the needles, so Ryssa found himself pinned by a volley of plasma and spiker fire. His shields took a stray hit, so they were not yet recharging, and he could not move to assist the Major. Jurna had an angle from which he could help at range, but his shields were charging and he still had no intention of revealing himself until they were full. Daha was the farthest from the Major, and the closest to Tar, and it was she who he intended to help. He charged his plasma pistol, firing the overcharged bolt at a stalker who had a clear line of sight onto Tar. The shot broke the Brute's powered armor immediately, allowing his follow-up shots from his plasma rifle to deal potentially deadly damage. Ultimately, there was no help that would come for the Major in time to save him. A burst of spiker fire from a more distant stalker struck his unshielded chest and neck, and his armor was not enough to protect against the volley. The red plating of his armor was stained purple by his blood. Simulated as it might have been, his death was still convincing. The Major had successfully relieved most of the pressure from their right flank, but at the cost of his life.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- For the members of Aegis team, their journey across the desert did, fortunately, come with few actual dangers. Though, it was a long journey nonetheless, characterized by blistering heat, dry air, and cramped quarters. Sentinels did show some interest in the Mammoth whenever it passed too close to certain Forerunner structures, but its armor did allow them to take some fire as they passed without needing to engage in firefights with the machines. As long as they moved beyond the locations they were guarding, the sentinels would not follow. Vael found that the journey was far from the worst experience he had ever needed to endure. The heat was a constant irritant for some, but his combat harness provided more than adequate environmental controls to keep him comfortable. What was more of a nuisance for him was the inability to be alone. He had to admit that he had held his rank long enough to become accustomed to its benefits. The ability to have a space to himself to mediate and center his mind had been a privilege he had long enjoyed. As large as the Mammoth was, there still was no way the avoid the nine other members of his team, plus the Mammoth crew, for any meaningful time. Given the distance they had to travel, the team spent almost two days in the Mammoth, moving constantly across, at times, rough terrain. To fly to their destination would have been much quicker, but any attempt at an aerial approach to the Brute ships would have easily been detected. The Mammoth, ironically, provided a much stealthier approach. Of course, once they located the Brute ships, they would need to move on without the Mammoth to perform actual reconnaissance. --- It was the middle of the night when the Mammoth came to a sudden, and complete halt. The hum of the engines and the spinning of the massive tires over rock and sand had been such a constant that having both stop was enough to jolt Vael awake, even before the diver's voice sounded out over the vehicle's intercom. "Unidentified Covenant ships spotted on the horizon. I am bringing the Mammoth to a halt and awaiting further orders." Vael sat up from where he had been laying. Their sleeping arrangements within the vehicle were rather haphazard. The Mammoth was not large enough for dedicated sleeping quarters, so the team had to make due with whatever they could arrange themselves, with the supplies they had available. Being that they were in the field, Vael had not left his armor. It did not make for the most comfortable rest, but again, he had endured far worse throughout his career. For now, the team needed to get together and decide on their approach.</s>	<\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu was in no mood to avoid his teammates during the ride. He tried to at least speak to his fellow former-covenant contemporaries about their path leading up to this mission. He was quietly embarrassed to find he was consistently outranked and at times prying on business best kept a secret. Nevertheless, he kept himself well drilled for whatever lay ahead. When the call came to wake up, whatever casual air Yalu tried to offer was gone. He was up and arming himself partway through the driver's announcement. "Running the Mammoth silent may make them overlook us." Yalu snapped a fully green magazine into his carbine after checking it. "But if it is no patrol, we are no longer safe. We are not expecting a rendezvous."</s>
<\|description\|>Yalu 'Suumko Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios) Species: Sangheili Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued. Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: - Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do - Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H] - A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades] - Wrist-mounted energy dagger - Whatever else is at hand Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword. Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory. Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey. Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame. Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with. After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Following Aviza's orders, Aegis team grouped off into pairs and moved in a loose formation towards the cruisers, on foot. Vael experienced little issue from either the darkness or the cold, as his combat harness could handle both through low-light vision and thermal regulation. The trek through the desert itself took hours on foot. It came with the advantage of stealth, since there was no way the Brutes would be able to detect their approach unless a patrol simply happened upon them by chance, but they would still have to stay alert. They had already encountered hostile Forerunner machines once, and the wildlife of Sarcophagus was hardly any less of a threat. The size of their group did make it less likely for an animal to want to challenge them, but creatures had killed citizens of Paxopolis before. Fortunately, between the sensors built into Aviza's armor, and those back at the Mammoth, Shih was able to guide them on a path that kept them well-clear of any Forerunner structures on the way. Though, as they grew nearer to their destination, the AI was also able to form a more complete picture of the area underneath the cruisers. The ships appeared to be holding over a structure, likely Forerunner based on its dimensions. Before they could see it with their own eyes, they would not be able to determine why, but there was certainly a possibility that it could make their task more difficult. They needed to be able to follow the Brutes to the rebels' hideout undetected, and any Forerunner defenses could compromise their position. In any case, after enough hours of walking, the team did start coming close to their destination. From where they were, they could see not only the Brute cruisers hovering far above, but also the top of a spire-like Forerunner structure, and phantoms patrolling the area around it. There was obviously some interest from the Brutes in the structure, but based on Shih's scans, it was located in a crater-like pit with high rock walls on all sides, and few good entrances. If they moved closer, it was possible they could find a spot among the rocky crags where they could get a line of sight down into the crater, but there was a definite risk of encountering a patrol if they moved closer. Alternatively, there was a mesa near to their current position that was tall enough for them to be able to see over the rim from long range. So far, none of the phantoms they had seen had moved that far from the crater on their patrols, but if a phantom did come out that far, there would be few options to hide from it.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre --- As one might have expected, there was hesitation from all of the recruits. Ryssa was the one who hazarded an answer first, though his approach was more of a cold recounting of facts than an actual analysis of their performance. "The primary objective was completed and the security of the colony was ensured. We failed the secondary objective to rescue the Human hostages." The Major soon let out a loud huff, giving a dismissive glare towards seemingly anyone who looked at him. "It is a miracle any of you even survived." Tar chuckled. Now that the simulation was over, she could relax a little bit. "It certainly wasn't a masterclass, but I never expected that. I expected an embarrassment, and at certain points it was. But on the whole, you acted bravely and completed the mission. She looked at Ryssa. "You have the makings of a fine operator, but your leadership instincts need work. You were visibly nervous at the beginning, making a vital mistake that nearly lost me my life. You performed better as my second, freeing you up to focus on the fundamentals. My question for you is, do you want to be a follower forever, or do you want to lead?" "Yes, commander." Ryssa answered; though, even he realized the irony in the way he chose to respond. "I…will improve myself." She turned to the Major. "Your strength and valour make you a great asset. However, your style did not work in this scenario. We were fighting an invisible enemy, and needed to be as close to hidden as possible. Adapting how you fight is key to survival. As part of a garrison, we require these skills more than raw power and aggression." Jurna was next. "You're good with that carbine, but your hesitation got you killed. We are a team, and should move as one. In the hands of a skilled soldier, a carbine is just as deadly up close as it is from range. Especially when your teammate is cracking shields" She pointed to Daha. "That was a good stratagem Daha, quick thinking." Tar surveyed them all. "But i'm still disappointed that we lost soldiers fighting an inferior enemy. When we work together as a team, we're each worth one hundred Stalkers. I'll see you tomorrow for another scenario. Dismissed." Initially in response to Tar's criticism, the Major had just stared with a soft growl, but by the time they were dismissed, he had built up enough resentment to finally speak up. He stepped forward, standing out of line and clenching his hand into a fist. "And who are you to 'instruct' me? If I did not have a team of cowards behind me, my attack would have succeeded. You proved as worthless as they did." He snarled, pointing a finger at Tar. Tar snarled and stepped forward. "Who am i? I'm the one who's killed more Brute vermin than you've ever seen! Believe me, your tactics have a time and place, but not while you're on my team." She prodded the Major's chestplate. "If you're unhappy, I can have you guarding star ship armouries by tomorrow. You can go berserk at all hostiles - would you prefer that?" This time, Tar's threat just seemed to rile up the Major even more. He stepped closer to her, growling as he looked down on her. Physically, he was larger and stronger than most Sangheili: a fact that clearly influenced his confidence when facing down one who was his superior. "You don't have a place commanding a team at all. What do you know of combat? Of real war? Even from the start, you spoke of leading from the rear like a cowardly Unggoy. Was it the Humans that gave you your position in this place? You act like them." "I paid for my station in blood!" Tar hissed, rolling her shoulders in a subtle attempt to calm her battle reflex. The Major was obviously incensed, and a fight would quickly get out of hand. "My blood and the blood of those I've killed. Three years of burning mongrel Brute hides in search of my father. So don't lecture me about combat - you wouldn't last five minutes on the missions I've endured for our kind." The Major waved his hand to the side dismissively. "Empty words and lies. I watched you fight and I was not impressed. I could snap you in half; I am twice the warrior as you." "It was a test…" A voice sounded out nearby, much more softly than either of the two. The Major growled as he turned his head back towards the other recruits. "What?" While certainly hesitant to speak up against the Major, Jurna was still in agreement with Tar, and felt strongly enough to involve himself. "The…simulation was a test for us. If she's trying to evaluate us, then she's not going to make all the kills herself." "Not another word, fool!" The Major snapped back. "You are the greatest fool among us, Zadu." Another voice interjected, this one new. It was Daha, who, until now, had not spoken through the entire scenario. Unlike Jurna, he did not fear speaking out against the Major. In fact, he showed little in the way of emotion at all, either visually or in his tone. "You clearly did not take the time to learn anything of our commander's history. It was a Silent Shadow team who taught her." For the first time, the Major actually showed a hint of doubting himself, though he clearly tried to hide it. "Lies!" He snarled. "Truth." Tar nodded her head. "We hunted down and slaughtered Brutes, because we could. What have you done to deserve your rank?" Though unsettled by the implications if what Daha said was true, the Major still answered. "I have fought and killed those who would oppose the Arbiter's rule. But you…why would any Silent Shadow team allow you among them? I can say with certainty you are no veteran of war." "Because, after my father was captured.." Tar could see all the males bristle at the mere thought. "I swore to them I'd kill every Brute in my way until I found him. This meant we could help each other. I stand by that oath to this day." She moved closer, until their armour was practically touching. "Any more questions...Major?" The Major's hesitation said more about him than his actual words. For him to accept what she was saying was to make himself into a fool. The only way for him to retain his pride was if he did not believe her claim. Yet, it was Daha, not her, that had made it., and though the Major had not admitted it, Daha had been correct that he knew nothing of their instructor's past. The Major could have tried pressing farther; to take the chance of perhaps preserving his pride. But, at this point, that hope seemed distant. "I…have nothing more to say." Tar smiled. "Good, see you tomorrow. Dismissed." She headed for the exit as all the recruits started chatting about their performance. All except the Major, who skulked into one of the adjoining physical training rooms.</s>	<\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko And so they were to move out. The information that trickled in was welcome as far as Yalu was concerned. The enemy was not heading for them, neither were they heading anywhere they could not follow. Yalu approached the only human he was properly acquainted with to pair up. "Ryker. Now is the time to put our practice to the test." * * * Yalu strode along in the line his allies created to advance, carbine in his hands. He stopped very occasionally to zoom his harness optics to scan the distance but found no reason to speak up through the radio while they moved. After enough time, Yalu spoke up gently enough for Lucas to hear. "I have a question. Which of the humans is most likely to charge ahead for glory, in your opinion? Or the one who would...I believe the phrase is 'getting tunnel vision'." Yalu kept his eyes on the surrounding environment. "There is always one in sangheili fireteams. Good tactical information to have."</s>
<\|description\|>Yalu 'Suumko Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios) Species: Sangheili Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued. Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: - Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do - Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H] - A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades] - Wrist-mounted energy dagger - Whatever else is at hand Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword. Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory. Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey. Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame. Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with. After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak The Kel 'Darsam - off Paxopolis Broadwalk --- Tar chuckled and patted her comrade affectionately on the back. "If the Humans gave you poison, would you eat that too?" She enjoyed the regular meetings and light hearted banter with Kryu more than she probably let on. It provided temporary solace for her, especially as her deployment to Sarcophagus stretched from weeks into months. Kryu shrugged. "I am not convinced that was not their intention. It was sweet at first, but the aftertaste was horrid. I still feel that I can taste it. The last time they gave me something of theirs to eat, it was most acceptable. Pleasant, even. Perhaps they were attempting to earn my trust?" He said with a short grunt. Their food came quickly - popular dishes were pre-prepared and kept hot for the breakfast rush which was due in 10 minutes or so. Tar devoured hers, foregoing utensils over holding the bowl up and grabbing food with her tongue and mandibles. "So, I had an...interesting simulation...with some fresh recruits just now." Tar ventured in between mouthfuls. "Such an array of characters - three sessions in and they're still as diverse as the seasons. It seems ONI doesn't like making things easy for me! How was your training exercise yesterday?" Kryu huffed, shaking his head slightly before pausing to take a drink. "All but one of my recruits have never so much as used a thruster pack before, but that is fine. The ones that have never flown do not know what they are doing, so they listen to me. It's the one with experience that gives me trouble. He has his own technique, and does not wish to stray from it. So, yesterday, he comes in too quickly for his landing, does a poor job of handling the impact, and breaks his leg. The last I saw him, he was arguing with the medics." "We're certainly a stubborn kind, aren't we?" Tar slurped her shake. "So many returning from war with rushed, incomplete training. They now hide behind hero status, claiming imaginary feats of valour. Tar heard herself speak and realised she had assumed an overly negative tone. She had feats of valour too, despite not serving in the war. Her Keep had been attacked by surprise, and she'd fought them off with her own soldiers. But she seldom felt comfortable talking about those feats. She had failed her father by allowing him to be captured. The shame still threatened to overwhelm her years later. She'd only managed to hint to Kryu what had transpired, so it was no wonder blurting it out in front of the recruits had shaken her. Even if she had wanted to gloat, she would've needed to embellish some of it. Much of that battle was clouded by a red haze in her mind, preventing her from recalling some details. The clearest memory she had was tentatively asking her trusted lieutenant about what he'd seen several days after. She would never forget the look on his face. Raw fear, of her. Tar decided to change the subject. "Have you heard any more whispers of an actual mission, outside Paxopolis?" Again, Kryu shook his head. "I haven't heard anything specific. I know our commanders have put the garrison on alert, but no one is saying what we are on alert against. I am wondering if we are simply being tested? I believe many of the recruits sent here are chosen based on how well they will get along with former enemies. Perhaps they want to see if we still have the skill and discipline necessary to defend this place?" He reasoned. "Shaking down the base would put everyone in their place, whether that is at the barricades or on the next shuttle back to Sanghelios." Tar agreed, thoughtfully tasting the last strips of meat in her bowl. After a short pause to have some of his breakfast, Kryu gave Tar a curious look. "You are still wanting to be reassigned from here, aren't you." He asked, though he still did not know the exact reason why she had been looking to leave.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael hummed to himself, taking a moment to observe the defenses and other points of interest that Shih was highlighting in the compound. Walls and other fortifications, turrets, clusters of soldiers, there were plenty of obstacles for them to get through to reach the center. "There is some possibility that these two groups will turn on each other in the confusion, but we should not rely on it. And if they have an escape plan prepared, I do believe these cowardly rebels will try to go to ground no matter who they think is attacking them. As soon as they are alerted to an attack, we need to reach the central structure quickly if we are to catch them." Vael reasoned. He gave another look at the defenses, particularly what appeared to be an anti-aircraft turret on the near side of the compound. "The battle group can land reinforcements when they arrive, while we move to pursue their leader. But not all of us are equipped to sneak through such heavy defenses. I suggest we move forward with Spartan Ryker's plan to sneak in, for those of us who are able, and sabotage that anti-aircraft turret. That will clear a path for a dropship to insert the rest of the team directly onto the central structure."</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern "I like the idea of causing chaos and confusion among the two factions present, though if we are going to call in reinforcements, the anti-aircraft cannons and other defenses will need to be dealt with first. Sending in a team with active camouflage, as Spartan Ryker suggested, is a sound plan, and I say we act upon it when the chance arrives." said Spartan Aviza, still prone upon the mesa. "The question is though, who here has active camouflage and will join us on this short but very important stealth mission? Remember, the longer we wait, the worse this whole situation could get. It is better that we handle the problem at hand so they do not develop into something more serious." If it was up to her, and it wasn't, she would have called quite a few MAC-Blasts down upon the complex, wiped them all out, and called it a day before any of the hostiles would know what happened. Aviza was very straight forward like that at times, but deep down she knew that was not going to work for the current mission.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Ryker's form flickers from view very briefly before coming back into sight. "I would never ask my teammates to run a job I wouldn't. I suggested the plan, I'll help carry it out." The SPARTAN-IV had no qualms about helping to carry this out, if not doing the job himself. Black Ops cells rarely had the kind of support that Aegis was getting, and they could rarely afford to send out more than one man even for an important job like this. "If no one else wants to go, just give me the charges and some time. Wouldn't be the first time I've planted explosive charges solo."</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan Roy and Elna made their way to the designated way point that the gracious and ever benovlennt Spartan Lead Aviza had set for them and for once they followed through and found themselves with the team. Taking cover, Elna held up a over watch position on their rear incase any smart brutes or jackals decided they wanted to come through and pick a fight with the elite team of questionable operatives. While everyone made their pitches on how to take down the URF and the covvie rememnants. To Elna it didn't really matter the thinking part of the job was not in her job description she just laid down bodies where they were required to fall, for her it was just another waking minutes in this unyielding hell hole. "Perhaps instead of just turning this camp into an afterthought with the MAC, we identify the HVT and then blast it. Or don't, I'm impartial maybe your AI have some witty statement to back this up." He says checking his PDA briefly before slithering up to Vael and Aviza where he expected some kind of daily validation or maybe a pat on the back which would make his ego jump through the roof.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Shih --- Vael did not take his eyes off of the compound below, though he did respond to Spartan Ryker. "I will join you. We will need to move quickly and avoid discovery, but we may also have to ensure there is no one to discover the charges before they detonate. We should make sure that our reinforcements are ready to join the battle the very moment the rebels are put on alert. The construct…Shih, can it send a message informing the battle group of this plan so they can be ready for our signal?" "She can, yes." Shih replied with some noticeable offense in her tone. "There is always some small risk, but if I send the message as a short, encrypted data burst, then the rebels shouldn't be able to intercept it. Or at least, they won't understand what they intercepted until it is too late. Vael nodded towards Aviza, as it was her suit the AI was inhabiting. "Then you should do so. Our reinforcements need to be ready to act." "Already working on it. As for Petty Officer Younan's concerns, he does have a point. We still don't know who we are supposed to be capturing here, but I think the rebels themselves can help us figure that out. Once all Hell breaks loose, they are going to be scrambling to get their leader out of there. Spartan Aviza's armor is equipped to easily intercept their communications, so if we decrypt them, we might be able to learn what we need." The AI suggested. While the others were speaking, Vael slowly crawled back from the edge of the Mesa, making sure he was far enough away that he did not silhouette against the sky when he stood back to his feet. "Someone who is equipped to observe from distance should remain here to assist in guiding us through the compound."</s>	<\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko There were plenty in the team already equipped to go down into the enemy base. Yalu was rarely ever requisitioned with active camouflage like a spec ops elite, but at the very least he could be useful from a distance by taking Commander Vael's suggestion. "I can guide you," Yalu said. "One of my primary talents is warding death away from my team." Yalu peered down at his carbine. "And we will all be ready to head an assault on your order. These rebels and brutes will not have any time to think. I think the shock will be spiced if we fire on the brutes with human firearms and then the humans with covenant weaponry."</s>

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<\|description\|>Alina Lilly Bloomfield Alina "Which is the lie; the mask or my face?" --- Essentials Nickname(s): Red, Lilly Gender: Female Age: 19 Birthday: 21/11 Affiliation: Fenixtear, the guild mark can be found on her left shoulder blade and is a dark red color Equipment: A bag of holding to contain her various outfits, wigs and make-up kits as well as any other misc item she might want to carry. Also to store a jar of dirt for when she needs to pretend to be a farmer, or possibly pirate captain. She also goes nowhere without a trusty dagger hidden somewhere on her person --- --- Personal Personality: Alina is, at heart, a true actress. A perfectionist that leaves no stone unturned in her preparation for whatever 'role' she must play for a job, that attitude to her work being the same whether it be through gathering information or simply making sure she has exactly the right amount of dirt on her to pretend to be a farmer. While to most, Alina comes off as a kind, gentle soul, this is simply her favorite act to play. As any who knows her personally will attest to, however, she is a manipulative, often heartless individual with a lack of sympathy or empathy for others as she toys with, uses, and then abandons others at the drop of a hat. She views others as simply nothing more than a tool to advance her agenda, not afraid to resort to any dirty trick or deed to get the job at hand done. Perhaps as a side effect of pretending to be so many people, but when all is said and done, even if one were to uncover the truth behind Alina, one would struggle to discern what is real or fake about the girl, the truth buried beneath her plethora of personalities, traits, and acts. Not even Alina seems to be aware of which persona within her is the real one. Does she simply do this because it's all she's ever known? Or because she wishes to? Does this make her happy, or does she only think it does because that's what she was raised to think? The girl wouldn't be able to answer. The one thing she does know for certain is that she wishes to forge her own path forward, to break free of her parent's ever-looming shadow, and to become her own person. Strengths: Oscar Winner: With a natural talent for acting befitting her magic, she seems to swing into various personas and acting seemingly with ease. The more she knows about her 'role', the more seamless the transition. An Eye For Small Detail: It doesn't matter how minor detail about a person it may be if she deems the person to be of some use she'll remember every gray hair tucked behind their right ear if she must. Reconnaissance Queen: Combined with her acting, magic, and ability to manipulate, as well as her habit of scrounging up every last bit of information from everyone even the old lady down the lane, she is one of if not the most efficient information gathers in the guild Not Just A Pretty Face: Alina knows her stuff, doing extensive reading on all sorts of matters and subjects let it be math or various magic so that she can pull off her act as close to perfect as possible Weaknesses: Apathetic: Despite her seeming mastery over the range of human emotions, she is unable to empathize with anyone which can lead to rifts between her and others. Talentless Fighter: While she is no mug in a fight, she tends to be outclassed rather quickly whenever magic becomes involved due to the more niche nature of her magic. Curiosity Killed the Cat: She has gotten herself in over her head many a time and as such has a habit of needing bailing out or rescue, much to the ire of any potential teammate. Too Into Character: She does anything to stay in character and not break the immersion, meaning she'll do anything that the 'role' would do even if she sees no benefit in it. Backstory: While Alina surrounds herself with many stories, lies, and rumors as to her exact origins, with enough digging one would find that Alina is....no one. She seems to have no family history, at least any linked to her name, nor any prior records of actually existing pre-Fenixtear. Any attempts to get her to personally spill the beans is often met with the changing of subjects. However if one were to gleam her origins, they would find out that she was indeed once a member of a somewhat well-known guild, known as God Hand, that specialized in some rather...unsavoury activities. Her parents were founding members and often were employed as spies, assassins, or the sort. As such, she was raised to be the perfect combination of all the above, receiving only the best tutoring that money could afford. With her family being well off from the rather well-paying jobs they often undertook, she often got anything she asked for from her parents, living a spoilt life if not for the constant, rigorous training and studying she undertook. Eventually, however, she grew sick of living under her parent's thumb; constantly stuck in their shadow, compared to them whenever she made any minor or major achievement. So as any good rebellious 16-year-old girl would do at the time, she quit the guild and ran away from home to forge a reputation and path that she could call her own. One that would surpass her parents, and the guild as a whole. She would use the skills she had learned to get by in the world, there was always a goodie two shoes or two she could sucker into letting her stay for the night or offer her a meal. Then much like a parasite, she would leech them of anything of worth and disappear into the night once more. As such, she didn't stay in one place for too long, as unsurprisingly she made a fair few enemies along the way, some more intent on payback than others. And even if they weren't, there was always that possibility. Eventually, one day while she was playing the part of a waitress at an inn, she overheard some interesting information. A new guild had opened in the area, and with it, an opportunity arose. She had missed the security a guild could offer, but was too stubborn to return home. She was also concerned her parents would find her if she ever went to a mainstream guild, however a guild almost no one had heard of and was a complete nobody? Perfect, especially if she could get them under her thumb. Already devious machinations began to form in her mind, endless possibilities. And thus, once more under the cover of night, she would steal away to fill her ambitions. --- Magic Imitation-B Rank An imitation can never replace the original...can it? Much like the name implies, Imitation is caster-type magic that...well, imitates other people. Upon a prolonged touch, Alina can copy the form and magic, to an extent, of others. She is unable to copy other's memories/experiences, personalities, or the like, and instead leaves most of that up to her research, talent, and guesswork. She is also limited to humans at this point. She can copy a person physically down to every last fiber of their being, and while she gains access to their magic, it is an inferior version and the gulf is more noticeable the stronger the individual she pretends to be in comparison to herself. This doesn't include any items a person may have had on them, whether it be a magical item or simply the clothes they were wearing. Other - If one is lucky enough to find her hiding place, she can be found practicing her various roles or even some more famous roles from plays -While in a fight with other mages she will easily be overwhelmed, Alina is dangerous in close quarters. Especially so when underestimated or with the element of surprise -Alina has a fondness for cats and fluffy things in general Akemi "To prove my worth, I will protect everyone."</s> <\|message\|>Asher Lancaster Asher Minazuki@Landaus Five-One@Sanguine Rose And here I had hoped it would have been a simple night of rest… Asher thought to himself, as Carver was clunked by a small rock to his forehead, sending the bespectacled young man falling back. The sound wasn't loud, like one would suspect. A warning shot, perhaps? In any case, their group's mission was to be guards to him while on job. Carefully getting up from where he was sitting, Asher walked till he put himself between what he could assume was the lead goblin of this group and Carver. Asher, while beginning to get in a position,, was yet to fall into a full combat stance just yet. The bar of metal, while still in his hand, was hanging low in an attempt to not show full hostility. He watched as the large goblin seemed to try and convey some sort of demand at them with its spear. "While I cannot understand what is being said,'' Asher turns to Jessica when she asks her question to the group, "if I had to make a guess, we must have come to a rest in their territory and they aren't keen on that. Well, that or they are perhaps wanting food," his eyes glance to Carver's fallen food bar on the ground. Gaze shifting from the food back up to Carver's face, Asher raises a brow at him. "Unless you by chance know how to speak goblin Carver, the situation here may become more dangerous if they continue to increase hostilities. Be sure to stay behind us in any event, for your protection."</s> <\|message\|>Reynard Faust Reynard Faust \| On the Road "Scholarly Assistance" @Landaus Five-One --- "Defeating them would not be a tall order, but such a result would not be pretty. Maybe scaring them is on the table", he surmised. Demands, as Asher assumes, is to begone from this location. But that was only his assumption, they could be after something else as well, yet their ability to communicate was limited and so finding a solution may not be easy. Reynard kept his hands relaxed, yet ready, his breathing slowed. At a moment's notice he could slice apart their primitive weapons if they needed. He turned to Carver for a moment, hoping he might be able to communicate, their job was merely to keep him safe afterall. If it came down to it they'd have to fight in order to do so. These creatures were not known to be a huge threat or even actively hostile, so it can be assumed they'd done something they're not happy with.</s>	<\|message\|>Alina Lilly Bloomfield Visible relief came over the transformed mage as Menzai was quick to agree with her assessment. Though she didn't seem to be, she was putting on a bit of show about her relief for the rest, even Alina was only human. It had been close to 16 hours or even longer since they had set out for the flower delivery, and like most things she was rather particular about various aspects of her schedule. She wasn't a fan of the idea of throwing out her sleep cycle too much just for one little job like this, and her mind was growing weary as well. It would not do to slip up in front of Menzai now just because she was tired. "I'll gladly take you up on that offer." As they came to a stop in a nearby clearing, Alina took a moment to stretch her arms up above her head. "And it's fine Mr Isanami, if I earnestly needed a rest sooner I would've mentioned it. It had just slipped my mind that it was so late and the store would be closed was the bigger issue at hand, another hour or two of travel would've been fine. This form is reasonably fit." But even so, it was still human. It was surely noted that demi humans seemed to have a higher base stamina than humans though. Now, while she was capable of sleeping while transformed, it was still a fair bit of a chore to do so. So while Menzai went about erecting his barrier she took the chance to transform back to her normal state, the clothes she was wearing now sagging off her much smaller and lighter frame as she reached back into her pouch to quickly procure a set of new, more suitable clothes. It was just a black skirt and red shirt, as it was more a matter of wanting to change while Menzai was busy so as to not have to ask him to turn around or the such later, but it would serve the purpose of serving as sleepwear at any rate. The matter of being cold was also not an issue. While there had certainly been a chilly air about before, very easy to notice even before she was basically naked in it, it had seem to disappear as Menzai spoke up. Well, that explained what he had been up to at any rate. The barrier was pretty hard to miss and it didn't take anyone of any remotely respectable level of intelligence to concur that this was a result of what Menzai had been doing. So this was his magic then? Intriguing indeed. Curiously, she just couldn't help herself, she walked up to the edge of the clearing and cautiously tapped on the barrier. She was fascinated by the water-like rippling response it gave off, and it was quite obviously sturdy. "This is quite a useful magic indeed Mr Isanami." She mused aloud, stepping back as she let out a yawn. "It's quite fine though, if anything I can sleep easier knowing our location is secured like this. It's quite reassuring." Between Menzai keeping watch and a barrier, one might be feeling quite certain of their safety indeed. At least of anything in this area at least. But even so, Alina wasn't one to let down her guard irregardless, even when asleep. "Don't be afraid to wake me up if you want a few hours of sleep before we get back into Crocus. We can head to the store first thing in the morning after that." Pulling and laying out a sleeping bag from within her pouch, she quickly got settled within before shortly thereafter seemingly nodding off to sleep.</s>
<\|description\|>Konpaku Youmu * Appearance: "If it's for Yuyuko-sama, I won't lose!" Youmu is pretty small, at under five feet. * Ability/Skills: Youmu is somewhat more durable than a regular human being, and has a somewhat more capable healing ability, but this is nothing as extreme as most youkai. As a half-ghost, a portion of her soul is embodied as a (usually)non-sentient floating phantom referred to as Myon. This can be used to observe distant areas, fire danmaku, or even temporarily become a duplicate of Youmu for double team attacks. Youmu also feels everything Myon feels, though she cannot be damaged in this way(something painful to Myon will be painful to Youmu, though). Youmu is an incredibly skilled swordswoman, capable of wielding her blades both one and two-handed. Her strength is above human level, allowing her to wield the incredibly long Roukanken one-handed. Youmu's attacking speed allows her to slash many times in an instant, to the point where it appears as a single attack. She can also move very quickly, in both air and on land, her speed making her the second fastest person in Gensokyo. This allows her to pull off her family technique, Two-Hundred Yojana in One Slash, covering an enormous amount of distance and come back in the time it takes to unsheath Roukanken and cut with it, allowing her to cut foes even quite a distance away. However, these shows of speed will eventually wear on her, so she cannot endlessly utilize her top speed. She also carries spellcards and is fully capable of flight. Her most powerful technique, both in spellcard form and as a true attack, is Reflecting Satellite Slash. This attack is simultaneously the cutting of her blade and a wave of blades reflected by the light of the moon, assaulting her opponent in a flash of light as she moves to cut through them. Even in nonlethal danmaku form it is a highly dangerous attack. However, it requires Youmu to hold still and gather power to properly perform it. In spite of all her advantages, Youmu is still partially human and can be injured as a human can, and while attacks to Myon do not cause physical harm, the pain caused by them can immobilize her. Youmu carries two katana, Roukanken and Hakuroken. + Roukanken: An incredibly long katana, a nodachi that measures longer than the short girl is tall. Roukanken's blade was forged by youkai, allowing it to be nearly unbreakable. This is not the most notable feature of Roukanken, however. The katana's incredibly sharp blade transcends physicality, allowing it to cut apart even existences such as formless ghosts. Rocks, trees, flesh, steel, little can stand up to the unrestrained Roukanken. However, Youmu utilizes danmaku rules to avoid killing unless her life or the lives of others are in danger. Supernatural protection, or heavily augmented technology, may also defend against Roukanken. + Hakurouken: A wakizashi, Hakurouken possesses no ability to kill a living thing. Indeed, it is almost entirely harmless, causing some pain and discomfort but otherwise nothing else. Its capabilities lie in another area. It can be used to parry and it can incapacitate with enough blows, but the true nature of Hakurouken is its ability to divide things such as confusion. Certainly, cutting confusion is a valuable asset to the easily-confused Youmu. However, this is merely a side effect of its intended function. Hakurouken instantly causes the state of Nirvana in spirits it strikes, causing them to vanish utterly. * History: Youmu was born into the Konpaku family, half-ghosts in service of the ruler of the Netherworld, Saigyouji Yuyuko. She was trained intensely in swordplay, and in how to garden in order to cultivate the gardens around Yuyuko's home. Soon enough, Youmu became Yuyuko's servant, dedicated to her service even when she was to cause an incident that nearly(unintentionally) caused the awakening of a malevolent entity in the form of a soul-eating cherry tree. Since then, Youmu has actively assisted in the resolution of several incidents. * Personality: Calm, collected, serious. These are things Youmu tries to be at all times. To her credit, in a fight she is a dangerous and focused opponent, but outside of combat she is prone to being rather awkward. Her attempts to remain collected often fail, as Youmu is easily surprised and confused. She is not unintelligent, but it is simply quite easy to exasperate or perplex her. Youmu is easily frustrated by things that confuse her, and she is somewhat easy to mislead. However, she has been working on this, as to not fail Yuyuko. Youmu takes pride in her combat capabilities and her speed, as well as her katana, Roukanken and Hakuroken. In spite of her attempts to be a dutiful and serious warrior, Youmu retains a fear of ghost stories. In spite of being half ghost. And serving a ghost. However, when her opponent is not a ghost, Youmu can be a courageous fighter who refuses to give in. She also retains absolute loyalty to Saigyouji Yuyuko, even if the gluttonous ghost confuses and embarrasses her at times. While it is unlikely this will become relevant in Gensokyo, Youmu is reluctant to kill other intelligent beings unless it is necessary to defend herself, Yuyuko, or others. * Other: N/A</s> <\|message\|>Hinanawi Tenshi — Girl of the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception Human Village As 'useful' as listening to the gossip floating around the Human Village was to Tenshi, it didn't take particularly long for her to get tired of hearing the same few things over and over. She couldn't really fault the humans for only being able to speak of one story, but if anything, it at least made the starting pieces for the whole incident clear. There was probably someone with that schoolteacher that they were all talking about, and if there was anywhere to start— "Huh?" As the celestial was lost in her thoughts, the immediate declaration of guilt from a familiar voice caused her to turn her head towards its source. The half-ghost samurai lady that met her gaze soon thereafter was a familiar sight, but her words and the way that she was posturing herself... Well, those were far less of a welcoming sight to her. "Oh, it's just you. I'm offended, quite honestly," Tenshi responded, placing one hand onto the hilt of her sword as she spoke. "I only just arrived here today, and here you are accusing me of causing whatever's going on. Are you looking for a fight, maybe? I'll gladly take you o—" Before she could finish her sentence, though, the (apparently-)sudden appearance of another person next to her caused Tenshi to flinch and draw her sword, her eyes flitting about before they finally came to rest upon the green-haired youkai girl from the underground. "...Oh, it's just you," Tenshi sighed, sheathing her weapon as she shot a glare at Youmu before looking at what that other youkai—Ko-something-or-another—was gesturing at. "A book? I don't know what you're babbling about, but I don't have any ability to change the past or whatever; not like I really need to after all... Wait, what's with this waste of paper?" As soon as she began to read the section that Koishi was pointing to, Tenshi's eyes narrowed as she made sure to try and reread what was stated there. As much as she gave no care about any of the lessons that were thrown her way back in Heaven, something on that level was something that even the children of the village would probably know. But as far as she could tell, everything written in that section was nothing but wrong. "There's not even a mention of that border youkai there... Honestly, you should go find your books from a more reputable source," she sighed, shaking her head before turning back towards Youmu. "Right, where was I... Being offended about your accusation, I believe." As a small crowd began to form around the three, the sounds of someone excusing themselves as they pushed their way through caused Tenshi to pause; when the source of that voice finally stumbled her way through and put herself in the middle of the area that had been cleared for their fight, the celestial was only forced to relax herself. It didn't make any sense to involve non-combatants in a duel, after all. "S-stooooop!" she cried out, her arms outstretched as her twintails shaking as she closed her eyes tightly. "Miss Konpaku, that Celestial isn't at fault here! No, rather, it's great that you're here right now! I couldn't find Reimu or Marisa at the shrine, so please, come with me! You've solved a lot of incidents, so please, don't fight and come with me! Akyuu is already waiting, so..." It took a few moments for Tenshi to even half-recognize the girl who had barged in to stop their fight, but the apron with 'KOSUZU' written on it made it clear that she was the owner of the bookstore that had recently been gaining a bit of traction with those who spent time around the shrine. Even so, getting interrupted right as something fun was about to happen was a bit irritating, if anything... @Fractured</s> <\|message\|>Kazami Yuuka Human Village "My, it does seem unusually hectic today~" Watching the hustle and bustle of the human villagers from her perch, the young woman in plaid smiled cheerfully. Her parasol open and protecting her from the sun, Yuuka idly wondered just what had gotten everyone in a tizzy. It certainly wasn't her own presence, sadly - far too little terror and despair for that, plus hardly anyone was giving her so much as a glance. Maybe they'd gotten too used to her occasional visits? Regardless, something had gotten the villagers riled up, and while Yuuka would normally poke her nose in just to get a gist of the problem, she was busy performing an important duty. Standing before the entranceway to Hieda-no-Akyuu's residence, the troublesome youkai had apparently decided to play gatekeeper today. Evidently today was not the best time for it, but she would dedicate a day to the jon all the same! After all, Elly managed to do it so easily, and if she could perform the literal most pointless job with such aplomb every day, then it shouldn't be too difficult to make sure no one strange bothered the most important human that wasn't also a shrine maiden! Glancing over her shoulder, Yuuka flashed a kind smile to a rather terrified handmaiden, who quickly ducked back out of view. How cute. Yuuka faced forward again, now humming merrily to herself. She had a feeling something fun was about to occur.</s> <\|message\|>Hata no Kokoro Hakurei Temple It had been about ninety minutes since she heard from Kasen said that Mamizou told her that Hieda no Akyuu mentioned that one of Kosuzu's books was doing some strange things that resulted in Keine falling into a coma, possibly becuase, in Hata no Kokoro's mind, the latter said something to the former which resulted in the former being used as aballistic projectile which would explain the supposed head trauma that Keine was most likely suffering. That wasn't important, really. As far as Reimu had heard from Marisa, the witch often gets smacked upside the head by either Alice or Patchouli, whoever that was. Hard cover books must be a rather valued commodity in home defense. But that didn't matter. What mattered was that the compendium of Noh plays that she consulted every so often, a gift from Mamizou that she got from the Tengu village, was now missing a couple of works. In their place, there were other works that she had never heard of before. At first she though she had gotten the wrong book, which may explain why the title was "A Helpful Annex of Gensokyo's Noh" and not "A Complete Collection of Tengu Noh Plays" like she remembered. Kokoror shrugged. Kosuzu probably had another of those in her bookstore, so she headed down to the Human Village to speak with her. Human Village The menreiki's journey was largely tranquil, the cheerful thoughts in her head as she skipped her way to the village visible on the mask atop of her head. She hummed a simple tune, a rythmless amalgamation of music she had heard before, as she wondered where Reimu was. She knew that the shrine maiden had duties with the people, but she saw her within the temple ground's more often than not. Maybe she got taken away by duties somewhere else. Shrine maidens had plenty of work, after all. Most of it seemed to revolve around monetary gain in some way or another. All these thoughts screeched to a halt once she spotted a motley crew close to the center of the village and she spotted a familiar figure, one that had a Hannya mask briefly take its place on her head: Komeiji Koishi. Kokoro stopped on her tracks to shake her head and slap her cheeks a couple of times as the mask changed into a fox. The menreiki clenched her fists and walked towards the group and happened to notice Kosuzu attempting to defuse the situation. It was time to be the better (wo)man. Time to demonstrate that it was the good deeds that get rewarded and that mean things (like stealing) get punished. Kokoro marched straight into Kosuzu's face and, without even knowing what was happening, stood in attention as she stated: "I'll help". It was fair to say that she had forgotten about the book for a moment there. Not like it mattered, really. The book had forgotten too. There was now a chapter about kabuki theatre.</s>	<\|message\|>Konpaku Youmu When the owner of the yokai book library appeared and pleaded with them to stop before they actually came to blows, Youmu's hand drifted away from Roukanken's hilt. It was what the suddenly-appearing sister of the underground Satori had babbled about, too... it didn't sound like it was something that Hinanawi would have been involved with. But it definitely sounded like an incident... while her duty to Yuyuko-sama was paramount, she also couldn't let this go unaddressed. It wasn't right to leave people potentially in danger or otherwise let an incident continue unchecked. It seemed as if quite a few people had appeared too, including the menreiki... "... Very well, if there's an incident it can't be overlooked," she said, finally, with one last wary glance towards Hinanawi.</s>
<\|description\|>Konpaku Youmu * Appearance: "If it's for Yuyuko-sama, I won't lose!" Youmu is pretty small, at under five feet. * Ability/Skills: Youmu is somewhat more durable than a regular human being, and has a somewhat more capable healing ability, but this is nothing as extreme as most youkai. As a half-ghost, a portion of her soul is embodied as a (usually)non-sentient floating phantom referred to as Myon. This can be used to observe distant areas, fire danmaku, or even temporarily become a duplicate of Youmu for double team attacks. Youmu also feels everything Myon feels, though she cannot be damaged in this way(something painful to Myon will be painful to Youmu, though). Youmu is an incredibly skilled swordswoman, capable of wielding her blades both one and two-handed. Her strength is above human level, allowing her to wield the incredibly long Roukanken one-handed. Youmu's attacking speed allows her to slash many times in an instant, to the point where it appears as a single attack. She can also move very quickly, in both air and on land, her speed making her the second fastest person in Gensokyo. This allows her to pull off her family technique, Two-Hundred Yojana in One Slash, covering an enormous amount of distance and come back in the time it takes to unsheath Roukanken and cut with it, allowing her to cut foes even quite a distance away. However, these shows of speed will eventually wear on her, so she cannot endlessly utilize her top speed. She also carries spellcards and is fully capable of flight. Her most powerful technique, both in spellcard form and as a true attack, is Reflecting Satellite Slash. This attack is simultaneously the cutting of her blade and a wave of blades reflected by the light of the moon, assaulting her opponent in a flash of light as she moves to cut through them. Even in nonlethal danmaku form it is a highly dangerous attack. However, it requires Youmu to hold still and gather power to properly perform it. In spite of all her advantages, Youmu is still partially human and can be injured as a human can, and while attacks to Myon do not cause physical harm, the pain caused by them can immobilize her. Youmu carries two katana, Roukanken and Hakuroken. + Roukanken: An incredibly long katana, a nodachi that measures longer than the short girl is tall. Roukanken's blade was forged by youkai, allowing it to be nearly unbreakable. This is not the most notable feature of Roukanken, however. The katana's incredibly sharp blade transcends physicality, allowing it to cut apart even existences such as formless ghosts. Rocks, trees, flesh, steel, little can stand up to the unrestrained Roukanken. However, Youmu utilizes danmaku rules to avoid killing unless her life or the lives of others are in danger. Supernatural protection, or heavily augmented technology, may also defend against Roukanken. + Hakurouken: A wakizashi, Hakurouken possesses no ability to kill a living thing. Indeed, it is almost entirely harmless, causing some pain and discomfort but otherwise nothing else. Its capabilities lie in another area. It can be used to parry and it can incapacitate with enough blows, but the true nature of Hakurouken is its ability to divide things such as confusion. Certainly, cutting confusion is a valuable asset to the easily-confused Youmu. However, this is merely a side effect of its intended function. Hakurouken instantly causes the state of Nirvana in spirits it strikes, causing them to vanish utterly. * History: Youmu was born into the Konpaku family, half-ghosts in service of the ruler of the Netherworld, Saigyouji Yuyuko. She was trained intensely in swordplay, and in how to garden in order to cultivate the gardens around Yuyuko's home. Soon enough, Youmu became Yuyuko's servant, dedicated to her service even when she was to cause an incident that nearly(unintentionally) caused the awakening of a malevolent entity in the form of a soul-eating cherry tree. Since then, Youmu has actively assisted in the resolution of several incidents. * Personality: Calm, collected, serious. These are things Youmu tries to be at all times. To her credit, in a fight she is a dangerous and focused opponent, but outside of combat she is prone to being rather awkward. Her attempts to remain collected often fail, as Youmu is easily surprised and confused. She is not unintelligent, but it is simply quite easy to exasperate or perplex her. Youmu is easily frustrated by things that confuse her, and she is somewhat easy to mislead. However, she has been working on this, as to not fail Yuyuko. Youmu takes pride in her combat capabilities and her speed, as well as her katana, Roukanken and Hakuroken. In spite of her attempts to be a dutiful and serious warrior, Youmu retains a fear of ghost stories. In spite of being half ghost. And serving a ghost. However, when her opponent is not a ghost, Youmu can be a courageous fighter who refuses to give in. She also retains absolute loyalty to Saigyouji Yuyuko, even if the gluttonous ghost confuses and embarrasses her at times. While it is unlikely this will become relevant in Gensokyo, Youmu is reluctant to kill other intelligent beings unless it is necessary to defend herself, Yuyuko, or others. * Other: N/A</s> <\|message\|>Konpaku Youmu Youmu listened carefully to what Akyuu had to say. There was something messing with the records of Gensokyo's history? To the point where the teacher fell unconscious attempting to read it? Not only that, but strange spaces had developed in Gensokyo... The moment that Hinanawi mentioned one of the altered records, the pale half-phantom froze for a moment. Yuyuko-sama... was Yuyuko-sama in one of these spaces? Were the events of that incident being altered? If that was the case... "... You... you're right, the Saigyou Ayakashi..." she trailed off. She didn't know just what was happening, but a terrible feeling had suddenly clutched at her heart. "I have to go. I have to see what's happening. If Yuyuko-sama is in danger, I can't wait any longer!" At this point, incident resolution was a distant secondary to ensuring Yuyuko-sama's safety. Given how little was known about what was happening, and how historical records were being altered, there was no telling what was going on. But the chance of danger was far too great for her. Immediately, Youmu turned and began to hurry off.</s> <\|message\|>Fujiwara no Mokou Having arrived earlier--after all, she hadn't been meandering about waiting for an activity to fall into her lap this time, she had been looking for Keine--Mokou had already had chance to look at the books a little. Whatever was going on was no good... it didn't even seem like it was going to be that fun, but changing history was annoying enough even when it didn't knock out one of the few people that she associated with. What if it changed things so Kaguya went back to the moon? That would really be no fun... and would people who manipulated time be more or less affected by it all? Rather than pursuing the fleeing gardener--she still remember how much that ghost had been talking about maybe eating her, which really seemed excessive as a result of danmaku--Mokou followed along behind the weird underground youkai and the flower one. At least if this became a fight it would be something exciting.</s> <\|message\|>Hata no Kokoro Hata no Kokoro Hata no Kokoro Expressionless and Emotional Menreiki --- It was fair to say that the situation had developed from a mere curious happening to a full-blown incident, but that'd barely be scratching the surface of what was about to transpire. Fueled by the presence of Komeiji Koishi, Hata no Kokoro was very determined to solve this incident before she did it. She'd beat her, and have her eat her humble pie, and have her apologize, and she'd be super magnanimous and forgive her because that's what nice people are supposed to do and hen Koishi would cry because of just how gosh darn NICE Kokoro was unlike her who was mean and evil and stole people's masks. It was also fair to say that the poker-faced menreiki was positively brimming with competitive energy, judging by the fox mask atop her head, that tacit pressure akin to a coiled spring about to fire off and the glances she sneaked at Koishi's direction. That's why a veritable burst propelled the girl outside of the room once the satori did so as well. Kokoro heard where they were going, so it was now a matter of getting there first and getting the scoop first, even if it meant weaving through and inbetween the other incident solvers. --- Somewhere, a tengu sneezed. --- Incident Solver Extraordinarie Hata no Kokoro To The Rescue</s> <\|message\|>Hinanawi Tenshi — Girl of the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception Human Village Tenshi had simply watched as Youmu had scrambled out of the room to go in an entirely different direction from the others, who seemed to already be walking off towards the bookkeeper's store. The Celestial briefly considered the situation and, deciding that it would be more fun to go for the group with less people, decided to follow after the half-ghost gardener instead. Throwing the book nonchalantly towards Akyuu (who barely managed to snatch it out of the air as it was about to fly over her head), the young woman gave a slight shrug towards the historian before running off in pursuit. Upon seeing over half of those present leave the room, Kosuzu quickly stood up and half-ran out of the room after them, making sure to try and keep pace with those who were already moving towards her bookstore. Luckily, their nonchalant pace made taking the lead easy, and with a nod, the young girl wasted no time in guiding the group over to the place she had mentioned earlier. Indeed, it was as just as she had remembered; there was an odd space that seemed to waver in existence next to a nearby tree that seemed to stand out all the more if you focused on it. If it hadn't been for the remnants of blood-red mist that seemed to slip out from it, the anomaly would likely have gone wholly unnoticed by anyone without a sharp eye. "That's... New..." Kosuzu trailed off, taking a wary step behind the four who she had guided here. "I, uh... I know that Akyuu wanted you to look into them, but..." There was a bit of excitement in the young girl's heart, but the uncertainty behind the situation and the knowledge of the Scarlet Mist incident that she had made her all the more wary of even trying to go near it. Entering the space would provide an immediate shift in scenery, though; just as passing through one of Yukari's gaps in reality, walking through this one would seemingly transport whoever did so into what appeared to be a parallel version of Gensokyo to the one they had just been in. The scarlet mist that blanketed the Human Village here seemed to be as dense as a thick fog, and though it was still possible to see more than a few feet in front of one's face, that was about all that could be done. The entrance to the locale seemed to exist all the same, of course, so returning was still an option, but even so... The sound of laughter in the distance made the mood all the more uneasy, though... @RolePlayerRoxas@Raineh Daze@Sylph de Graaf --- The Netherworld The distance between entrance to the Netherworld and the Human Village was surprisingly short when considering how fast the residents of Gensokyo were able to fly, and before long Youmu (and soon after, Tenshi) had arrived at the gates without much issue. The space high above the skies was tranquil, save for the occasional fairy (Tenshi had a bit of fun cutting down the ones in her way en route), but in front of the gates themselves... "...Snow and flower petals...?" A distance away from the pillars in front of the gates proper, there seemed to be an odd distortion that seemed to be releasing a few in equal quantity into the clouds. If the Celestial had to guess, this was probably something similar to what had been mentioned earlier at Akyuu's house, but upon looking at it proper, it was definitely odd enough to warrant poking at. Upon approaching the gates, Tenshi noticed that a pink-haired ghost was already there, floating around the odd space and catching a few of the cherry blossom petals that had already slipped out. Upon hearing of the approach of a few others, though, she turned around and, seemingly without a worry in the world, waved towards Youmu. "Ah, you're back! I got a bit bored while waiting for the groceries and found this outside. Cherry blossoms at this time of year... Oh? Youmu, where are the groceries...?"</s>	<\|message\|>Konpaku Youmu "Yuyuko-sama!" It was with great relief that Youmu called her Mistress's name, slowing to a halt(which came with a considerable gust of wind due to the high speed she had been moving at) beside her. "I'm so glad to see you're alright!" For the moment, formality and reluctance to speak of such feelings were completely overridden by relief, at least until Youmu had realized what she had said. Her cheeks colored for a moment, and she cleared her throat. "I must apologize about the groceries, but as you can see an urgent matter has arisen. Hakurei-san and Kirisame-san are preoccupied, and yet there is a serious incident affecting Gensokyo." There was no doubting the strange space in front of the gates was one of the ones that Akyuu had spoken of. But there was something else that caught her eye about it... Cherry blossoms drifting from within the hole in the air... Yuyuko-sama had already caught a few in her hands. An altered past and cherry blossoms... While Yuyuko-sama was safe, the fact that there were cherry blossoms... "... I... I believe that there may be an attempt to awaken the Saigyou Ayakashi inside of this space," she said, finally, one hand drifting near to Roukanken's hilt. Did that mean there was another Yuyuko beyond the hole...?</s>
<\|description\|>Kenneth Archer 65 - Sagittarius - Retired Physician - 6'2" - Bill Pullman "Everyone assumes we start out in the same place. We don't." --- Appearance Details The years have certainly taken their toll on all facets of Kent's life, but none so prominently than his overall demeanor and presence, particularly in recent weeks. Where he once stood tall with confidence and pride, he now tends to slump at the shoulders and wither under the pressures that haunt his reality. Tired, blue eyes peer out of a weathered face, and a light beard now covers his chin and cheeks. His shock of gray hair, while still kept at an acceptable length, is often tousled and greasy. He has also grown more lean and gaunt due to the stress of this new world, losing some of the softness around his middle. Kent also doesn't care much about fashion sense; his clothes are what many would consider comfortable – plaid, flannel shirts, sometimes quilted depending on the weather, Carhartt jackets, t-shirts, sturdy boots, and a pair of dependable blue jeans. Characterization For the nearly 40 years of his professional career, Kent served his hometown of Rushford through his private family practice as a primary care physician. The quaint office consisted of only himself, his friend Jerry, who served as his assistant, and his wife Emily as his personal secretary and receptionist. The only notable addition was his son, Jack, who joined the team as a second physician in early 2008. Kent took pride in his work and was often lauded for his knowledge and precision, always going above and beyond what was expected of him. His calm and humble demeanor also helped him to connect with his patients on a personal level, prescribing gentle but effective advice and treatment no matter the health issue. This not only made him a competent doctor, but he quickly became a familiar face and a trustworthy friend to many of the locals. Unfortunately, this arrangement would not last forever. With the increase of big business and other residential and retail development in the region, the health care system became more standardized and strict with their procedures. As a result, more hospitals joined together into networks to coordinate and deliver a broad spectrum of services to the community and to stay up to date with the current initiatives passed down from the government. They often targeted small private practices to consolidate into their system; Kent's family business was no exception. Despite a hard battle, Kent could not withstand the constant pressure from these entities and ultimately decided to retire. His son, however, did not agree to uphold his father's ideals nor to continue the fight; he caved to the hospital networks and joined their team of doctors, presumably over money and prominence, which caused a nasty falling out between father and son. Kent has not spoken to Jack since that fateful day. Even now, two years later, his son's decision remains a point of contention. It's a shadow that lingers at the back of Kent's mind, serving as a reminder of how fragile life truly is. He withdrew into himself, and his marriage has suffered as a result. While he was able to regain some happiness by rekindling his love of nature and fully embracing the outdoors, he finds that he is never fully satisfied. Camping, boating excursions, and long hikes in the woods only go so far in easing his troubled mind. He still feels restless and agitated. That was before his wife decided to take a week-long trip to Lake Erie with her social group... That was before the world went to hell… In the midst of so much uncertainty, Kent's only hope is to reconnect with his wife and son, to make amends for everything that has gone wrong, and survive this crisis...together. Inventory - Backpack containing a small First Aid kit that he pulled from the trunk of his car - Ball-Peen Hammer, once again lifted from his car - Water Bottle ---</s> <\|message\|>Henry Atkins Henry use to have a job, a one bedroom apartment, one dog, and a girlfriend. That was before Hell come home. Now he had a megaphone and a state map. And, binoculars. Life was suppossed to get better, easier. But these days the definition of wisdom was sitting still and watching out of a big wall of glass attached to the foundation of some diner. He woke up in the middle of the night several times. One time was to go to the bathroom, and another time was to go to the bathroom to read under the dim light. He looked at the car sales manual called AutoCars for a little while and went back to his booth. The other few times were because he could not sleep. But, he didn't see if anyone else was alert. Then, dawn came. He was lying still in his booth bed. They started talking about breakfast and coffee, and he arose slowly because his bed was uncomfortable. So, he woke up and yawned and do a few stretches and looked at the people. He said, "I need some coffee so bad. And if we still have any biscuits I want one." He wasn't trying to be impolite or greedy, but the times had hardened him and his manners. He said, "I prefer the coffee if somebody else wants the bread."</s> <\|message\|>Kennedy Sokoloski --- Kenny Sokoloski --- Rushford: Jenkin's Diner \|\| May 7th Kenny shifted in the booth she lay in, her eyes closed in stubborn hope that sleep might come again. It wasn't until the smell of coffee hit her nose that she finally sat up, accepting the faint sunlight. From what she could see, Karen was up, as was Katie, the former digging through a creamer basket and the latter looking as tired as she was the day before, if not more. Though Kenny doubted any of the group slept well, Katie seemed to be having an especially rough time. There were little hints—the disarray of the diner, her general lack of liveliness, the shovel beside the mop in the hallway—but Kenny hadn't asked, hadn't wanted to ask. They'd all taken blows in the last week, and asking about someone else's forced her to consider her own. "I'll help too," she said after Lena's offer, sliding off the booth shakily but readily. Her hands went up to adjust her ponytail as she walked towards the kitchen, glancing at Katie and Karen. She wasn't much for making food, but she could grab ingredients and set up silverware just fine, and she'd done the same for the past few days. "I think I saw some milk in the back," she said as she walked past the counter. "Not sure about creamer, but I can check." The storage room was markedly darker than the main room of the diner, lacking windows aside from a single one on the door in. Overhead were lights Kenny chose not to turn on, opting instead to head straight for the fridge, which thankfully had its own light. Inside was a meager assortment of ingredients as well as two jugs of milk, one half-empty and one unopened. Shifting those aside, she managed to retrieve a rather light bottle of french vanilla creamer. A shake confirmed it was almost empty, and Kenny shut the fridge door behind her with some resignation before heading back to the front. "This is all I could find," she said, sliding the bottle across the counter towards Karen. The smell of coffee was still in the air, distinct and comforting, reminding Kenny of the weekend mornings when she'd bring her brother by for a free brunch. Old Man Jenkins was kind enough to not bat an eye, provided their mother cover their table, and Kenny enjoyed watching her brother drown his pancakes in syrup. All that remained of those days was the smell of coffee, which hadn't changed a bit. It was almost strange how familiar the smell was, how warm yet cold it made her feel, and she forced an easy smile that didn't touch her eyes when Henry spoke. "Sure, lemme pop those in the toaster first."</s> <\|message\|>Krisana Herrera Krisana Herrera Krisana sat on the table of the booth she occupied throughout the week. Her legs were crossed, her hands on her knees, earbuds in her ears playing calming music in Spanish from her iPod. She'd taken up meditating to keep it together and there was no better time to do it when she now had the time to waste. Her tongue salivated from her sweet craving and she was minutes away from freaking out about her mother possibly being dead, but she tried to meditate it all away. She had her moment when she couldn't reach her mother at the start of the pandemic. She boarded up the shop, then followed the small group here. Honey Sugar was a few shops down the road and would be an easy trip to get her poison, but she wouldn't go alone and she couldn't ask anyone else to make a suicide run with her for sweets. That'd be a stupid thing to die for. She's settled for drinking tea with a lot of sugar in to satisfy that need for fruity flavors. "Morning everyone." She called out. Around her, her pandemic companions got ready for breakfast. Pots and pans clung together from the kitchen, the scent of coffee was strong, and her stomach growled. Yeah she needed to eat. The radio crackled from the counter top. Another morning run of a supposed safe haven near Maumee River. She doesn't know much about radios, but she's sure it's a repeated recording. The voice doesn't fluctuate when the person speaks. It's said the exact same way it has been for the last few days. If the recording is scheduled, then there's a chance they're nothing waiting for them if they leave. Krisana climbed down from the table and sat in a stool at the counter in front of Karen after the broadcast. "Are we going to attempt to leave today? The longer we wait the more chance there's nothing waiting for us a the camp."</s> <\|message\|>DASHIELL "DASH" MILLER Location: Jenkin's Diner. Rushford, OH --- The original plan was to meet his parents at the diner and to get the hell out of town, but things didn't go as planned for Dash. His parents were old, so they were slow. Obviously that day, he gave them the benefit of the doubt that it was just their sluggish pace that was keeping them back and that he should wait for them patiently. In the first few days, he waited with hope. Hope that they would be there well and alive. That hope was coming from a place in Dash's mind on the brighter side of things, but in the past week, he realized that looking at the brighter side of things wasn't going to help him survive. Dash sat quietly at his picked booth in Jenkin's Diner, scribbling away in his journal. Journaling was something Dash had assigned every year as an assignments to his students for the semester, it was to write a entry either daily or weekly, to allow for creative expression for his students and to help them with their writing skills. Doing it himself had become therapeutic and as a creature of habit it stuck. As some of the group gathered for a cup of coffee, the teacher finished up his mental vomiting, joining the group at the counter. "I'll take a coffee too."</s> <\|message\|>Henry Atkins Henry sighed. His boots were underneath the table attached to the booth he slept in. He was wearing an old Guns N Roses and, at the bottom he had on carpenter jeans that was held up by a nice leather belt. He took about ten sips of coffee, then returned to get his boots. They were half-knee and wide, good for dressing up in them and breathable. He put them on. Then, where his boots were his binoculars sat lopsided on the floor lopsided. It was his booth, so everything he owned lay nested there. He got the binoculars. He checked north, south, east, and west. He took a minute or two to adjust the faculties of the handheld telescope. He looked over everything once or twice, ignoring what was going on around him. Then, he spliced back into the diner and considered that Krisana was right. He held onto the binoculars while he briefly spoke. "I just checked. I think Krisana might be on to something. We haven't seen nothing, not a corpse or anything. I say because we don't have guns we should figure out how to move from here and get to the next camp and stock up. We can't stay here forever."</s>	<\|message\|>Kenneth Archer Kent Archer Rushford: Jenkin's Diner \|\| May 7th --- By the time the others began to stir, Kent was already awake and reclining in his usual booth, an old newspaper clipping spread out before him on the countertop. In truth, he had never slept at all, having made a personal commitment to act as sentry while everyone else tried to get some rest. But in reality, it hadn't been a choice; he had simply resigned himself to the inevitable after a long struggle with his inner demons. For the past few weeks, insomnia had become Kent's usual nighttime companion. It seemed to correlate with the onset of the pandemic, though he had a feeling that the root cause went far beyond that. The outbreak had merely exacerbated another kind of crisis that had been lingering beneath the surface for several years – one that involved his family and the damage that could be wrought due to what he now considered petty differences. As a result of his own petulance, his wife and son remained unaccounted for, lost to the chaos that had so acutely gripped the nation. They had left him alone to wrestle with a myriad of complex emotions, including guilt, anger, and regret. All of this on top of the mitigating effects of sleep deprivation. In many ways, it was almost too much to bear. And yet, he had somehow managed to trudge onward. The group of survivors, who he had stumbled upon by happenstance at the local diner, was his only consolation. Not only had they given him a sense of purpose, but they represented hope – something that he so desperately needed in these dark times. That thought persisted, even now, as the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled his senses. It was a welcoming scent, something that evoked a semblance of normalcy. While it might've been a relatively small matter compared to the enormity of their situation, Kent appreciated the reminder. Sometimes it was the little things that kept you functional in the middle of an apocalypse. With a wide yawn, Kent stretched and finally dragged himself out of the booth, his motions slow and measured. He found that getting himself moving in the morning wasn't as easy as it used to be, particularly when he had stayed in the same uncomfortable position all night long. It was yet another unfortunate consequence of aging, a reality that he now inwardly cursed. Well, at least my sciatica isn't acting up. It could be so much worse… Kent ran a hand through his tousled hair and issued a sigh as he sauntered toward the counter to join the others. They were already immersed in idle conversation, the topic ranging from breakfast offerings to the mysterious broadcasts about a camp that supposedly harbored a safe haven from the virus. It was that last part that piqued his interest. "Maybe not," Kent drawled in response to the young man's proclamation – Henry, was it? Assigning faces to names was still an ongoing process. "But we can't afford to make careless decisions either. Sit down and enjoy some breakfast first, then we can devise a plan." He offered the man a small smile before heeding his own advice and settling down on one of the stools lining the counter.</s>
<\|description\|>Thucydides Beauregard Age: 52 Gender: Male Nationality: American Role: Operational Commander....AKA the Commander Who Will Inevitably Be Evil Specialty: Military command, operational and small unit tactics, small arms and close quarters combat training. Personality: A military man through and through, Thuycdides is a soul hardened by a long career of battle and scorn by his fellow Southrons. He prefers to lead from the front, unwilling to order to his men into any risk he would not take himself, and his dedication to the men and women under his command is unquestionable. He is somewhat cold and unemotionally professional to newcomers, but he's quick to warm up to those that earn his respect. Appearance: Other: Is familiar with French of those the Parisian and Cajun dialects. History: Born and raised in the heart of Louisiana, Thucydides Beauregard comes from a long and proud history of military leaders. For most of his life he grew up loathed by his fellow Southerners for his family's siding with the Union during the American Civil War, to which he responded with equal amounts of spite and a redoubling of his devotion to his country. At 18 he joined the United States Marine Corps, seeing it as the greatest act of defiance he could manage against those that had labeled him and his family traitors to his homeland. He'd go on to enjoy a long and successful career, rising to the rank of Captain during the Spanish-American War. Fighting from the Philippines all the way to the Boxer Rebellion, where extensive wounds ended his career with an honorable discharge. For the next ten years he would act as a consultant and trainer with various militaries around the world, eventually meeting the illustrious Preston Whitmore. Taken in with the old man's dedication to finding the lost city of Atlantis, he agreed to take on the role of operational leader of the armed team, seeing it as the ultimate cap to his career.</s> <\|message\|>Thucydides Beauregard Preston Whitmore could put every military in the world to shame. Thucydides Beauregard could think nothing less than that as he completed his inspection of the the Ulysses and the accompanying vehicles, submersibles and all of the weaponry they'd been equipped with for this expedition. He'd thought that Whitmore had spent obscene amounts of money on just the Icelandic expedition, but this...he couldn't fathom how one man could have managed such feats of machining and science. Good thing that his friend hadn't ever considered a political career. He'd dominate the world by now. He paused a moment to draw a cigar from one of the many pockets of his fatigue coat. Whitmore had even provided custom uniforms for the expedition, which Thucydides couldn't help but chuckle at when he'd first seen the things. Yes, the old man had covered every single one of his bases here. The big man smiled as he clipped the end of the stogie and slipped the thing between his lips, striking a match against his cheek. He took a slow, satisfied puff as he strolled along through the ship, taking that one last opportunity to breath in the sea air before they'd be embarking. The Hungarian was already down in the departure bay when Thucydides made his way down again. He offered a polite nod as he approached, looming at 6'6" and easily outmassing the geologist. "Find everything to your liking, Mr. Zalan? Whitmore spared no expense here by the look of things." The big man offered a smile around his cigar. "Afraid I'm not the best of judges with the excavation equipment."</s> <\|message\|>Tristan Walker Tristan had to grip his typewriter with force as the ship lurched rapidly against the storm powered waves. He cursed quietly as readjusted the position of the typewriter on his room's desk. He would be quiet cross if the expensive machine were to be damaged. While the expedition's benefactor Mr. Whitmore had quite enough money to easily replace it, Tristan would still feel bad if such a nice piece of machinery was ruined by the jostling of the sea. Plus, Mr. Whitmore had said that Tristan could keep the new typewriter once the expedition was completed. Tristan had just finished a draft of his account of the expedition so far. Normally Tristan would have went through several drafts already, wanting to tell the story in the best way. However, there wasn't much to tell. They were only on their third day at sea with very little to report. While the splendour of the ship had initially been very interesting to Tristan, giving him ideas about writing a nautical adventure, the whole thing had become humdrum fast as everyone fell into the monotony of their duties. Hell, this was the first time there had even been a storm, which was something of note. Tristan placed the typewriter and his report into the large suitcase next to him, one designed to store a typewriter, and placed the luggage under the bottom bunk he had claimed. As he did so, his stomach growled reminding him that he had skipped lunch to read a book and write his report. Tristan hoped that there was still some food left, as lunch was over two hours ago. Tristan threw on a brown overcoat, as it was chilly today, and left his room. In the hall outside, several of the military types were gathered and laughing. It gave Tristan pause to try and figure out what about this expedition would be so dangerous that it would require a small army. In fact, Tristan still had many more questions about this whole endeavour. If they were looking for ruins at the bottom of the ocean, then why did they need demolition experts? It was a little bit sketchy to Tristan, but he had placed his faith in Preston Whitmore, who he was still greatly appreciative of being offered this job. Tristan made his way out of the hallway and onto the exposed part of the ship. Bursts of sea spray greeted him, darkening his overcoat as he was dampened. Tristan hurried down toward the mess hall, wanting to get away from the storm as fast as possible. As he turned the corner that led to the mess hall, Tristan slipped on the wet floor, sliding forward. At the same time a sailor also turned the corner, colliding with Tristan. The two were both knocked off their feet, the sailor dropping a bag of potatoes, while Tristan's journal fell out of his coat pocket. "The hell is your problem?" spat the sailor as he tried to pick the potatoes of the floor. Tristan froze up. He was not good with confrontation. So, he quickly gathered the potatoes and handed them to the sailor, before grabbing his journal and fleeing the scene, leaving the sailor with a confused expression. Tristan's hunger left his mind as he rushed out of the area. What a klutz, he thought. Once he found a secluded part of the ship Tristan stopped and breathed in the ocean air. The salty mist calmed him down, grounding him, and quieting his mind. Tristan then took out his personal journal and made note of this situation so that he may learn from it.</s> <\|message\|>Szalai Zalán Szalai Zalán Szalai was slightly startled and when Thucydides spoke to him and turned to face him. "Ah Commander Beauregard, I did not hear you approach and yes everything is to my liking rest assured". So this is the Commander, Szalai thought as he looked at the man. A tall American this one and he seems fine so far. "Yeah, Whitmore spared no expense with funding and outfitting this expedition to find the lost city". Szalai turned his head to the submarine. "I have to admit that I am surprised at the lengths he has taken to supply this expedition and I would hate if all of this went to waste". Szalai chuckled to himself at the thought of this trip turning up with nothing. "Hopefully this is not to waste". A thought came to him if they are searching for the remains of the lost city on the ocean floor. Why do they need a militia? Seems rather odd, what is supposed to attack them? Pirates? Either way, Whitmore seemed to have hired them for a reason, and for now, he trusted him about this. There has to be a good reason why right? Still, Szalai is excited to find any trace of Atlantis and turned his head back to the American. "So Commander any advice about being in a submarine?" Szalai gave a weak smile, "It should not surprise you that I have never been in one and well, this expedition is going to some firsts for me". He looked back at the submarine, "this submarine being the first of one several before this expedition is over with".</s> <\|message\|>Thucydides Beauregard "Afraid I'm not much of an expert myself. My understanding is that it isn't much different from a normal ship. Just have to be a tad more careful about seals." Thucydides offered, puffing in his cigar as he took another look around the bay. An entire convoy of trucks loaded down with supplies was already starting on up the boarding ramp, though most of the crew itself was still lingering. That would change soon. "I'm not much more excited than you about traveling in this thing, believe me. Prefer to know there's sky a certain distance above me. We have our duty though. Is there anything else you need prepared before we embark?"</s> <\|message\|>Szalai Zalán Szalai Zalán "Just like a normal ship huh", Szalai replied as he looked at the submarine. "I will take your for word it then and then it should not be too hard to live in". Being in a submarine sure will be an experience, being underwater and everything. Granted he will be waiting around for a time before they find traces of the lost city. Still, it will be worth it once they found what they were looking for and Szalai is excited about it. "I am just excited to find the lost city is all and not exactly excited to travel in a submarine. Just it will be new for me and being in an impressive submarine like this one". Szalai noticed the supply trucks and moving up the boarding ramp. "I take it that we are leaving soon and as for me Commander. I just to retrieve some things from my bunk and I should be good to go. It should be fast to get and I assume you are ready to depart?</s> <\|message\|>Brooke Everett Brooke Everett: The Cartographer Brooke Everett was scrambling to the bridge of the ship, clutching several scrolls of maps, balancing some on a small open-topped wooden box with various books inside. The young woman's frazzled short black hair that was shorter on one side raised just above her large, circular glasses that made her big brown eyes seem even bigger. Brooke had been a beacon of anxious energy throughout the entire trip, having had her entire life turned upside down. The sleeves of her white undershirt were rolled up to the elbows, and a red vest clung tightly to her body. The shirt was tucked into a belt that kept up a pair of black pants that tucked into a pair of boots. Everything was tucked. Perhaps not of any desire to be orderly or prim, infact it was more likely that had her clothes not been so tightly tucked they would be flying all over the place and getting stuck on every possible place they could get stuck on. It was a matter of necessity, almost. Preston Whitmore had changed her life. All those years of waiting, searching, hoping, it had finally come true. She was about to prove her and her grandfather right, and the Everett name would be brought to the public consciousness in the good light that it deserved. Finding Atlantis, following the notes of Shepherd's Journal in a high tech submarine---it was almost too good to be true! That was why she was so incredibly concerned with not messing anything up. Despite some of the crew's potentially mixed feelings, Brooke was a true believer in the lost empire and expounded vibrantly upon the subject whenever someone dared broach it with her- or whenever they didn't. Carrying the box and the scrolls full of text and words that no one other then a cartographer and linguist could make any sense of, Brooke came to a door that lead to where she needed to go. There was a small glass porthole, and the top half of her face peered through, the large round glasses poking around to try and see anyone on the other side. With no free hands to operate the complicated naval door that only submarines had, Brooke pushed her forehead against the glass. "Hello?" She asked. Brooke leaned back against a nearby wall and extended her leg outward and began to kick at something like a handle or a wheel, trying to find a good grip on it to get the door open. "C-c-could somone---" She stumbled, slipping, and had to rebound before a map fell to the ground. She treated the maps as if they were expensive Chinese porceclain creations. Were they to fall onto the steel floor of the submarine, they would surely shatter into a million pieces. Brooke tried not to blink too much because she was certain that if she kept her eyes closed for too long she would wake up and be back in her gloomy New England apartment. "I need some-" She once again began and prematurely ended a sentence, this time adding a beleaguered, good-natured giggle. "Oh, heck." She leaned up against the wall and tried to balance the box in her arms. At this point she was nothing more then a pair of trousers supporting a shaking box. This was going to take a while, and her obvious, loud plight would need to be solved by someone else. Eventually she may figure out how to put down the box and open the door and pick the box back up again. Again, if she put down the box, the rocking of the submarine may cause it to drift into the wall, have a collision, and burst into flames. Anything was on the table at this point.</s>	<\|message\|>Thucydides Beauregard "Just finished the inspection of all my team's equipment. We should be prepared for just about any breed of danger that might keep in on us." Thucydides replied. He paused then when he spotted the young Black woman trying to manage her rather copious luggage. He nodded politely toward the Hungarian. "If'll excuse me, seems our cartographer needs an extra pair of hands." He gave a brief salute before he loped over toward the young woman. Thucydides loomed easily over the woman, and was probably four times her weight in muscle and bone, but even then he had to his best to not appear threatening. "Let me give you a hand with that, Miss Everett." He said, his Louisiana drawl as thick as could be. The big man offered a polite smile as he turned the wheel to open the hatch for her. "Captain Thucydides Beauregard. Pleasure to meet you at last. Raymond would be proud seeing all this."</s>
<\|description\|>Thucydides Beauregard Age: 52 Gender: Male Nationality: American Role: Operational Commander....AKA the Commander Who Will Inevitably Be Evil Specialty: Military command, operational and small unit tactics, small arms and close quarters combat training. Personality: A military man through and through, Thuycdides is a soul hardened by a long career of battle and scorn by his fellow Southrons. He prefers to lead from the front, unwilling to order to his men into any risk he would not take himself, and his dedication to the men and women under his command is unquestionable. He is somewhat cold and unemotionally professional to newcomers, but he's quick to warm up to those that earn his respect. Appearance: Other: Is familiar with French of those the Parisian and Cajun dialects. History: Born and raised in the heart of Louisiana, Thucydides Beauregard comes from a long and proud history of military leaders. For most of his life he grew up loathed by his fellow Southerners for his family's siding with the Union during the American Civil War, to which he responded with equal amounts of spite and a redoubling of his devotion to his country. At 18 he joined the United States Marine Corps, seeing it as the greatest act of defiance he could manage against those that had labeled him and his family traitors to his homeland. He'd go on to enjoy a long and successful career, rising to the rank of Captain during the Spanish-American War. Fighting from the Philippines all the way to the Boxer Rebellion, where extensive wounds ended his career with an honorable discharge. For the next ten years he would act as a consultant and trainer with various militaries around the world, eventually meeting the illustrious Preston Whitmore. Taken in with the old man's dedication to finding the lost city of Atlantis, he agreed to take on the role of operational leader of the armed team, seeing it as the ultimate cap to his career.</s> <\|message\|>Tristan Walker Tristan had to grip his typewriter with force as the ship lurched rapidly against the storm powered waves. He cursed quietly as readjusted the position of the typewriter on his room's desk. He would be quiet cross if the expensive machine were to be damaged. While the expedition's benefactor Mr. Whitmore had quite enough money to easily replace it, Tristan would still feel bad if such a nice piece of machinery was ruined by the jostling of the sea. Plus, Mr. Whitmore had said that Tristan could keep the new typewriter once the expedition was completed. Tristan had just finished a draft of his account of the expedition so far. Normally Tristan would have went through several drafts already, wanting to tell the story in the best way. However, there wasn't much to tell. They were only on their third day at sea with very little to report. While the splendour of the ship had initially been very interesting to Tristan, giving him ideas about writing a nautical adventure, the whole thing had become humdrum fast as everyone fell into the monotony of their duties. Hell, this was the first time there had even been a storm, which was something of note. Tristan placed the typewriter and his report into the large suitcase next to him, one designed to store a typewriter, and placed the luggage under the bottom bunk he had claimed. As he did so, his stomach growled reminding him that he had skipped lunch to read a book and write his report. Tristan hoped that there was still some food left, as lunch was over two hours ago. Tristan threw on a brown overcoat, as it was chilly today, and left his room. In the hall outside, several of the military types were gathered and laughing. It gave Tristan pause to try and figure out what about this expedition would be so dangerous that it would require a small army. In fact, Tristan still had many more questions about this whole endeavour. If they were looking for ruins at the bottom of the ocean, then why did they need demolition experts? It was a little bit sketchy to Tristan, but he had placed his faith in Preston Whitmore, who he was still greatly appreciative of being offered this job. Tristan made his way out of the hallway and onto the exposed part of the ship. Bursts of sea spray greeted him, darkening his overcoat as he was dampened. Tristan hurried down toward the mess hall, wanting to get away from the storm as fast as possible. As he turned the corner that led to the mess hall, Tristan slipped on the wet floor, sliding forward. At the same time a sailor also turned the corner, colliding with Tristan. The two were both knocked off their feet, the sailor dropping a bag of potatoes, while Tristan's journal fell out of his coat pocket. "The hell is your problem?" spat the sailor as he tried to pick the potatoes of the floor. Tristan froze up. He was not good with confrontation. So, he quickly gathered the potatoes and handed them to the sailor, before grabbing his journal and fleeing the scene, leaving the sailor with a confused expression. Tristan's hunger left his mind as he rushed out of the area. What a klutz, he thought. Once he found a secluded part of the ship Tristan stopped and breathed in the ocean air. The salty mist calmed him down, grounding him, and quieting his mind. Tristan then took out his personal journal and made note of this situation so that he may learn from it.</s> <\|message\|>Szalai Zalán Szalai Zalán Szalai was slightly startled and when Thucydides spoke to him and turned to face him. "Ah Commander Beauregard, I did not hear you approach and yes everything is to my liking rest assured". So this is the Commander, Szalai thought as he looked at the man. A tall American this one and he seems fine so far. "Yeah, Whitmore spared no expense with funding and outfitting this expedition to find the lost city". Szalai turned his head to the submarine. "I have to admit that I am surprised at the lengths he has taken to supply this expedition and I would hate if all of this went to waste". Szalai chuckled to himself at the thought of this trip turning up with nothing. "Hopefully this is not to waste". A thought came to him if they are searching for the remains of the lost city on the ocean floor. Why do they need a militia? Seems rather odd, what is supposed to attack them? Pirates? Either way, Whitmore seemed to have hired them for a reason, and for now, he trusted him about this. There has to be a good reason why right? Still, Szalai is excited to find any trace of Atlantis and turned his head back to the American. "So Commander any advice about being in a submarine?" Szalai gave a weak smile, "It should not surprise you that I have never been in one and well, this expedition is going to some firsts for me". He looked back at the submarine, "this submarine being the first of one several before this expedition is over with".</s> <\|message\|>Thucydides Beauregard "Afraid I'm not much of an expert myself. My understanding is that it isn't much different from a normal ship. Just have to be a tad more careful about seals." Thucydides offered, puffing in his cigar as he took another look around the bay. An entire convoy of trucks loaded down with supplies was already starting on up the boarding ramp, though most of the crew itself was still lingering. That would change soon. "I'm not much more excited than you about traveling in this thing, believe me. Prefer to know there's sky a certain distance above me. We have our duty though. Is there anything else you need prepared before we embark?"</s> <\|message\|>Szalai Zalán Szalai Zalán "Just like a normal ship huh", Szalai replied as he looked at the submarine. "I will take your for word it then and then it should not be too hard to live in". Being in a submarine sure will be an experience, being underwater and everything. Granted he will be waiting around for a time before they find traces of the lost city. Still, it will be worth it once they found what they were looking for and Szalai is excited about it. "I am just excited to find the lost city is all and not exactly excited to travel in a submarine. Just it will be new for me and being in an impressive submarine like this one". Szalai noticed the supply trucks and moving up the boarding ramp. "I take it that we are leaving soon and as for me Commander. I just to retrieve some things from my bunk and I should be good to go. It should be fast to get and I assume you are ready to depart?</s> <\|message\|>Brooke Everett Brooke Everett: The Cartographer Brooke Everett was scrambling to the bridge of the ship, clutching several scrolls of maps, balancing some on a small open-topped wooden box with various books inside. The young woman's frazzled short black hair that was shorter on one side raised just above her large, circular glasses that made her big brown eyes seem even bigger. Brooke had been a beacon of anxious energy throughout the entire trip, having had her entire life turned upside down. The sleeves of her white undershirt were rolled up to the elbows, and a red vest clung tightly to her body. The shirt was tucked into a belt that kept up a pair of black pants that tucked into a pair of boots. Everything was tucked. Perhaps not of any desire to be orderly or prim, infact it was more likely that had her clothes not been so tightly tucked they would be flying all over the place and getting stuck on every possible place they could get stuck on. It was a matter of necessity, almost. Preston Whitmore had changed her life. All those years of waiting, searching, hoping, it had finally come true. She was about to prove her and her grandfather right, and the Everett name would be brought to the public consciousness in the good light that it deserved. Finding Atlantis, following the notes of Shepherd's Journal in a high tech submarine---it was almost too good to be true! That was why she was so incredibly concerned with not messing anything up. Despite some of the crew's potentially mixed feelings, Brooke was a true believer in the lost empire and expounded vibrantly upon the subject whenever someone dared broach it with her- or whenever they didn't. Carrying the box and the scrolls full of text and words that no one other then a cartographer and linguist could make any sense of, Brooke came to a door that lead to where she needed to go. There was a small glass porthole, and the top half of her face peered through, the large round glasses poking around to try and see anyone on the other side. With no free hands to operate the complicated naval door that only submarines had, Brooke pushed her forehead against the glass. "Hello?" She asked. Brooke leaned back against a nearby wall and extended her leg outward and began to kick at something like a handle or a wheel, trying to find a good grip on it to get the door open. "C-c-could somone---" She stumbled, slipping, and had to rebound before a map fell to the ground. She treated the maps as if they were expensive Chinese porceclain creations. Were they to fall onto the steel floor of the submarine, they would surely shatter into a million pieces. Brooke tried not to blink too much because she was certain that if she kept her eyes closed for too long she would wake up and be back in her gloomy New England apartment. "I need some-" She once again began and prematurely ended a sentence, this time adding a beleaguered, good-natured giggle. "Oh, heck." She leaned up against the wall and tried to balance the box in her arms. At this point she was nothing more then a pair of trousers supporting a shaking box. This was going to take a while, and her obvious, loud plight would need to be solved by someone else. Eventually she may figure out how to put down the box and open the door and pick the box back up again. Again, if she put down the box, the rocking of the submarine may cause it to drift into the wall, have a collision, and burst into flames. Anything was on the table at this point.</s> <\|message\|>Thucydides Beauregard "Just finished the inspection of all my team's equipment. We should be prepared for just about any breed of danger that might keep in on us." Thucydides replied. He paused then when he spotted the young Black woman trying to manage her rather copious luggage. He nodded politely toward the Hungarian. "If'll excuse me, seems our cartographer needs an extra pair of hands." He gave a brief salute before he loped over toward the young woman. Thucydides loomed easily over the woman, and was probably four times her weight in muscle and bone, but even then he had to his best to not appear threatening. "Let me give you a hand with that, Miss Everett." He said, his Louisiana drawl as thick as could be. The big man offered a polite smile as he turned the wheel to open the hatch for her. "Captain Thucydides Beauregard. Pleasure to meet you at last. Raymond would be proud seeing all this."</s> <\|message\|>Brooke Everett Brooke Everett: The Cartographer Brooke was focused on the door and keeping her belongings from touching the apparently poisonous ground when the light from a nearby ceiling fixture was blocked. Brooke's wide eyes flicked up to the imposing yet gentle figure of a very big man. He was intimidating to say the least, though she knew he wasn't trying to be. Still, the edge of a cliff or a big metal spike wasn't trying to be intimidating either. But something that could easily squish her fragile form into tiny pieces was just inherently a bit spooky. She gulped and smiled wide with a slightly nervous chuckle. "Oh, uh, thank you, Sir." She nodded at him and then rushed inside. Finding a nearby table she set the box down and turned to Captain Thucydides and gave him a salute. It was an amateur salute of someone who had only seen propaganda pictures of soldiers saluting before but it was the best she could do. "I'm, uh, Brooke Everett. Yes...I...I imagine he would," Her salute faltered a bit and she looked wistfully to the nearby wall, her thoughts briefly drifting away a little.</s>	<\|message\|>Thucydides Beauregard "You wish he could be here to see this." Thucydides nodded, that big, square-jawed face set in a stoic, if somewhat solemn expression. Yes, he'd know losing family, more than most. He returned her salute almost mechanically. "We'll do right by old Raymond, swear that by God." He let his expression soften a bit again, the smile returning. "It's good to meet you at last. See you got that journal. Nice pictures, but I prefer a good western, myself."</s>
<\|description\|>Tristan Walker Age: 25 Gender: Male Nationality: Canadian Role: Scribe Speciality: Tristan is very perceptive and can record things in meticulous detail. He also has photographic memory which helps him recall anything he has ever seen. As such, he makes for a perfect record keeper. Personality: Tristan is a very peculiar person. While very observant, he has some issues with interpersonal relations, sometimes seeming distant or rude. The truth is that Tristan has trouble dealing with others and interpreting social cues, as he seems to be on the autistic spectrum. But for those he does manage to get along with, Tristan is a very caring and loyal friend. While he does not enjoy violence, Tristan is willing to fight to protect those he cares about. Tristan is something of a perfectionist, always holding himself to a level that requires constant bettering. As such Tristan is always trying to learn all he can, viewing his photographic memory as a gift from God for just that purpose. Due to this high standard he can get quite annoyed with people who he views as purposefully ignorant. Appearance: Tristan is a man of average height, standing at 5'7'', with a slender build that betrays his lack of manual labour in the past. His young face is accompanied by a mop of messy, dark brown hair, with matching sideburns, and eyes the colour of a chestnut. Tristan has a very pale complexion, as it seems like this expedition is the first time he has spent any amount of time outside in a long while. Tristan also hides a scar that runs up his right leg, the result of surgery when he was a child. The choice of attire that Tristan has chose keeps in line with the privileged upbringing he had. The majority of the time he can be seen wearing a proper dress shirt and a full piece suit, usually in grey or brown, as well as finely pressed pants and a pair of well shined dress shoes. However, he has bought a pair of boots for the expedition, woefully unaware of the demands of the adventure and appropriate attire. Other: Tristan is perfectly fluent in English and French. He always has several notebooks on his person, and insisted that he bring along a new state of the art typewriter on the expedition. History: Born in the town of Berlin, the one in Canada, not Germany, Tristan was welcomed into a well off family. The Walkers had been in Canada for a few generations, rumour stating that they used to work for the Hudson Bay Company. Regardless of the past, the Walkers were rich, the patriarch, Elliot Walker, being a merchant with many connections across the nation. Growing up, Tristan would never want for anything, always having the newest clothes, the best education. It was expected that all this would ready Tristan to follow in his father's footsteps. However, Tristan found the world of business dealings quite boring, instead either making notes about nature in his journal or write poetry. It was during this time that Tristan discovered the works of H.G. Wells and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, stories full of adventure and wonder. These stories convinced Tristan that his calling was to write novels. This choice was looked at with disdain by Elliot Walker. Tristan spent the next few years working on what he thought would be his magnum opus, the Eye of Wotan, an epic fantasy adventure. He spent years researching and planning the story, before spending several more years actually writing it. By the time that Tristan was finished he was at the age to attend college. His father decided to help him publish his novel, but only if he attended the University of Toronto. Tristan agreed, pursuing a degree in journalism. After completing his first year, Tristan was elated to learn that the Eye of Wotan had been published. He was less elated when nobody was talking about it. Months went by and still no mention of his novel. After a year it became apparent that no one was buying his book. Depressed over this, Tristan barely finished his studies and obtained his degree. For the next half year, Tristan remained at his family's home, feeling that his life was pointless. This ended when his father had enough and kicked him out. Out on his own, Tristan almost became a vagrant, but he managed to score a position at a local newspaper. He held that position for several months before being approached by Preston Whitmore, a man he had interviewed for his book. The very wealthy elder offered him a position to document the events on an expedition he was organizing. Tristan agreed, believing that it would be much more interesting than working at a small town paper.</s> <\|message\|>Sasha Belov Aug 21, 1914 The massive ship rocked steadily on the choppy water. Waves sprayed over the deck, drenching any who dared to venture out from below. The occasional rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance. Their journey had been fairly smooth so far, aside from the current storm. Three days ago, they left port for a set of coordinance in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. From there, they would dive down in a submarine to the ocean floor and...pick around for artifacts or something. Honestly, it all sounded pretty asinine. But, Sasha was getting paid big bucks to take this little vacation, so he would keep his doubts to himself. He'd kept himself busy the last three days by helping load and unload equipment around the ship. He'd wandered around the cargo hold a bit to admit the magnificent submarine, and maybe even got sea sick once or twice. The books he'd been wise enough to bring had been a great time killer. He had a feeling he'd get all his summer reading done on this trip. Honestly, Sasha wasn't sure why Whitmore thought an entire armed militia was necessary. They were going to the ocean floor, what were they supposed to fight? Lobsters? It was safe to say that he didn't buy into this "Atlantis" nonsense one bit. Sasha was a realist. He didn't believe in fairies, ghosts, or lost cities. But, who knows, maybe he'd be wrong. The bunk he'd claimed as his own wasn't nearly big enough for him. He laid on his back, head propped up and feet hanging off the end, a book in his hands. Sasha was good at keeping to himself. He'd exchanged polite chat with his crew mates when it was necessary, but he wasn't exactly the image of hospitality. They seemed alright, though.</s> <\|message\|>Szalai Zalán Szalai Zalán "Curse this storm", Szalai exclaimed as he narrowly avoided a wave that came crashing on the deck. Opening the door back inside with his right hand firmly on his hat to keep it from flying away. Closing it as fast as he could. With a clank, the door was closed and all was there was a wet Szalai wearing a black overcoat with a black hat. It was not as bad out there as he thought and it was a good idea to wear his overcoat. Even if the cotton overcoat offered little protection from the rain. At least he is not drenched and he just wanted to see the outside for a short time before spending the rest of the day inside the ship. With his outdoor outing finished, Szalai took off his overcoat revealing his chothes underneath. Folding his overcoat the best he could before heading futher in to his bunk. He disliked being cooped up in the ship and it did help that this particularly ship was a large one. Even since that one cramped boat to Iceland for a business trip. He had been unease with being cooped up in a metal ship. At least this trip is poised to be a exciting one. It did not take Szalai long for him to reach his bunk. He gently placed his wet overcoat on his bunk and his hat on top of the overcoat. Then feeling his hair to feel how wet it was and shook his hand once he was done. Not was wet as he thought. Szalai was alone in the room and he exchanged some talk with his fellow crewmates on the expedition but, he has mainly kept to himself. Passing time by reading some books he had brought and watching the ocean from the outside deck. It was relaxing up until this storm arrived. Still there are plenty of things to do on this ship. From his bunk, Szalai made his way to the cargo to get another look at the impressive submarine there. Mr. Whitmore must really belicve in the lost city is he spent this much money on finding it. Hopefully this trip proves to be a eventful one and they find something about Atlantis. It would be unfortunate if they find nothing but, Szalai has hope. As long as they can prove the city actually existed, he will be happy. Once he arrived at the submarine, he stood in place and watched it. Eventually they will be inside of that thing and going down to the ocean floor to find the city. Eventually this adventure will begin and Szalai can not wait for it.</s> <\|message\|>Thucydides Beauregard Preston Whitmore could put every military in the world to shame. Thucydides Beauregard could think nothing less than that as he completed his inspection of the the Ulysses and the accompanying vehicles, submersibles and all of the weaponry they'd been equipped with for this expedition. He'd thought that Whitmore had spent obscene amounts of money on just the Icelandic expedition, but this...he couldn't fathom how one man could have managed such feats of machining and science. Good thing that his friend hadn't ever considered a political career. He'd dominate the world by now. He paused a moment to draw a cigar from one of the many pockets of his fatigue coat. Whitmore had even provided custom uniforms for the expedition, which Thucydides couldn't help but chuckle at when he'd first seen the things. Yes, the old man had covered every single one of his bases here. The big man smiled as he clipped the end of the stogie and slipped the thing between his lips, striking a match against his cheek. He took a slow, satisfied puff as he strolled along through the ship, taking that one last opportunity to breath in the sea air before they'd be embarking. The Hungarian was already down in the departure bay when Thucydides made his way down again. He offered a polite nod as he approached, looming at 6'6" and easily outmassing the geologist. "Find everything to your liking, Mr. Zalan? Whitmore spared no expense here by the look of things." The big man offered a smile around his cigar. "Afraid I'm not the best of judges with the excavation equipment."</s>	<\|message\|>Tristan Walker Tristan had to grip his typewriter with force as the ship lurched rapidly against the storm powered waves. He cursed quietly as readjusted the position of the typewriter on his room's desk. He would be quiet cross if the expensive machine were to be damaged. While the expedition's benefactor Mr. Whitmore had quite enough money to easily replace it, Tristan would still feel bad if such a nice piece of machinery was ruined by the jostling of the sea. Plus, Mr. Whitmore had said that Tristan could keep the new typewriter once the expedition was completed. Tristan had just finished a draft of his account of the expedition so far. Normally Tristan would have went through several drafts already, wanting to tell the story in the best way. However, there wasn't much to tell. They were only on their third day at sea with very little to report. While the splendour of the ship had initially been very interesting to Tristan, giving him ideas about writing a nautical adventure, the whole thing had become humdrum fast as everyone fell into the monotony of their duties. Hell, this was the first time there had even been a storm, which was something of note. Tristan placed the typewriter and his report into the large suitcase next to him, one designed to store a typewriter, and placed the luggage under the bottom bunk he had claimed. As he did so, his stomach growled reminding him that he had skipped lunch to read a book and write his report. Tristan hoped that there was still some food left, as lunch was over two hours ago. Tristan threw on a brown overcoat, as it was chilly today, and left his room. In the hall outside, several of the military types were gathered and laughing. It gave Tristan pause to try and figure out what about this expedition would be so dangerous that it would require a small army. In fact, Tristan still had many more questions about this whole endeavour. If they were looking for ruins at the bottom of the ocean, then why did they need demolition experts? It was a little bit sketchy to Tristan, but he had placed his faith in Preston Whitmore, who he was still greatly appreciative of being offered this job. Tristan made his way out of the hallway and onto the exposed part of the ship. Bursts of sea spray greeted him, darkening his overcoat as he was dampened. Tristan hurried down toward the mess hall, wanting to get away from the storm as fast as possible. As he turned the corner that led to the mess hall, Tristan slipped on the wet floor, sliding forward. At the same time a sailor also turned the corner, colliding with Tristan. The two were both knocked off their feet, the sailor dropping a bag of potatoes, while Tristan's journal fell out of his coat pocket. "The hell is your problem?" spat the sailor as he tried to pick the potatoes of the floor. Tristan froze up. He was not good with confrontation. So, he quickly gathered the potatoes and handed them to the sailor, before grabbing his journal and fleeing the scene, leaving the sailor with a confused expression. Tristan's hunger left his mind as he rushed out of the area. What a klutz, he thought. Once he found a secluded part of the ship Tristan stopped and breathed in the ocean air. The salty mist calmed him down, grounding him, and quieting his mind. Tristan then took out his personal journal and made note of this situation so that he may learn from it.</s>
<\|description\|>Brooke Everett Age: 29 Gender: Female Role: Crew Member Specialty: Linguist/Cartographer Personality: Brooke is a bubbly woman with a passion for exploration and knowledge for the betterment of all. Good-hearted, kind, Brooke enjoys making friends and spreading her own ideas and taking in the ideas of others. It's a shame she's exceptionally awkward and uncharismatic. One would not have to take themselves too seriously in order to become friends with the woman who stammers and gesticulates wildly when trying to express an idea she is particularly invested in. Self-awareness isn't one of her strengths, but she has just enough of it to be embarassed after the fact. Brooke tries to be humble but what pride she does have is easily bruised. She's also a terrible liar and accidentally wears her heart on her sleeves, even though she often tries to put up a facade of being cool and 'scientist-y'. Brooke is insatiably curious and frankly put: gullible. It was this gullibility that allowed her to trust in herself that her grandfather, and Atlantis, was real, and worth pursuing. She has a borderline obsessive nature with the lost empire, and though she has accomplished some tasks in her academic career, the only thing she has ever truly wanted was to find that vanished bastion of civilization that vanished into the sea untold millenia ago. Since she severely lacks people to talk too about the things she cares about, Brooke has developed a habit of thinking aloud, or talking to herself. This all being said, Ms. Everett is an exceptionally skilled linguist and cartographer. Her lack of tact is not to be confused with a lack of intelligence. It is her life's passion and work. Brooke has a distaste for violence, and is particularly aware of the flaws of the society she lives in. If anything good has come out of her struggles, it's her deeply burning empathy with the experiences of others. Brooke also is addicted too really likes Cola, reading, playing board games. Of course, maps and languages are pretty great, too. Brooke is fluent in English, Atlantean, Spanish, and Chinese. She's also basically skilled in Russian, Japanese, Italian, French, and Louisiana Creole thanks to her childhood friend, Penny. Appearance: Brooke is black woman with a slender, almost-athletic build. Her short, curly black hair is kept up and semi-side swept, though it becomes unkempt quite frequently. She has big, glittering brown eyes, a broad flat nose and full, plump lips that smile easy, revealing her chipped right front tooth. Resting on the bridge of her nose is almost always a pair of thin-rimmed circular glasses that tuck neatly over her small ears. Her glasses serve two purposes- to help with her short sightedness, and to subdue the effects of her amblyopia, sometimes referred too as lazy eye. When not wearing her glasses, her right eye tends to drift inwards towards her nose rather then agreeing with wherever her left eye is looking. She can still see out of it when it's like it, but it's vision is blurrier and it's much easier to just focus on what her left eye is seeing rather then straining herself to look out of her lazy one. Especially when it's mostly just her nose and whatever the left eye is seeing, but worse. Her clothes are brightly colored, casually formal and practical. White undershirts underneath red vests or blazers, and tucked into pants or skirts depending on her mood or situation. The scholar slips into heels, pumps, and boots easily. art stolen from kiikiibee.tumblr.com. check them out for cool drawings Other: Brooke's American accent is almost North-Eastern but a little too sugary southern sweet. Brooke is also decent at plumbing, so if this whole cartography thing doesn't work out she'll fall back on that and just be a little bit unsatisfied and bored for the rest of her life, but that's not too bad. History: Brooke was raised by her grandfather, Raymond Everett, after her parents Raymond Jr. and Patricia Everett passed away shortly when she was a toddler. She didn't know them much personally, but she learned much of them and the type of people they were. Good, hard-working, rebellious and stubborn. The ideal American, the kind so very often disparaged by most of the real Americans. Through stories her grandfather told of her father and his daughter-in-law they seemed to be respectable, loving people. Even though they weren't around to teach her the more indepth lessons of being a person in this world, she looks up to them anyway. But Raymond was the man who she took after the most, a self-made man born in the Northern United States before the Civil War. The deck was stacked against him, as it were, but he got lucky, and made it work. He taught her often of linguistics and map-making. He didn't push her into it, he didn't even particularly want her to follow in his footsteps, but his passion and love for the subject was contagious. It was his identity, and his smile brightened the room whenever little Brooke dared to ask about the subject unprompted. Brooke made friends with a little girl named Penny, two years her junior, who moved up North with her family a while ago. They became fast friends, even though they came from different backgrounds, especially when it came to class. But soon Penny's nomadic family moved again, to somewhere else. Raymond Everett became obsessed with Atlantis, a lost forgotten Empire. He drudged up evidence and books and found the beginnings of the Atlantean language. He needed Shepherd's Journal, but he could never quite track it down. She saw him less and less towards the final years of his life, and though he was a great man, he never could just let it go. Years have passed since then, and Brooke found herself taking up her grandfather's torch in the field of Academia. Most of whatever money he had intended to pass down to her was gone, or has been spent in the time since his passing. Originally, she planned to not fall down the same trap he did and become ensared by visions of Atlantis. Instead she wanted to study other aspects of those fields and become renowned for her own discoveries. For a while, this was true, but...it was hard not to think about. So, working as a plumber in the boiler room of a University, she has slowly but surely built a little bit of a name for herself, if not publicly. Since she's technically not really a scholar, her work tends to be co-opted without credit by other members of academia. It has gotten under her skin recently, but she'd distracted herself more and more with focusing on the Lost Empire of Atlantis and cracking the code of the Atlantean language. Within the last year she has finally gotten fluent with it, has learned it's syntax and grammar, and can read and write it. Even her grandfather was a novice at the language, but she had his work as a headstart. Now, she's diving headlong into finally making a name for herself with a discovery that can't possibly be covered up or be taken credit for by somebody else- the discovery of the lost city itself. All she needs, is Shepherd's Journal and- Oh, boy. Here we go again. This time, though, she'll be careful. Fortunately, it's not like there's anyone relying on her, so no one will miss her if she goes crazy. Plus...she's actually onto something here!</s> <\|message\|>Thucydides Beauregard "Afraid I'm not much of an expert myself. My understanding is that it isn't much different from a normal ship. Just have to be a tad more careful about seals." Thucydides offered, puffing in his cigar as he took another look around the bay. An entire convoy of trucks loaded down with supplies was already starting on up the boarding ramp, though most of the crew itself was still lingering. That would change soon. "I'm not much more excited than you about traveling in this thing, believe me. Prefer to know there's sky a certain distance above me. We have our duty though. Is there anything else you need prepared before we embark?"</s> <\|message\|>Szalai Zalán Szalai Zalán "Just like a normal ship huh", Szalai replied as he looked at the submarine. "I will take your for word it then and then it should not be too hard to live in". Being in a submarine sure will be an experience, being underwater and everything. Granted he will be waiting around for a time before they find traces of the lost city. Still, it will be worth it once they found what they were looking for and Szalai is excited about it. "I am just excited to find the lost city is all and not exactly excited to travel in a submarine. Just it will be new for me and being in an impressive submarine like this one". Szalai noticed the supply trucks and moving up the boarding ramp. "I take it that we are leaving soon and as for me Commander. I just to retrieve some things from my bunk and I should be good to go. It should be fast to get and I assume you are ready to depart?</s> <\|message\|>Brooke Everett Brooke Everett: The Cartographer Brooke Everett was scrambling to the bridge of the ship, clutching several scrolls of maps, balancing some on a small open-topped wooden box with various books inside. The young woman's frazzled short black hair that was shorter on one side raised just above her large, circular glasses that made her big brown eyes seem even bigger. Brooke had been a beacon of anxious energy throughout the entire trip, having had her entire life turned upside down. The sleeves of her white undershirt were rolled up to the elbows, and a red vest clung tightly to her body. The shirt was tucked into a belt that kept up a pair of black pants that tucked into a pair of boots. Everything was tucked. Perhaps not of any desire to be orderly or prim, infact it was more likely that had her clothes not been so tightly tucked they would be flying all over the place and getting stuck on every possible place they could get stuck on. It was a matter of necessity, almost. Preston Whitmore had changed her life. All those years of waiting, searching, hoping, it had finally come true. She was about to prove her and her grandfather right, and the Everett name would be brought to the public consciousness in the good light that it deserved. Finding Atlantis, following the notes of Shepherd's Journal in a high tech submarine---it was almost too good to be true! That was why she was so incredibly concerned with not messing anything up. Despite some of the crew's potentially mixed feelings, Brooke was a true believer in the lost empire and expounded vibrantly upon the subject whenever someone dared broach it with her- or whenever they didn't. Carrying the box and the scrolls full of text and words that no one other then a cartographer and linguist could make any sense of, Brooke came to a door that lead to where she needed to go. There was a small glass porthole, and the top half of her face peered through, the large round glasses poking around to try and see anyone on the other side. With no free hands to operate the complicated naval door that only submarines had, Brooke pushed her forehead against the glass. "Hello?" She asked. Brooke leaned back against a nearby wall and extended her leg outward and began to kick at something like a handle or a wheel, trying to find a good grip on it to get the door open. "C-c-could somone---" She stumbled, slipping, and had to rebound before a map fell to the ground. She treated the maps as if they were expensive Chinese porceclain creations. Were they to fall onto the steel floor of the submarine, they would surely shatter into a million pieces. Brooke tried not to blink too much because she was certain that if she kept her eyes closed for too long she would wake up and be back in her gloomy New England apartment. "I need some-" She once again began and prematurely ended a sentence, this time adding a beleaguered, good-natured giggle. "Oh, heck." She leaned up against the wall and tried to balance the box in her arms. At this point she was nothing more then a pair of trousers supporting a shaking box. This was going to take a while, and her obvious, loud plight would need to be solved by someone else. Eventually she may figure out how to put down the box and open the door and pick the box back up again. Again, if she put down the box, the rocking of the submarine may cause it to drift into the wall, have a collision, and burst into flames. Anything was on the table at this point.</s> <\|message\|>Thucydides Beauregard "Just finished the inspection of all my team's equipment. We should be prepared for just about any breed of danger that might keep in on us." Thucydides replied. He paused then when he spotted the young Black woman trying to manage her rather copious luggage. He nodded politely toward the Hungarian. "If'll excuse me, seems our cartographer needs an extra pair of hands." He gave a brief salute before he loped over toward the young woman. Thucydides loomed easily over the woman, and was probably four times her weight in muscle and bone, but even then he had to his best to not appear threatening. "Let me give you a hand with that, Miss Everett." He said, his Louisiana drawl as thick as could be. The big man offered a polite smile as he turned the wheel to open the hatch for her. "Captain Thucydides Beauregard. Pleasure to meet you at last. Raymond would be proud seeing all this."</s>	<\|message\|>Brooke Everett Brooke Everett: The Cartographer Brooke was focused on the door and keeping her belongings from touching the apparently poisonous ground when the light from a nearby ceiling fixture was blocked. Brooke's wide eyes flicked up to the imposing yet gentle figure of a very big man. He was intimidating to say the least, though she knew he wasn't trying to be. Still, the edge of a cliff or a big metal spike wasn't trying to be intimidating either. But something that could easily squish her fragile form into tiny pieces was just inherently a bit spooky. She gulped and smiled wide with a slightly nervous chuckle. "Oh, uh, thank you, Sir." She nodded at him and then rushed inside. Finding a nearby table she set the box down and turned to Captain Thucydides and gave him a salute. It was an amateur salute of someone who had only seen propaganda pictures of soldiers saluting before but it was the best she could do. "I'm, uh, Brooke Everett. Yes...I...I imagine he would," Her salute faltered a bit and she looked wistfully to the nearby wall, her thoughts briefly drifting away a little.</s>
<\|description\|>Haru Imamura Age: 22 Personality: Haru is a soft-spoken and introverted individual. She dares not to step out what is expected out of her, even when she is given freedom to choose what she would like to do. This persists into her beginning years into adulthood, even as she began living on her own. With very little knowledge to work off of, she constantly berates herself from making the littlest of mistakes and/or not doing enough work. These features make her a completely incompetent mage in practice, and this only makes her work towards the impossible when she herself does not have the proper fundamentals to even pursue this goal. Thus, she has a terrible bad habit of setting herself up for failure, simply by aiming for these goals under others' unrealistic conditions. Abilities: Despite her background and overall nature, Haru possesses the Sekiguchi family's Magic Crest on her back as well as mediocre Magic Circuits. Going from her aunt's guidance on a "good luck charm," Haru knows a basic healing spell under the guise of a good luck mantra, which she secretly uses when working as a nurse. Regardless if she does so or not, Haru is periodically plagued by migraines. Everything else that's considered the bare basics of performing magecraft, Haru does not know at all. Her elemental affinity happens to be water. History: Born as Haruka Sekiguchi, she experienced an extremely short childhood that was neither mundane nor Magus-related. As the only child of the wilting mage family, Haruka was forced to have the family's Magic Crest transplanted into her fully in one sitting due to her father's declining health with no improvement in sight. While there could be time to transplant the Magic Crest in increments, Haruka's mother feared that their bloodline would die out otherwise. This decision resulted with Haruka falling ill almost immediately upon receiving the Magic Crest. A successful inheritance with a dire cost, and only at the age of 5. Even with stricken by severe migraines which weakened her to the point of almost being bedridden, her mother would constantly hammer in magecraft teachings with no consideration to the child heir who couldn't keep up and remember it all. These events continued up until her father's natural death. Months after her father's death, 9-year-old Haruka found herself under a new household's roof which belonged to her aunt. Fearing that she was missing her mother's lectures, Haruka asks about why she was here. Her aunt only answers that it is only better that she lived with her. From there, her aunt would treat her just like any other normal child, trying to uplift the child's spirits after magecraft took away what was Haruka's early childhood innocence. Despite Haruka's improved quality of life, she continues to ask when she can go back home, yet her aunt couldn't bring herself to tell the truth until she was older. Six years later, her aunt would find Haruka nursing a stray cat in their neighborhood back to health. The young teen stroking the feline animal's back in a soothing manner while humming a basic tune appeared to actually remedy the evident bruises on said animal. Her aunt would quickly usher them both inside. First she praises Haruka for taking care of a hurt cat, but then scolds her for being careless with her own abilities. Met with Haruka's confusion, her aunt would finally tell the truth about why she started living with her. Her aunt would recount on how magecraft caused her to be estranged from her family, yet her brother, Haruka's father, kept in touch with her in secret despite the heavy responsibilities put onto him. When it came to him being on his death bed, he told her aunt to take Haruka away to relieve her of the same fate. Recounting this story to the 15-year-old Haruka, her aunt further explains that it's for the best that she stays with her instead of her mother. While reluctant, she figured that it would be fine, considering her below average to no experience with magecraft. Going as far as saying that she didn't even know what magecraft was, those teachings long forgotten after being in her aunt's care. So by her aunt's suggestion, she took on the name of Haru Imamura, and only used her only spell, the basic healing spell, when she was sure that no one would catch wind of it. There, she took up the life of a social loner, leading up to present day to which she moves out of her aunt's house to live on her own in a rural village. With her studies in the medical field and with that "healing charm," she was able to become a nurse at a neighboring town's hospital. Even on her own, Haru finds herself still feeling unfulfilled and not achieving enough. She thought to herself, if she had access to this healing charm, how come she can't just wish to be a more useful person? Little did she know that her silent and uncertain prayers were indirectly answered, and that she happened to move into a specific place during a specific time... Other: Literally has no idea what she's getting dragged into.</s> <\|message\|>Servants Oda Nobunaga "As much as I could hide myself in spiritual form, it would mean not being able to see," the shorter girl replied, already hitting upon the obvious limitation of this. An Assassin might be able to sneak around and find out what was going on without being detected but most Servants, even archers, wouldn't have the level of stealth required to avoid another Servant. "If we run into difficulty this early in the war, most Servants would want to hold back for fear of revealing their identity too early and setting themselves up for defeat." That she wanted to meet the other Servants was an added bonus. Nobunaga might be an excellent opponent to the older Servants, but if some modern swordmaster were to come along then they would be in considerably more trouble--if she could get an ally able to keep pace with more modern threats, then that would reduce the number of possible avenues of defeat considerably. And she wasn't going to be blind to any betrayal this time.</s> <\|message\|>Minamoto no Yorimitsu (AKA Ushi Gozen, Raikou, Mother, etc.) Costante and Karizma Upon reaching the upper floor, Costante closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then got to work. The first thing he did was crack open a window, tweaking the Bounded Fields around the house to bend the outgoing light and conceal this change. With that done, he loosed five small, translucent crystalline familiars, before wheeling over a heavy telescope and pointing it outward through the opening, its objective lens aimed up at the sky. For the next few minutes, he made minor adjustments, tweaking angle and focus while his familiars moved towards their destinations. Rather than scouting through the streets as one might expect, they went upwards, ascending high above the town and well out of reach. Only the most skilled of archers would be able to shoot them down from such a height, and that man was already on Costante's side. "Begin refraction," he muttered, once they were all in place. At his command, each familiar unfolded into a new configuration, losing nearly all their mobility but gaining new reflective and refractive properties, bouncing light between one another until it converged on the central unit, which gathered and then reflected a composite image down into the lenses of the powerful telescope Costante had aimed out the window. With this, he had a bird's-eye view of the entire town, and by tweaking the positions and configurations of his familiars he could adjust the final image as he pleased, quickly zooming in on any points of interest. With this, nothing can escape my gaze. If anyone comes close to Sister… It took him only a few seconds to find Karizma, since he knew her point of origin and could easily predict her path. She seemed to be perfectly safe for now, although… Is that someone on the bridge, just ahead of her? At the same time, Karizma was merrily strolling along, her eyes lighting up with joy at her Archer's offer. "That would be awesome! And then we could speak back and forth, and Costante wouldn't be able to understand a thing." She giggled. "Ohayo! Watashi wa Karizuma-desuuu! Sugoi baka onii-chan arigato!" Then she heard a faint noise, and immediately stopped in place. "Hey, did you feel that?" Carefree as she acted, her senses had been alert this whole time, and while she could only barely make out the violin note, the release of mana was unmistakable. There was either another Magus or a magical being nearby, and they weren't being careful about hiding their presence. Her brother's voice suddenly sounded in Archer's head. "There's someone on the bridge just down the road from your current location. They look like they're waiting for you, so it's probably a trap—" "HEYYYY!" Karizma was already yelling and waving across the bridge. "Hello! Konnichi-wa! Can you hear me?" She was taking care and being cautious like Archer had said, otherwise she might already have been running to greet the (presumably) enemy Master.</s> <\|message\|>Minamoto no Tametomo, aka: "Chinsei Hachiro Tametomo" and "The Subjugator of Demons" Minamoto no Tametomo --- Hmm, that wasn't good. An obvious magus, an obvious 'flag' to draw attention in an obvious place, and the faint trill of music winding along through the air. Contante was right to be worried, in his mind, that this could very well be some kind or trap or the like. Not that Karizma's whimsical attempt at anime-drenched Japanese terms wasn't whimsically amusing, but this was more serious than the girl seemed to be wont to treat it-...wait. What?! Did she just calling attention to them to whoever was over the bridge without support? At least she wasn't running over there with a 'shoot me' sign hung over her neck, but what in the world was she thinking? Was she thinking? Well, he needed to act before anything potentially went more quickly south. 'Constante, please keep an eye for any sudden changes. Anything indicative an of attack perhaps, or preparing a spell or something.' The boy would hear Archer's message in his own head in return, as the servant materialized (having dematerialized along the way) before grabbing Karizma by the back of her shirt collar and immediately pulling her with him into a nearby big bush among several. "...Rule One of any kind of 'War': Don't just immediately call out to an enemy waiting for someone in an obvious setup or maybe trap. Now please sight tight for a moment while I see what the deal is here. If a battle breaks out, then don't get shot by stepping into the crossfire. If they wanna' talk, then we can talk. Just let me figure it out, ok?" Was he babying the girl by whispering to her in this bush he pulled her into? Yes, most definitely and simply yes. Was he trying to keep her alive despite her lack (but not total absence thereof) of survival instincts? Yes. She could not like him for this, she might appreciate it, but regardless she and her brother were under his wing. That was something he took seriously. Dematerializing, the Archer would remove himself from the bush and take up a spot on he and Karizma's side of the bridge, re-materializing as he sat on a light post. From there the man gave a seemingly casual wave towards the other end with his free hand, his bow firmyl gripped in the other hand as it sat in his lap, albeit his manner almost seemed like someone who just wanted to share a drink. Or maybe it was a friendly idiot act. "Yo! Is this one of those ambush traps, a nice little challenge for a duel, or some kind of friendly signal to come and talk over some sake? Either way I'll need to know veeeery soon though, or I will have to assume the worst." In this era he preferred a more casual approach to life, not that he was taking it any less seriously. But if he was making noise and drawing the attention to himself, especially in a manner that made him stand out loudly, that might help Karizma's case if she stayed put in the bushes for the moment being. Maybe. He prayed to the gods of his family that she kept in the bush. Regardless, he would handle things on this end first. They would be able to find out real fast if those on the other end had one kind of intention or another in doing this. He would be better off taking the attention first in a bad situation, however, than his master would. @KoL@King Cosmos</s>	<\|message\|>Haru Imamura Well, that answers that. Haru figured it would be fine as Archer said. If this was only starting up now, there was no reason to go all-out in a sense. At most, it would take a few days for some to start enacting their strategies. That was what she thought on this. So with that, she could rest easy that there really shouldn't be any drastic action taken for the day. "O-oh, right... then this should be okay. Yeah." She responded before thinking about where to start their scope-out of the town. There wasn't much to help her with where to start, so that became a matter of winging it as they went for now. "I guess we can start heading out. From here, there's a bit of farmland before we hit a fork in the road that leads either into the main part of town or a forest path... so we could go with this for now and see where that takes us... does that sound good, Archer?" Haru inquired, seeing it as something to start with. Daze</s>
<\|description\|>Thomas Gardner Title(s): Magister Templi, Third Order of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn Gender: Male Age: 63 Alignment: Lawful Neutral Objective for the Grail: To bring the Holy Grail to the Golden Dawn, if only to throw it in their faces. Personality: On the surface Thomas is a polite and charming individual, the very picture of an English gentleman. Having spent the better part of his life as part of what is essentially a secret society Thomas has developed a way of dealing with people that can best be described as aggressively diplomatic; he is friendly, approachable, and amiable and yet rarely if ever gives any sort of hint towards his true feelings or motivations. A determined individual who is not easily swayed by others and someone with the fortitude to forge his own path and follow his own goals even if others seek to place obstacles in his path, yet savvy enough to toe the line and not make enemies unnecessarily. Such social acumen was needed to survive in the Golden Dawn, especially when he is seen as such a… controversial figure by many. History: Thomas comes from a long line of Magus; not the most impressive line, nor the oldest, and their name hasn't always been Gardner, but a long line nonetheless. Thomas' family have been practitioners of Witchcraft in Europe and Britain since the middle ages, engaging in both sides of the art as both black witches focused on curses and hexes and white witches focused on protection from the former. Even with this age the Gardner Magic Crest is not as well developed as it could be. Being a witch in Britain has always been a hazardous occupation and the family has been forced into hiding a number of times over the years as the craze of witch-hunting rose and fell in popularity. In particular the writing of the Witchcraft Act of 1604 was nearly the death of the Gardner line and their Magic Crest was all but lost during this period. Thankfully they managed to outlast the witch hunters and the family survived, though diminished in size and power. Over time they began to recover and the complexity of their crest grew in leaps and bounds, however it wasn't until Thomas's grandfather and great grandfather that the family truly began to flourish. They are the ones mostly responsible for making the family what it is, at least in terms of wealth and influence. That being said, it was also his grandfather than nearly ruined them. Thomas' grandfather joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn after being invited to be a member by another magus via their joint association with the Clocktower. Being a talented Magus in his own right his grandfather quickly rose through the ranks but was at the same time a controversial figure who upset a lot of people by publishing books on occultism. The books were complete nonsense which he saw as both a way to make money while also having some fun but others in both the Golden Dawn and the Clocktower saw it as potentially threatening to reduce the amount of mystery in the world by revealing secrets about Magecraft. In the end he was acquitted and no punishment was given, but the Gardner name was forever tarnished by the accusations. This controversy has directly affected Thomas as well and means that a number of people within the order have taken a disliking to him on principle. It doesn't help that his style of Magecraft is seen by some as out-dated, archaic or even barbaric in nature; it seems even Magi are not immune to developing certain stigmas around witchcraft. There have been numerous occasions where people have tried to question whether or not his family should even be allowed to keep their association with the order, citing his grandfather's past discretions as reasons, and whether or not Thomas and his obsolete style of magecraft can possibly contribute anything of worth to the order. This did not prevent him from climbing the ranks to become a member of the highest order of the Golden Dawn, as progress through the ranks is determined by skill and learning rather than politics, but he had to fight his way through opposition every step of the way. When Thomas first received word of the Holy Grail war in the east he tried to keep it a secret, wanting to enter the war himself without the Order learning of it, but it was not long before others found out and the expected arguing and politics began. The Golden Dawn wished to send a member to participate, but all wanted the glory for themselves and none could agree on who to send, other than that it should definitely not be Thomas. Rather than argue in his own defence or try to convince the order to sanction his participation in the Holy Grail war, Thomas opted to simply make the decision for all of them and leave; he acquired a suitable catalyst from the Golden Dawn by what some would consider theft and headed for Japan, lacking the resources of the order to which he may or may not still be a member but backed by the considerable wealth of his family. However his theft of the catalyst would turn out to be pointless, due to the peculiar nature of this war. --- Magecraft: General Magecraft – The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn is more than capable of teaching novices the basic magecrafts to the same level of competency as the Clocktower. Elementalism – Those in the First Order of the Golden Dawn must study the concepts of elementalism and prove their understanding before moving on to the next level. Every member of the Golden Dawn who has advanced past this stage not only knows how to use magecraft that matches their affinity, they also have knowledge of all the other affinities they cannot use. Thomas himself has a dual affinity for fire and earth. Bounded Fields – While knowledge of and even proficiency in the use of bounded fields is expected in the higher members of the Golden Dawn, Thomas has taken this understanding even further. He is capable of casting Advance Bounded Fields and Bounded Fields that are supremely hard to detect; over the course of many years he has honed his ability to combine Bounded Fields with his other specialties, particularly Sympathetic Magic, to create some interesting effects. European Witchcraft – An old form of magecraft not much favoured within the Clocktower due to its close association with curses, European Witchcraft is as much to do with the protection and prevention of curses and afflictions as it is with creating them. Thomas is well versed in the common practices of European Witchcraft including scrying, divination (particularly that will allows for objects/people to be found), healing and protection from harmful magecraft. His particular focus in this area is in the creation and use of Poppets and other items. Sympathetic Magecraft – A style of magecraft dictated by the laws of Sympathy and Contagion based on the idea that one can influence something, even people, based on its relationship or resemblance to another object. Thomas gained a basic understanding of this craft through his studies of European Witchcraft which makes use of Sympathetic Magecraft in places, particularly in the creation and use of Poppets. Finding himself particularly interested in the subject Thomas continued his studies in this area over the course of decades in order to become a true master of the art, even beyond what is often associated with European Witchcraft. Weapons: Grand Poppet – The ultimate expression of Thomas' art, the Grand Poppet is an item created by Thomas over the course of decades using the principles of European Witchcraft and Sympathetic Magecraft. It is a humanoid figure; a doll woven out of Thomas' own hair and stained with his blood, creating a Poppet so steeped in Contagion as to be considered unwise or even obscene by other practitioners of his craft, were they to learn of it. The aim of Sympathetic Magecraft if often to create an object that in some way resembles the object or person that the Magus is attempting to manipulate, but in many ways the Grand Poppet is more 'Thomas' than Thomas is and as such it attracts much of the harm that is intended for him whether that be magical in nature or physical. Ring of Vampirism – A Mystic Code in the form of a ring which allows for the extraction of blood from a person over short distances, which is then stored inside a small internal reservoir. This object has an extremely short range, between five and ten feet at the most, and works best when in direct contact with the target with greater distances slowing the process of extraction. The target feels no pain and the quantities of blood being extracted are so small as to cause no negative effects to the target. However, due to the innate protection against invasive magecraft that all Magus have, against them this ring is only useful for drawing blood from an open wound. Image Capturing Glasses – A simple pair of glasses capable of capturing and storing an image of whatever the wearer is observing at any given time and recalling that image when requested. Amplifier Staff – A simple amplification style Mystic Code resembling an ornate cane or walking stick. Intended to be used to strengthen Thomas' elemental magecraft in particular should he ever need to get his hands dirty.</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga, Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, Fool of Owari Oda Nobunaga "It can't be helped," the Archer said with a grin, folding her arms. It was good for her Master to get on board with everything so quickly; it simply wouldn't do to waste time persuading her to get on board when there was reconnaissance to be done and enemies to assess. Who knew if any of the other famous warlords had shown up? It wouldn't do to let them get an advantage in building an army if the war headed in that direction. "The only way out for you is if someone kills you and I find another Master, so we have to stick together until this all ends." Still, looking more serious, the Archer couldn't avoid letting out a disappointed huff, "It's a shame that it has to be happening out here. I would have liked to see how much all of Japan has changed since the Sengoku Jidai, not in a town that has barely changed since the province was renamed." "The first thing we have to do, Master, is look around. There can be no strategy without knowledge of the land."</s> <\|message\|>Minamoto no Yorimitsu (AKA Ushi Gozen, Raikou, Mother, etc.) Costante and Karizma The twin Masters both listened attentively to Archer's advice, Costante standing still and calmly taking notes while Karizma shifted her weight impatiently from one foot to the other. When their Servant had finished talking, they instantly looked towards one another, unspoken thoughts passing between them in a flash as their eyes met. He makes good points. And he does know what he's doing! Then I can trust him to take care of you. And I can trust you to watch our backs. They both smiled, and then without any sign or signal nodded to Archer in perfect synchrony. "Clear as crystal!" "Clear as day!" It wasn't any magecraft or telepathy that allowed them to communicate so quickly, but simply years of experience, a fraternal bond tested and strengthened by time and external forces. When it came to their feelings, each could read the other at a glance, and reach an agreement without so much as a whisper spoken aloud. Specifics, however, still needed to conveyed the old-fashioned way. "In the interest of caution, I'll keep my surveillance focused around the two of you for the most part," Costante said, already heading for the stairs. "Archer, make sure to relay the position of anything you see back to me; I'll do likewise if I spot anything with my telescopes." His talent hadn't been hailed by the Clock Tower for nothing; there was plenty he could do to support them from here. "Right then!" Karizma skipped her way over to Archer's side, bowing to him with a girlish giggle. "I'll be in your care, Senpai. Isn't that how they say it here?" She winked as she stood up, ignoring the bright red flush on her brother's cheeks across the room. "Let's go poke around and see what we can find… Maybe Nobunaga'll show up! Or Miyamoto Moosashi!" It'd be tempting to try and kill them if they did, but she reminded herself that this was only the first night of a potentially weeks-long event. This would be like the teaser, getting a taste of their opposition so that they'd be ready to go all-out when the time really came. Assuming Archer had no further comments to share, Costante would quietly disappear off to the upper floors while Karizma threw on a coat and led the way out the door, chattering happily about all the Japanese figures she'd heard about in popular culture. "You think you can beat a ninja? Because I just bet there'll be ninjas…"</s> <\|message\|>Sekiguchi Akane, also known "Higanbana Shoujo" to local residents Sekiguchi Akane - Higanbana Shoujo "I am quite happy to hear that," Akane began, "I place my faith in you, Caster." Akane smiled. Ah, this was really the perfect acquisition for her, the perfect Servant to summon. She was certain her time during this Holy Grail War would not be dull at all. As she proceeded out of her mansion, the doors slide open under their own power the moment she approached. Softly, silently, she walked down a path through the field of higanbana. All that could be heard was the faint sound of the wind, and of cicadas chirping. Crows calling. It was just how Akane desired it, in all honestly. Anyone who wandered into this place would think they had passed into some kind of boundary between the mortal world and the underworld. In a way, perhaps that was not an entirely inaccurate way of considering it. As Akane reached the edge of her territory, the air seemed to ripple. She exited her bounded field, from the outside seeming to simply fade into existence. Here, it appeared to be nothing more then a clearing in the forest. Though... it was notable that there were still several clumps of higanbana, sprouting here and there... "If it is a shrine you want, I know just the place," Akane continued as she proceeded out of the clearing, "Fufu, I wonder if there will be anyone nearby? Perhaps, if there is, a little light entertainment could be in order..." It wouldn't be the first time she'd used the shrine's surroundings to play a little game with some of the locals, or tourists. Tourists tended not to believe in her, which made catching a glimpse all the more entertaining.</s>	<\|message\|>Thomas Gardner So far this war had not lived up to Thomas' expectations, but he was having a thoroughly enjoyable time nonetheless. The battleground was decidedly more… rural than he had anticipated for one, but at least he wouldn't have to worry too much about collateral damage when there was so little collateral to damage in the first place. Before departing he had ensured that he still had access to ample funding so that he might secure whatever resources he needed, even after cutting ties with his old compatriots, but it seemed that such measures were unnecessary; he could probably buy this entire town if he wanted to by the looks of it. Instead he had opted for purchasing a small dwelling on the outskirts of town, a little run down but suitable enough for his needs, before spending the better part of a day securing it with a complex array of bounded fields and other apotropaic methods. His Servant too, was a surprise. The catalyst he had 'borrowed' from the Order had proven to be less effective than he had hoped; instead of summoning a fabled hero from Britain's distant past he had summoned, well, her. How effective she would be in this war would remain to be seen, but his first impression was not a hopefully one; she was not a warrior or a witch or anything of the sort, just a young woman who fell to madness after her love was rejected. Being allied to such a character in a war like this seemed more likely to cause him harm than his enemies. "Berserker." Still, he intended to see this through one way or another. At the very least he could see who his foes were before deciding what course of action to take. "What do you say we take a walk around town? See what we can find,hmm?" Bunnies</s>
<\|description\|>Brynan Ianyre B R Y N A N I A N Y R E Do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory... love only that which they defend. B A S I C S --- AGE 29 RACE Half-elf CLASS Fighter OCCUPATION Royal Bodyguard ORIGINATES FROM Koprust, Torvelt P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Brynan is a tall, powerfully built woman with some of the elven features of her ancestors, namely pointed ears and fine features. She carries herself with an air of confidence, cockiness even, and is often seen with a smirk on her dark painted lips. A badly healed stab wound mars the skin of her upper left leg, the result of a drunken bar brawl. The scar is puckered and discoloured and the skin is pulled uncomfortably tight across a muscle that's now slightly deformed. Thanks to an encounter with an angry gnoll, another fainter scar marks her face, running from her right eye to her jaw. STRENGTHS * The use of simple weapons. * The use of martial weapons. * Hand to hand combat. * Acrobatics * Athletics WEAKNESSES * Ranged weapons. * Horseback riding. * An old injury to her left leg which sometimes hampers her movements. P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Brash - Flirtatious - Dedicated - Hardworking - Loyal - Accepting - Arrogant - Forgiving - Driven SEXUALITY Bisexual as fuck FEARS * Failure * Being without a purpose * Losing her position * Fire GOALS * To protect and defend the royal family. * To become the greatest swordsman of her time. * To honour and live up to her family's legacy. S K I L L S --- A listing of skills, such as horseback riding, and natural abilities such as night vision - this also includes any racial edges. NIGHTVISION The ability to see up to 60 feet even when there is little to no light present. TWO WEAPON FIGHTING Brynan studied extensively on the art of dual-wielding. Although she's able to use any two bladed weapons in combat, she prefers the scimitar. DUELING One-on-one combat is Brynan's specialty. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Leather armour * A piece of a banner (King Brand's crest) * A set of bone dice WEAPONS * Scimitar x2 * Hand axe x2 H I S T O R Y --- Brynan is able to trace her bloodline back many thousands of years. The Ianyre family is one born amongst the ancient trees of Havenloft, a forested elven sanctuary situated in the north. It was a respected line, with its warriors known for the strength of their convictions and their prowess in battle. Some 160 years ago a single member of this family, a fierce young elf named Elluin, found himself accused of the murder of a fellow soldier. There is little known about the circumstances of his death, for Elluin spoke little on it in the years that followed. But what is known is that he fled his home soon after and, in order to avoid capture, made a new life for himself in the wastelands of Torvelt. There he would forge a bond of friendship with a man that would change his life and the life of his descendants forever. He was there when the bandit chief rose above the rabble and united a young nation in turmoil; as a witness, participant and one of the new king's most loyal warriors. He was given the title of Royal Bodyguard, a post that would see him stay by the king's side at all times as a protector and advisor. The years passed and the king's line grew, with children and grandchildren rising to take his place when age inevitably took him. Elluin remained, steadfast and resolute, qualities he instilled in his own daughter, the product of a marriage with a human woman. Brynan took her father's place as Royal Bodyguard four years ago, finally achieving a goal she had spent her entire life working towards. Since childhood she had been preparing to step into Elluin's shoes, but received no special rank or favours because of who her father was. From the very bottom she rose through the ranks on her own merits, earning her title through skill and - sometimes - ruthless competitiveness. The disappearance of the young prince, Owen, was a hard blow to Brynan . She's failed in her role as protector of the royal family. Now, regardless of the price, she's vowed to bring him back to his father and right the wrong she believes she's responsible for.</s> <\|message\|>Gentle Gentle --- He passed a few more adventurers – companions, he supposed they should be called – on his way out the hall. First an impressively scarred Tiefling woman. If her mug was anything to go by then she dealt with most of life's obstacles by barging through them face first. A girl after his own heart. The horns were also a nice addition. Never could have too many horns on an expedition like this. After her came what he assumed was an Aasimir. Gentle didn't know what to make of him, slight little frail that he was. He supposed that looks could be deceiving, and the shield he lugged seemed sturdy enough, though the Achean's had been fans of big shields themselves, and Gentle had seen plenty of those shattered in his time. Maybe he was being harsh on the blonde boy, but if experience had taught him anything it was that the size of the dog in the fight definitely did matter a hell of a lot more than popular wisdom would have you believe. The last member of their little coterie was even skinnier than the Aasimir, bearing the sharp pointed ears and delicate features of an elf. In her case being fragile didn't seem like such an impairment. Elves had access to magics that featured in the other races nightmares, every calf knew that, and you didn't need biceps to cast hocus-pocus. Gentle had run afoul of a few spellcasters in his time, and wasn't keen to repeat the mistake. He'd walk carefully around this one. The crew filed back into the sitting room that they'd passed through on their way into the hall, to be met with the sight of a berobed, masked figure. Nathaniel didn't even have to open his mouth for Gentle to figure out he was a spellcaster. From the way he dressed, to the way he moved, everything about him said 'I'm quite interested in wizard bollocks'. Gentle didn't like him on principal, if for no other reason than his daft mask and the overbearing stench of his lavender perfume. Any man who wore that much perfume was hiding something. As if the mask didn't say that succinctly enough. Still, rules were rules, and Gentle wasn't about to start arguing with a mage without good cause. If Nathaniel wanted to act like the king-swinging dick, he was more than welcome to the role. Gentle had done his share of leading in his younger days, and it hadn't turned out pretty for anyone involved. He was happy to let the bemasked wizard bear that load. However it seemed like not everyone shared his sentiments. The sword-slinging half-elf, Gentle didn't know her name because she had quite helpfully declined to give it to the people she intended on leading, got up in the overly-perfumed mage's face and started acting hard. Gentle would have been more than happy to let them go at it – personal combat to decide which bull led the herd was pretty common in 'taur culture after all – and if this kind of confrontation was likely between the half-elf and the spell-man then it was better to get it out of the way sooner rather than later, but he couldn't help but wonder if this kind of ruckus would be seen as 'barbaric' to the more civilised amongst their numbers. He waited for someone else to speak up, to show support for one side or other, or maybe even throw their own hat into the ring. Nobody did. Looking around he wasn't sure what he seen on the faces of the others. He'd never been all that good at reading others. Imposing his own will on the people around him, that he could do, but divining what they wanted themselves was a skill that had always eluded him. He snorted audibly, and stepped forward. If no one else felt like speaking then he supposed he'd have to give it a try himself. "Does anyone else here care whether Nathaniel, the surely learned and powerful mage who can't remember the name of the place we're supposed to be going, or the lady elf so desperate to display the length and girth of her no-doubt titanic cock leads us 'honourable do-gooders'?" He did his best to emulate Nathaniel's painfully sarcastic tone, but wasn't sure he got the inflection quite right. "Personally I'm happy to form a square in the dirt outside and let them tear lumps out each other to decide, but then I am just a simple Minotaur. Whatever we decide I gotta point out that while I'm not a betting bull I think that the odds are good that if there is any sands left in the prince's hourglass, then they'll be trickling down quick while we're standing here. Even if they weren't the daylights burning and I'd like to leave some miles in our tracks before sundown." He realized that he hadn't managed to go all that long without insulting both a court-mage and a pretty dangerous looking half-elf. So much for staying in the magic-types good graces. Oh well, he'd never been all that good at taking good advice. Especially his own.</s> <\|message\|>Stur Stonetalon, once celebrated by his people as Stur Sky's Fury STUR __________ The weathered mercenary pushed open the doors and emerged into the soon-to-be cramped sitting room. Internally, he winced at the thought of that huge bull-beast crushing him against the walls. The less said about the growing strangeness of their little band, the better. He had neither seen nor heard of whatever species this Gentle belonged to, he who looked like he could knock down a small building or two if presented with the slightest inconvenience. The others didn't exactly put him at ease, either. Though, there was something to be said about that full-blooded elf. Sorceress though she may be, she was the only one of the group that had professed to wanting to find a cure for the Fog. Stur had resolved to keep a closer watch over her than the others - someone with the guts and the brains to try to tackle that particular problem stood to help everyone in the entire country if they were successful, and they couldn't afford to be lose her by way of running some fool king's rescue mission. That first half-elf was propped up against the stones right next to the doorway, looking everyone over with a studious eye. Stur returned her gesture in kind, carefully breaking down just what about her set off those faint alarums in his mind. The way she held herself seemed almost effortless, like every little motion was a part of some dance. He reckoned she was fast with those blades of hers. Too fast. Maybe five years back, he would have been able to match her blow for blow, but nowadays, if it came down to it, he figured he'd need to keep her at a distance, using his longer reach until he could wear her down and knock her on her back. Let her get in close, and he'd be dead before he hit the ground. He didn't trust her one bit, neither her haughty expression nor her pair of sinuous swords. Stur's train of thought was soundly interrupted by the introduction of the man in the strange mask, this Nathaniel. The mercenary grunted sourly; he knew of nobody that hid their face unless there was killing or stealing to be done. This one reeked of dishonesty, but then who that he had met today didn't? Lowlander hexers like this one were no small amount of trouble, though, it was true. He'd had to rough up one or two in his time; one of them had tried to turn him into a pigeon. Things took a turn for the worse when that same haughty half-elf stepped right up and challenged their supposed guide. Stur rolled his eyes; so, the she-bitch was going to let her ego get in the way of the job now, too? By her words in the king's presence, she seemed like she was directly involved in his affairs before this. Had she somehow gone and gotten His Royal Backside lost in the first place, then? He had half a mind to say something before the situation got worse, but his job had taught him when to hold his tongue and when to- The bull-man had stepped forward. Stur's eyes widened slightly as he proceeded, in his rumbling, implacable voice, to give the both of them the dressing-down they deserved. He listened in rapt silence until the words titanic cock reached his ears; his mouth twitched, and it was all he could do to stay silent until the talk had almost died down before the steely composure that he had been holding so valiantly abruptly cracked. The man doubled over, raucous laughter pouring out and bouncing off the stone walls. He gasped a long breath, reaching up to wipe a moistened eye. "Ohh, ah, gods without," he managed, "he's got you both, there."</s>	<\|message\|>Brynan Ianyre B R Y N A N I A N Y R E --- Brynan turned and faced the two rowdy boys, both clearly eager to measure themselves against her own length and girth. She smiled, a show of teeth that had nothing to do with friendliness. "I am not you lady, Minotaur. But if it's cock you want I'll be happy to provide you with something to ride if you're feeling lonely tonight." Her eyes flicked to Stur, pointedly roving up and down his body. "I'm quite sure I have more with which to satisfy you than your little hanger-on, here. Now be good and hush while I speak to my associate." With that she dismissed them and returned her attention to Nathaniel. "Well?" she prompted.</s>
<\|description\|>Brynan Ianyre B R Y N A N I A N Y R E Do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory... love only that which they defend. B A S I C S --- AGE 29 RACE Half-elf CLASS Fighter OCCUPATION Royal Bodyguard ORIGINATES FROM Koprust, Torvelt P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Brynan is a tall, powerfully built woman with some of the elven features of her ancestors, namely pointed ears and fine features. She carries herself with an air of confidence, cockiness even, and is often seen with a smirk on her dark painted lips. A badly healed stab wound mars the skin of her upper left leg, the result of a drunken bar brawl. The scar is puckered and discoloured and the skin is pulled uncomfortably tight across a muscle that's now slightly deformed. Thanks to an encounter with an angry gnoll, another fainter scar marks her face, running from her right eye to her jaw. STRENGTHS * The use of simple weapons. * The use of martial weapons. * Hand to hand combat. * Acrobatics * Athletics WEAKNESSES * Ranged weapons. * Horseback riding. * An old injury to her left leg which sometimes hampers her movements. P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Brash - Flirtatious - Dedicated - Hardworking - Loyal - Accepting - Arrogant - Forgiving - Driven SEXUALITY Bisexual as fuck FEARS * Failure * Being without a purpose * Losing her position * Fire GOALS * To protect and defend the royal family. * To become the greatest swordsman of her time. * To honour and live up to her family's legacy. S K I L L S --- A listing of skills, such as horseback riding, and natural abilities such as night vision - this also includes any racial edges. NIGHTVISION The ability to see up to 60 feet even when there is little to no light present. TWO WEAPON FIGHTING Brynan studied extensively on the art of dual-wielding. Although she's able to use any two bladed weapons in combat, she prefers the scimitar. DUELING One-on-one combat is Brynan's specialty. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Leather armour * A piece of a banner (King Brand's crest) * A set of bone dice WEAPONS * Scimitar x2 * Hand axe x2 H I S T O R Y --- Brynan is able to trace her bloodline back many thousands of years. The Ianyre family is one born amongst the ancient trees of Havenloft, a forested elven sanctuary situated in the north. It was a respected line, with its warriors known for the strength of their convictions and their prowess in battle. Some 160 years ago a single member of this family, a fierce young elf named Elluin, found himself accused of the murder of a fellow soldier. There is little known about the circumstances of his death, for Elluin spoke little on it in the years that followed. But what is known is that he fled his home soon after and, in order to avoid capture, made a new life for himself in the wastelands of Torvelt. There he would forge a bond of friendship with a man that would change his life and the life of his descendants forever. He was there when the bandit chief rose above the rabble and united a young nation in turmoil; as a witness, participant and one of the new king's most loyal warriors. He was given the title of Royal Bodyguard, a post that would see him stay by the king's side at all times as a protector and advisor. The years passed and the king's line grew, with children and grandchildren rising to take his place when age inevitably took him. Elluin remained, steadfast and resolute, qualities he instilled in his own daughter, the product of a marriage with a human woman. Brynan took her father's place as Royal Bodyguard four years ago, finally achieving a goal she had spent her entire life working towards. Since childhood she had been preparing to step into Elluin's shoes, but received no special rank or favours because of who her father was. From the very bottom she rose through the ranks on her own merits, earning her title through skill and - sometimes - ruthless competitiveness. The disappearance of the young prince, Owen, was a hard blow to Brynan . She's failed in her role as protector of the royal family. Now, regardless of the price, she's vowed to bring him back to his father and right the wrong she believes she's responsible for.</s> <\|message\|>Imalessa Sharis --- I M A L E S S A S H A R I S --- For a few brief moments, the tension in the air was enough to choke. Imalessa was grateful for the banter and smart wit that seemed to dampen it enough for her to breathe. So many people, and already they were fighting with one another. She scowled. If they expected to go trampling through the forest this way, starting shouting matches and raising hell, they would not get very far. The elf, Aoné, spoke, voice practically dripping with sarcasm. Elves, Imalessa thought. Though she may have been a half-blood, she knew very little about her father's kin - her kin. Regardless, though she'd loved her father dearly, he'd had certain qualities that she just couldn't stand. She still wasn't sure if it was an elven trait, or if her father had simply been a bit of a prick. She was starting to think it was an elven trait. Luckily, it seemed her human blood had diluted it. She had to admit she could have a bit of a temper . . . and that she had a tendency to be stubborn. Something both her parents had had, in their own ways. Imalessa had apparently inherited the worst of both of them. She pushed off the wall and toward the center of the room, toward the rest of the group. "I'm a huntress," she said. "I like to think I'm skilled with a bow." Again, she ached with its absence. She wished to feel its familiar weight on her back. "And I know the forest as well I know myself. Better, even." She sniffed, looking around at the group. "If you think you can just waltz in acting as you are now, you have another thing coming. The trees don't like strangers as it is, let alone a group of squabbling, overgrown children." That temper inside her flared. It occurred to her then that, while she had solely taken on the quest for her sisters' sakes, the forest would need her, too. It was old, ancient . . . She would not let it suffer such trivial quarrels. It deserved better after all it had done for her family, for her.</s> <\|message\|>Gentle Gentle --- Once upon a time a time Gentle would have met such a casual, contemptuous dismissal like the one the half-elf just directed at him with full, insane, glorious, horrifying, beautiful violence. Wouldn't even have thought about it, either. Instinct trumped thought everytime, and his was an instinct bone-deep, crawling back along the centuries to when his kind where birthed by a queen who lay with a God. He would have just dipped his horns and charged, like his fore-fathers of old, gored whichever idiot frail got in his way and to hells with the consequences, he would have bourne them all, just to display the simple fact that no one. disrespects. THE BULL. … He grunted deep in the back of his throat, trying to clear the bitter, half-remembered salt-tang from his mouth. Felt a small wave of nausea when he realized he was salivating. There was a bloodless tremble in his hands that had nothing to do with age and everything to do with hot, desperate anticipation. Hands clenched white-hard around his quarter-staff, but that just seemed to make the shake worse. Was that the wood of his staff he could hear splintering, or his clamped teeth, tight as a sprung bear-trap? He backed off from the warrior woman, and got as far from her as he could in this suddenly all too small room. He was old now, he reminded himself, and with age come wisdom, the wisdom to feel out which battles were worth fighting, and which were better left unfought. At least that was the lie he'd tell anyone in the unlikely event they asked why he slunk away from the half-elf like a beat dog. The real truth of the matter was that he was scared. Scared? Terrified, more like. Deep-recessed fear of repeating fool-damned mistakes that he'd made a hundred times, a thousand times, in the past. Mistakes that it would be best for everyone, especially himself, if he left there in the past, where the only people they could hurt were his ghosts. He took some deep breaths, calming breaths, aiming to keep his blood down. He failed. In the deep distance he could swear he heard maddened braying, ancestors long dust demanding he stop disrespecting their legacy and do what he was born to do. What the Minotaur's where made to do. And just below the bestial demands of his father's fathers, almost at the soft edge of what he couldn't heard, at the meeting place where memory and imagination exist, the insistent, sonorous, all-powerful voice of an absent deity, the primarch who left but has since returned, urging him onwards, to give in to his base appetites, to give glory to Dread Minoas. He was only paying partial attention to the rest of the group. He needed to keep his efforts focused on keeping his monstrous blood in check. Desperately murmered prayers to Apollokeos, She Who Promises Clean Waters, for the strength seemed destined to go unheard, when salvation came from an unlooked quarter. Aoné referred to herself as a barbarian. Funny. He hadn't expected the Elf to have a sense of humour. He'd always figured the Elves to be dry and brittle, like desert glass. He snorted a laugh. Not long and not loud, but it was enough to break the spell that the blood-madness of his people was weaving on him. He took another deep breath, the mingled scents of this group of strangers and castle life tainting the freshness, the stink of lavender heaviest of all, but it still revived him. He looked to Aoné. "Thank you." He murmured. He doubted she heard him. The thanks wasn't really for her anyway. He directed his attention back to the group as the dwarf and the huntress re-introduced themselves, wondering at the pointlessness of it. Hadn't they just done this for the king's benefit? Shouldn't they be doing this on the road to 'Mudshit', or wherever it was they were destined for. The 'taur rubbed a big hand across his broad temple, trying, and mostly failing, to massage away the splitting headache that had been coming on him. Was this really what the God's wanted him for? The bit about the trees did catch his attention though. Stranger hating trees? He didn't like the sound of that, not one little bit. He wasn't a big fan of roofs of a kind, be it stone grey or leafy green, much preferring the trackless expanse of blue sky or crystal clear night. But combine a roof with an inhospitable tree? That, well that just sounded like a recipe for a failed quest to his mind. Sure, maybe they were just regular trees, and the half-elf had gone a little feral, but it sounded like portent to him, and if there was one thing they taught you in Achea, it was you should never ignore portent. "These trees, they dangerous?" He directed his question at the huntress half-elf, "I could make a sacrifice to appease them? The God's ain't always in a listening mood, but if they are maybe they'll have a word with the trees on our behalf, put a good word in for us. Reckon that will do us any good sister?"</s>	<\|message\|>Brynan Ianyre B R Y N A N I A N Y R E --- Brynan leaned slightly towards Nathaniel, her own height nearly matching his. "I don't know why the king has chosen to trust you, spellcaster," she said lowly. "But make no mistake, your flowery words don't fool me. I'll be watching you." With that she straightened and turned to address the room in general. "My name is Brynan Ianyre, and first and foremost I am the chief bodyguard to the king. While it's my responsibility to keep him safe, it's also my duty to oversee the safety of his family. The prince ... He was taken because I wasn't there to stop it." Emotion welled up in her voice - a mixture of anger and shame. But she continued, speaking more to herself than anyone else. "I have no interest in being the one to lead you. All that matters is seeing this mission through to its end and returning the prince to his family. If that means working together, so be it. I am ... gladdened by your presence." She finished somewhat awkwardly, unaccustomed to expressing herself in such a way. Crossing her arms, she stood back and scowled at the world in general while she listened to the others say their piece.</s>
<\|description\|>Antraro A N T R A R O "One's visage and combat prowess are not the only facets of a man, take care to remember this." B A S I C S --- AGE 28 RACE Dragonborn: Red CLASS Monk OCCUPATION Takes on altruistic odd jobs for their next meal. Unpaid otherwise. ORIGINATES FROM Unknown P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Antraro stands taller than most humanoids at a height of about six and a half feet, or about two meters tall. His musculature is not defined but present when his strength is put to the test. His build is slightly stocky and he is covered from head to toe in dark red scales which slightly glimmer in the sun. His hands and feet end in sharp claws that see little use, though they are sharp and well maintained despite his lifestyle. He wears the visage of the Dragonborn people, a lizardlike head, forked tongue, slitted eyes, and two horns which sprout from the top of his head. STRENGTHS * Physical strength * Unarmed Combat * Heat Resistance WEAKNESSES * Not very dextrous * Vulnerable after a breath attack * Use of complex weaponry P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Warm - Kind - Altruistic - Softspoken - Calculated - Awkward - Lonely SEXUALITY Gay FEARS * Prejudice * Claustrophobia * Losing control GOALS * Teach altruism to the world * Be known for more than what he looks like S K I L L S --- A listing of skills, such as horseback riding, and natural abilities such as night vision - this also includes any racial edges. Flame Breath Antraro can breathe a gout of flame in a wide area in front of him. He can also use his flame breath in smaller doses as a firestarter or to keep himself warm. Blindfighting Even when his senses are impaired, Antraro can still hold his own in combat. He uses his sense of hearing and smell to stay in the fight when his vision is blocked. Heavy Lifting Antraro is quite strong, he can lift heavier objects than most. The heaviest that he can lift completely over his head is about 400 lbs or 182 kg. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON Can have as many or as few as you like, mainly 'important' items * Robes * Bowl WEAPONS * None H I S T O R Y --- Antraro has little knowledge of the circumstances of his birth. He only knows as much as his adoptive father had told him before he passed away. Antraro's father recounted to him that a deafening slam was heard outside as he was preparing his breakfast, shaking the interior of his home, knocking several things off of their shelves, and Antraro's father fell to the floor in a daze. Then, a set of delicate footsteps approached his doorstep, left an object, and walked away. As his father stood from the floor, a great gust of wind and the flapping of wings was the last thing he heard before he opened the door to see Antraro swaddled in a blanket on his doorstep. Taking pity on the babe, he took him in. Antraro's childhood was spent mostly in isolation on Torvelt. Antraro was taught to fear the populace at a young age because they would fear him in turn due to his appearance. This fear did not stop Antraro from leaving the house in the night to gaze out towards the edge of the island and wonder what lay beyond the shores and how he came to be here. He was not only taught to fear, though, but he was also educated to hone his body to the fullest and use its potential to achieve one's goals. On the few occasions where Antraro and his father had to visit the capital to gather supplies, Antraro was happiest, he saw what the world outside his home looked like. He hid in plain sight due to heavy clothes and coverings. Though they only worked when he kept a certain distance. On his last trip to Korprust, Antraro's father was busy bartering with a merchant when Antraro heard shouting from a nearby alley. Antraro, as stealthily as he could, slipped away to investigate. A woman was being robbed at knifepoint by a pair of brigands. She stood no chance against them, and Antraro could not stand idly by and let this happen. He intervened, scuffling with the two thieves and emerging victorious, their blades bouncing off of his scales but ruining his disguise. As the men fell, so did Antraro's disguise. When the woman rose from the floor from her panic to Antraro's outstretched hand, she looked at him and paled, fear plain in her eyes. She screamed and fled the alley with her belongings. The city guard had Antraro and Antraro's father taken in for questioning as well as the two unconscious thieves. After deliberation, Antraro and his father were free to leave. But without his disguise, Antraro, in his young adulthood, was visible to the city-goers for the first time. He saw many things in their eyes as they left: fear, confusion, and bewilderment, but the one thing that kept Antraro's spirit from breaking completely was seeing the children look at him in awe. They had never seen anything like him. Tragedy struck soon after this trip to Koprust. Vengeance came in the form of brigands to Antraro's secluded home. They struck down Antraro's father who had given him just enough time to escape. The last thing that Antraro saw before he fled in the night was the smoke rising from his childhood home and the corpse of his adoptive father on the floor. Antraro has since then been living ascetically in the city, taking jobs wherever they came so that he may feed himself and help those who need it. He would always live by the one thing that he held most dear that his father taught him, "Even if they fear you, even if they hate you, you must not falter on your goals."</s> <\|message\|>Brynan Ianyre --- B R Y N A N I A N Y R E --- One by one most of the crowd trickled out. Standing some feet behind and to the left of the king, Brynan watched them leave and felt her seething anger grow. It was impotent anger, directed more at herself than any of them, but that knowledge did nothing to soothe the turmoil in her heart. Clenched behind her back, her fists were white-knuckled and itching to grip the cool steel hilts of her scimitars. Wasting another minute hidden behind the walls of the castle seemed foolish. If it was her decision alone she would already have set off in search of the prince, not tarried here with random opportunists off the streets. Looking over the faces of those that remained, she thought to herself that if even one of them had any formal training with a weapon she would fall on her back in surprise. At King Brand's call to action, Brynan was the first to step forward. But for a tightness around her tired eyes, her face betrayed nothing of her feelings when she placed herself between the king and those assembled. She sank to one knee, her head lowered. "You know my name, sire, and my shame. On my honour, I will return your son to you." Briefly, she glanced up to meet the Queen's eye. "I swear it." The grief in their eyes was too much to bear. She swiftly rose again and made her way to the entrance, ready to leave as quickly as possible.</s> <\|message\|>Imalessa Sharis --- I M A L E S S A S H A R I S --- Imalessa stood near the doors, staring out at those who remained from beneath the safety of her hood. She felt caged here - wrong - without the clack of ancient branches and the open air of the forest. Her sisters thought she was setting traps, waiting for dinner to fall into her lap. They didn't understand the struggle of hunting, how hard she had to work to bring home the most meager of scraps. She looked at the King. This man could make all her troubles go away. If only she could find his son. She knew the forest was dangerous. Gods, she had grown up in it, lived off it, survived it, but now with the Fog . . . She shook her head. They couldn't go on like this. With game becoming harder to find and three mouths to feed, they wouldn't last much longer. If she didn't find her way into some money soon they would be dead in a matter of months, maybe a year, Fog or no Fog. A woman stepped before the King. At first Imalessa thought her to be human, but she started at the fine elven features and delicately pointed ears, same as her own. The woman knelt and pledged her allegiance to the King and to the quest. Imalessa looked around at the others before pushing off the wall. She pulled off her hood, not caring too much if her ears poked out of her sheath of honey-gold hair. "I am Imalessa Sharis, Your Majesties," she said. Her voice faltered before steadying and growing in strength and volume. "The forest birthed me, shaped me into its huntress. If your son has found himself in its heart, I will do everything in my power to return him to you." As the woman before her had done, she kneeled and lowered her head. "I offer you my bow and a willing heart." With that, she rose and walked to the entrance, ignoring the burning in her cheeks.</s>	<\|message\|>Antraro A N T R A R O --- Antraro had come with many others to the throne room of King Brand's castle. He watched as those who had trepidations walked by him towards the exit of the room and castle. Some ran into him, some purposefully and some not so. Even after years of living in the city, some still despised him for his visage. He held no ill will towards them in return, but he did feel a pang of disappointment. Antraro stood at full height in his robes, lizardlike head exposed to the crowd and the royalty before him as King Brand and the Queen presented their speech and call to action. While Antraro heard the speech and registered that it was a quest from a king to his subjects, all he could hear was the sadness of a father who had lost a son begging for help. Antraro watched as two other women of half-elven nature stepped forward with their acceptances and Antraro, would follow suit. In a gentle, deep, voice, he spoke, "I am Antraro, son of Erentus. I pledge my mind, body, and soul to the cause of finding your son, your majesty. This I swear." Antraro frowned in empathy for the king, he knew what it was like to lose something most dear.</s>
<\|description\|>Antraro A N T R A R O "One's visage and combat prowess are not the only facets of a man, take care to remember this." B A S I C S --- AGE 28 RACE Dragonborn: Red CLASS Monk OCCUPATION Takes on altruistic odd jobs for their next meal. Unpaid otherwise. ORIGINATES FROM Unknown P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Antraro stands taller than most humanoids at a height of about six and a half feet, or about two meters tall. His musculature is not defined but present when his strength is put to the test. His build is slightly stocky and he is covered from head to toe in dark red scales which slightly glimmer in the sun. His hands and feet end in sharp claws that see little use, though they are sharp and well maintained despite his lifestyle. He wears the visage of the Dragonborn people, a lizardlike head, forked tongue, slitted eyes, and two horns which sprout from the top of his head. STRENGTHS * Physical strength * Unarmed Combat * Heat Resistance WEAKNESSES * Not very dextrous * Vulnerable after a breath attack * Use of complex weaponry P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Warm - Kind - Altruistic - Softspoken - Calculated - Awkward - Lonely SEXUALITY Gay FEARS * Prejudice * Claustrophobia * Losing control GOALS * Teach altruism to the world * Be known for more than what he looks like S K I L L S --- A listing of skills, such as horseback riding, and natural abilities such as night vision - this also includes any racial edges. Flame Breath Antraro can breathe a gout of flame in a wide area in front of him. He can also use his flame breath in smaller doses as a firestarter or to keep himself warm. Blindfighting Even when his senses are impaired, Antraro can still hold his own in combat. He uses his sense of hearing and smell to stay in the fight when his vision is blocked. Heavy Lifting Antraro is quite strong, he can lift heavier objects than most. The heaviest that he can lift completely over his head is about 400 lbs or 182 kg. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON Can have as many or as few as you like, mainly 'important' items * Robes * Bowl WEAPONS * None H I S T O R Y --- Antraro has little knowledge of the circumstances of his birth. He only knows as much as his adoptive father had told him before he passed away. Antraro's father recounted to him that a deafening slam was heard outside as he was preparing his breakfast, shaking the interior of his home, knocking several things off of their shelves, and Antraro's father fell to the floor in a daze. Then, a set of delicate footsteps approached his doorstep, left an object, and walked away. As his father stood from the floor, a great gust of wind and the flapping of wings was the last thing he heard before he opened the door to see Antraro swaddled in a blanket on his doorstep. Taking pity on the babe, he took him in. Antraro's childhood was spent mostly in isolation on Torvelt. Antraro was taught to fear the populace at a young age because they would fear him in turn due to his appearance. This fear did not stop Antraro from leaving the house in the night to gaze out towards the edge of the island and wonder what lay beyond the shores and how he came to be here. He was not only taught to fear, though, but he was also educated to hone his body to the fullest and use its potential to achieve one's goals. On the few occasions where Antraro and his father had to visit the capital to gather supplies, Antraro was happiest, he saw what the world outside his home looked like. He hid in plain sight due to heavy clothes and coverings. Though they only worked when he kept a certain distance. On his last trip to Korprust, Antraro's father was busy bartering with a merchant when Antraro heard shouting from a nearby alley. Antraro, as stealthily as he could, slipped away to investigate. A woman was being robbed at knifepoint by a pair of brigands. She stood no chance against them, and Antraro could not stand idly by and let this happen. He intervened, scuffling with the two thieves and emerging victorious, their blades bouncing off of his scales but ruining his disguise. As the men fell, so did Antraro's disguise. When the woman rose from the floor from her panic to Antraro's outstretched hand, she looked at him and paled, fear plain in her eyes. She screamed and fled the alley with her belongings. The city guard had Antraro and Antraro's father taken in for questioning as well as the two unconscious thieves. After deliberation, Antraro and his father were free to leave. But without his disguise, Antraro, in his young adulthood, was visible to the city-goers for the first time. He saw many things in their eyes as they left: fear, confusion, and bewilderment, but the one thing that kept Antraro's spirit from breaking completely was seeing the children look at him in awe. They had never seen anything like him. Tragedy struck soon after this trip to Koprust. Vengeance came in the form of brigands to Antraro's secluded home. They struck down Antraro's father who had given him just enough time to escape. The last thing that Antraro saw before he fled in the night was the smoke rising from his childhood home and the corpse of his adoptive father on the floor. Antraro has since then been living ascetically in the city, taking jobs wherever they came so that he may feed himself and help those who need it. He would always live by the one thing that he held most dear that his father taught him, "Even if they fear you, even if they hate you, you must not falter on your goals."</s> <\|message\|>Brynan Ianyre --- B R Y N A N I A N Y R E --- Brynan leaned slightly towards Nathaniel, her own height nearly matching his. "I don't know why the king has chosen to trust you, spellcaster," she said lowly. "But make no mistake, your flowery words don't fool me. I'll be watching you." With that she straightened and turned to address the room in general. "My name is Brynan Ianyre, and first and foremost I am the chief bodyguard to the king. While it's my responsibility to keep him safe, it's also my duty to oversee the safety of his family. The prince ... He was taken because I wasn't there to stop it." Emotion welled up in her voice - a mixture of anger and shame. But she continued, speaking more to herself than anyone else. "I have no interest in being the one to lead you. All that matters is seeing this mission through to its end and returning the prince to his family. If that means working together, so be it. I am ... gladdened by your presence." She finished somewhat awkwardly, unaccustomed to expressing herself in such a way. Crossing her arms, she stood back and scowled at the world in general while she listened to the others say their piece.</s> <\|message\|>Stur Stonetalon, once celebrated by his people as Stur Sky's Fury STUR __________ Stur scratched a bit at his beard. He knew that by turning her back on him so pointedly, the half-elf was trying to wound his pride. Despite that particular bit of knowledge, he still felt himself rising to the bait, the words of an equally biting reply forming somewhere inside. Reluctantly, he clamped down on his tongue. The only thing that mattered right now was the mission, the the coin that came after. He needed that reward, needed it more than he needed life itself, and so couldn't afford to drag things out any more than they already were. He let out a long breath, still watching the half-elf as she leaned threateningly toward their masked guide-to-be, dispelling both the eager banter on his lips and the last remaining bit of mirth he had in his system over the situation in the first place. The elf - Aoné - introducing herself as a barbarian nearly started him up again, but Stur held firm, his face once again carefully composed. He listened to the introductions once more, names starting to become more familiar to him this time around. Solveig, Imalessa... the one that perpetually looked like she had swallowed a lemon was called Brynan. So she was in the king's employ, after all. And there it is: the shame, the frustration... the helpless, hopeless anger. The aging mercenary was all too well acquainted with feelings like those. He nodded just slightly to himself - he couldn't bring himself to care much, but he felt like he understood a bit better now. Gentle had moved off to talk directly to the huntress, Imalessa. Stur felt it was time to say his piece, again. He moved a bit to the front of the group, back in the vicinity of Nathaniel and Brynan. "Stur Stonetalon. My business of late is mainly breaking stubborn heads. Though," a quick glance towards the bull and the dragonborn, "looks like I've got some decent competition there. Fortunately for us, I'm a bodyguard of sorts, just like our Royal Protector here. I can keep the less... sturdy among us out of harm's way, if need be." That's not all he could do, of course. But that's all these few needed to know, for now.</s> <\|message\|>Imalessa Sharis --- I M A L E S S A S H A R I S --- Imalessa inclined her head to the minotaur. Gentle, he had said his name was. "I suppose you could try," she said, though she didn't particularly believe it would work. Imalessa simply wasn't the type to believe in gods. If there was a higher power out there, she couldn't believe they would just let innocent people suffer. Or they were nothing but a bunch of bastards high on power. Either way, she didn't put her faith in them. She looked Gentle over. Her father had once told her about the minotaurs. He'd told her a great deal about the outside world, but Imalessa never believed she would get to see it. "My father told me he had a run-in with a minotaur once," she said, changing the subject. She preferred not to talk too much about the forest. As much as she loved it, it had taken so much from her. The memories it held were a tangled mess of good and bad. "If what he said is true, he almost didn't survive it." She cocked her head, honey-gold hair spilling over her shoulder. "Is it true that your kind runs more . . . hot-blooded than most?"</s>	<\|message\|>Antraro A N T R A R O --- Antraro watched and listened as the tension in the room grew and fell, his posture growing slightly smaller and more meek as he saw tensions rise. As he saw the intensity of the conversation lower and the respective assailants retreat to their corners, he returned to his usual posture, standing straight with his chest slightly pushed out, not in a display of strength but in a simulacrum of how his father once stood. His eyes drifted to his party members as they listed their strengths and proficiencies and he took their strengths into account in comparison to his own. The dwarven man would certainly be a Gods-sent gift for this group. Antraro would be sure to stick close to him, half for the reason that he could diffuse tension somewhat easily, while in comparison it was hard for Antraro to be quite as compelling. The other reason being that the two of them shared similar skillsets and would be on the same relative position on the battlefield, albeit one with more fire and discipline than the other. Stur, the human, was an iceberg. Antraro, with the time that he had living in Koprust after that fateful night, had some insight as to when someone was holding some of their cards. Antraro had a feeling that those cards would come to light during this trip, but it is not for him to decide when it will happen. Antraro empathized with Imalessa due to their shared relative youth. He felt a certain kinship with her, living as a hermit for most of his life with his father he knew what it was like to live isolated from most society and the dangers and boons that said isolation provided. He felt as though she would be a good friend in time. It was safe to say that Gentle intimidated him, not for the power that he wielded behind his frame, nor the sheer size of the older minotaur, but for the visible restraint that he had shown. To Antraro, it takes more strength to have power and choose not to use it freely than to have reckless abandon with said strength. He respected him but knew to never cross him. Antraro had seen Brynan a few times before on his sparse visits to the castle. He had come to the castle to accompany people who had requested his aid. Some simply wanted him there for the company that he provided and the image of a large lizard-man standing by them to bolster their confidence. Some visits were less than savory. Antraro remembered a time when a particularly prickly man who was a recent addition to the island had dragged him to the castle to demand that Antraro be confined in a cell for the safety of the city. Thankfully, the kind king had let him go free and apologized for the disturbance to him. Brynan had always been there, at the side of the royal family, poised for anything that may occur. Aone was a mystery to him, mostly. He gleaned that she was inquisitive, at least, due to her very observant behavior. She watched people and learned about them. Antraro only hoped that that curiosity that she had wouldn't lead to her knowing too much about him and the resulting fear that it may bring. Antraro at this point had been the only one to not speak as the group was ushered into the meeting room. He was nervous but steeled himself. Clearing his throat, the thrum of it being accidentally louder than the voice that escaped, he spoke, "As I said in the throne room, my name is Antraro. I am skilled in hand-to-hand combat and have stood toe to toe with armed opponents and bested them." Antraro fiddled with his clawed and scaled hands, "I also have the ability to fight with my senses impaired and have the ability to exhale flame. I wish to warn you of this fact ahead of time to prevent any...accidents in the future. I do not plan on using my breath in the forest extensively due to the risk of collateral damage that may occur," he adds, nodding respectfully in Imalessa's direction. "I am happy to be working with several skilled men and women and I hope that I may cultivate a kinship with you all." He finishes his statement with an awkward glance about the room while still fiddling with his hands slightly as he awaited a response.</s>
<\|description\|>Solveig Forgeheart SOLVEIG FORGEHEART "Say that about me Mother again... I dare ya..." B A S I C S --- AGE 30 in human years RACE A proud Dwarf CLASS Pugilist OCCUPATION Prizefighter ORIGINATES FROM Tharum Kholdur IF OUTSIDE TORVELT One of the Mountain Cities in the Dwarven Realm, Tharum Kholdur is a bustling centre of commerce both in and out of Dwarven kind. Falling in line with many of the mountain holds, the structure and architecture is all within the mountain ranging from the very peak to deep mines within the earth. The city's populace is almost entirely Dwarves, with other races being tourists, employees or merchants looking to trade and sell. P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Solveig is as stout and as stocky as Dwarves come. While he's slightly taller than most Dwarves, Solveig sports an unruly head of dark brown hair that falls to his shoulders and a beard to match. His beard has two braids, held together by silver bands. While he has a bit of a beer belly as most of his kind do, his build is comparable to the modern Strongman all bundled up in a 4' 1" package. He also bares a Dwarven tattoo that stretches over his left pec, shoulder and upper arm. STRENGTHS * Hand-to-hand combat: While his style is much more scrappier than the grace of Monastic techniques, it is the only way he knows how to fight and he does it well. * Resilience: Solveig is a hard man to knock down, and even harder to keep down. * Improvised weapons: After being in many street fights and tavern brawls, Solveig has a knack for making the most mundane objects a brutal weapon. Chairs, stools, mugs, bottles just to name a few. * Athletics * Iron Liver: Other than mining, there is one thing Dwarves are known for- Drinking! And Solveig is no exception. Years of drinking have made him a pro at the game. As the old saying goes, "Never get into a drinking contest with a Dwarf." WEAKNESSES * Height: While he is hardy, Solveig is still a Dwarf so he has no reach. This means he has to get inside of opponent's reach when it comes to taller races and has to work harder to keep up in terms of speed. * Weaponry: While Solveig has had the most basic of training with axes and warhammers as most Dwarves do, his training does not go past that. Besides, he much prefers using his fists anyways. * Lack of armour: Following his pugilistic fighting style, Solveig does not wear any sort of armour. While this is used to keep him light on his feet (for a dwarf) this can prove to be a dangerous choice when he is attacked by weapons. P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Headstrong - Jovial - Proud - Stubborn - Confrontational - Loyal SEXUALITY Bisexual FEARS * Heights * Being powerless GOALS * To become a famous fighter * To atone for his crimes * To return home S K I L L S --- A listing of skills, such as horseback riding, and natural abilities such as night vision - this also includes any racial edges. Darkvision Being accustomed to mountain living, Solveig as the innate ability to see in the dark. He can see 60 feet ahead of him in dim light as if it was bright light, and in darkness he can see as if it was dim light. However, this is only in shades of grey. Cross-Counter One of Solveig's favorite techniques, if he takes an attack then Solveig can redirect the brunt of the force and reply back with a harsh liver blow hook. One, Two, Three, Floor Solveig unleashes a quick flurry of blows. The first two attacks are used to double the opponent over, especially if they are taller. The third and final attack is aimed at the jaw to send his enemy crashing to the ground. Stick and Move Solveig dances around his opponents with his quick footwork. Combining this with his height, Solveig has an uncanny ability of slipping in and out of an opponent's reach and blindspots. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Drinking horn * Roll of thin cloth for hand-wraps. * Deck of cards from his homeland. WEAPONS * A pair of brass knuckles, engraved with dwarven runes (non-magical) H I S T O R Y --- Born in the mountainous caverns of Tharum Koldur, Solveig grew up like many of his kind did. As soon as he could, a pick was put in his hands and he learnt all there was to the art of Mining. He quickly learnt the value in ores, minerals and gems. His family was descended from a long line of crafters and blacksmiths, and it was assuredly to be Solveig's fate. In his teenage years, Solveig spent a lot of time at the markets when he wasn't learning how to mine or how to use Dwarven weaponry. It was there that he discovered Prizefighting. A crowd would gather in the square as two men began to circle each other. Solveig originally thought it was just a fight but that wasn't the case. It was about two warriors who were going to go toe-to-toe in a contest of power and skill. That was the true aspect, and the glory that went along with it. Raucous cheers surrounded young Solveig for each punch thrown or sidestepped as coins practically showered the edge of the makeshift ring. This was the life Solveig would choose. He would spend any time he could watching these fights, shadowboxing by the edge to learn what he could. Eventually, he'd make his debut. To the surprise of everyone, the rookie won and it caught the eye of some particular folk. They saw the talent and a way to make money off of it. They approached him with an offer to throw his next fight. Solveig initially refused, but a young Dwarf's avarice can take hold rather quickly. Once the offer was right, Solveig would eventually agree. He would continue this way of living for a long time. Sometimes his new 'endorsers' would allow him to win the fight, but mostly he would go down whenever they decided. However, the city eventually found out. Disgraced, Solveig was run out of Tharum Koldur and banished to Torvelt. If he could make it in such a harsh environment then he would be awarded his Dwarven honor back. It was a tough adjustment at first but he had survived the five years he's lived in Torvelt so far. This time he was fighting for himself, and nothing hanging over his head. He's spent these years going tavern to tavern, taking on any challenger and spending night and day drinking and prizefighting. While he's run into trouble a fair few times, he's always punched his way out in the end. Solveig still thinks about going home, but he still feels he has something to prove. Besides, he could get used to this...</s> <\|message\|>Brynan Ianyre --- B R Y N A N I A N Y R E --- One by one most of the crowd trickled out. Standing some feet behind and to the left of the king, Brynan watched them leave and felt her seething anger grow. It was impotent anger, directed more at herself than any of them, but that knowledge did nothing to soothe the turmoil in her heart. Clenched behind her back, her fists were white-knuckled and itching to grip the cool steel hilts of her scimitars. Wasting another minute hidden behind the walls of the castle seemed foolish. If it was her decision alone she would already have set off in search of the prince, not tarried here with random opportunists off the streets. Looking over the faces of those that remained, she thought to herself that if even one of them had any formal training with a weapon she would fall on her back in surprise. At King Brand's call to action, Brynan was the first to step forward. But for a tightness around her tired eyes, her face betrayed nothing of her feelings when she placed herself between the king and those assembled. She sank to one knee, her head lowered. "You know my name, sire, and my shame. On my honour, I will return your son to you." Briefly, she glanced up to meet the Queen's eye. "I swear it." The grief in their eyes was too much to bear. She swiftly rose again and made her way to the entrance, ready to leave as quickly as possible.</s> <\|message\|>Imalessa Sharis --- I M A L E S S A S H A R I S --- Imalessa stood near the doors, staring out at those who remained from beneath the safety of her hood. She felt caged here - wrong - without the clack of ancient branches and the open air of the forest. Her sisters thought she was setting traps, waiting for dinner to fall into her lap. They didn't understand the struggle of hunting, how hard she had to work to bring home the most meager of scraps. She looked at the King. This man could make all her troubles go away. If only she could find his son. She knew the forest was dangerous. Gods, she had grown up in it, lived off it, survived it, but now with the Fog . . . She shook her head. They couldn't go on like this. With game becoming harder to find and three mouths to feed, they wouldn't last much longer. If she didn't find her way into some money soon they would be dead in a matter of months, maybe a year, Fog or no Fog. A woman stepped before the King. At first Imalessa thought her to be human, but she started at the fine elven features and delicately pointed ears, same as her own. The woman knelt and pledged her allegiance to the King and to the quest. Imalessa looked around at the others before pushing off the wall. She pulled off her hood, not caring too much if her ears poked out of her sheath of honey-gold hair. "I am Imalessa Sharis, Your Majesties," she said. Her voice faltered before steadying and growing in strength and volume. "The forest birthed me, shaped me into its huntress. If your son has found himself in its heart, I will do everything in my power to return him to you." As the woman before her had done, she kneeled and lowered her head. "I offer you my bow and a willing heart." With that, she rose and walked to the entrance, ignoring the burning in her cheeks.</s> <\|message\|>Antraro --- A N T R A R O --- Antraro had come with many others to the throne room of King Brand's castle. He watched as those who had trepidations walked by him towards the exit of the room and castle. Some ran into him, some purposefully and some not so. Even after years of living in the city, some still despised him for his visage. He held no ill will towards them in return, but he did feel a pang of disappointment. Antraro stood at full height in his robes, lizardlike head exposed to the crowd and the royalty before him as King Brand and the Queen presented their speech and call to action. While Antraro heard the speech and registered that it was a quest from a king to his subjects, all he could hear was the sadness of a father who had lost a son begging for help. Antraro watched as two other women of half-elven nature stepped forward with their acceptances and Antraro, would follow suit. In a gentle, deep, voice, he spoke, "I am Antraro, son of Erentus. I pledge my mind, body, and soul to the cause of finding your son, your majesty. This I swear." Antraro frowned in empathy for the king, he knew what it was like to lose something most dear.</s>	<\|message\|>Solveig Forgeheart Among the audience gathered within the throne room was a stout Dwarf, leaning against one of the far walls with his arms crossed. Solveig was still recovering from a partial hangover with last night's slim prize-money filling his pouch. He listened intently to King Brand's words. The task was clear. Venture into the Torvelt Fog to recover the King's son. This was by far the biggest challenge Solveig was presented with but this... This could be the exact ticket he needed to return home. The Dwarf would watch as many of the court would exit the room. To be honest, Solveig couldn't blame them. You'd either have to be desperate, foolish or just a downright crazy bastard to take on this quest. The funny thing was- Solveig couldn't figure out which category he fell under. Solveig would wait a moment, seeing if there was anyone else who would take on the call with him. Afterall, he didn't want to be the first one to volunteer for a suicide mission. Two half-elves and a Dragonborn would precede Solveig's answer. This wasn't a bad crew by any stretch of the imagination, at least by first glance. Solveig pushed himself off of the wall and uncrossed his arms. "Right then..." He began, mostly murmuring to himself. "I am Solveig Forgeheart of Tharum Kholdur!" The Dwarf introduced himself in an almost boastful manner, pounding his chest. "By my fists and my honour, I will help find yer son!" He answered, the Dwarf's accent was thick and typical of his race.</s>
<\|description\|>Solveig Forgeheart SOLVEIG FORGEHEART "Say that about me Mother again... I dare ya..." B A S I C S --- AGE 30 in human years RACE A proud Dwarf CLASS Pugilist OCCUPATION Prizefighter ORIGINATES FROM Tharum Kholdur IF OUTSIDE TORVELT One of the Mountain Cities in the Dwarven Realm, Tharum Kholdur is a bustling centre of commerce both in and out of Dwarven kind. Falling in line with many of the mountain holds, the structure and architecture is all within the mountain ranging from the very peak to deep mines within the earth. The city's populace is almost entirely Dwarves, with other races being tourists, employees or merchants looking to trade and sell. P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Solveig is as stout and as stocky as Dwarves come. While he's slightly taller than most Dwarves, Solveig sports an unruly head of dark brown hair that falls to his shoulders and a beard to match. His beard has two braids, held together by silver bands. While he has a bit of a beer belly as most of his kind do, his build is comparable to the modern Strongman all bundled up in a 4' 1" package. He also bares a Dwarven tattoo that stretches over his left pec, shoulder and upper arm. STRENGTHS * Hand-to-hand combat: While his style is much more scrappier than the grace of Monastic techniques, it is the only way he knows how to fight and he does it well. * Resilience: Solveig is a hard man to knock down, and even harder to keep down. * Improvised weapons: After being in many street fights and tavern brawls, Solveig has a knack for making the most mundane objects a brutal weapon. Chairs, stools, mugs, bottles just to name a few. * Athletics * Iron Liver: Other than mining, there is one thing Dwarves are known for- Drinking! And Solveig is no exception. Years of drinking have made him a pro at the game. As the old saying goes, "Never get into a drinking contest with a Dwarf." WEAKNESSES * Height: While he is hardy, Solveig is still a Dwarf so he has no reach. This means he has to get inside of opponent's reach when it comes to taller races and has to work harder to keep up in terms of speed. * Weaponry: While Solveig has had the most basic of training with axes and warhammers as most Dwarves do, his training does not go past that. Besides, he much prefers using his fists anyways. * Lack of armour: Following his pugilistic fighting style, Solveig does not wear any sort of armour. While this is used to keep him light on his feet (for a dwarf) this can prove to be a dangerous choice when he is attacked by weapons. P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Headstrong - Jovial - Proud - Stubborn - Confrontational - Loyal SEXUALITY Bisexual FEARS * Heights * Being powerless GOALS * To become a famous fighter * To atone for his crimes * To return home S K I L L S --- A listing of skills, such as horseback riding, and natural abilities such as night vision - this also includes any racial edges. Darkvision Being accustomed to mountain living, Solveig as the innate ability to see in the dark. He can see 60 feet ahead of him in dim light as if it was bright light, and in darkness he can see as if it was dim light. However, this is only in shades of grey. Cross-Counter One of Solveig's favorite techniques, if he takes an attack then Solveig can redirect the brunt of the force and reply back with a harsh liver blow hook. One, Two, Three, Floor Solveig unleashes a quick flurry of blows. The first two attacks are used to double the opponent over, especially if they are taller. The third and final attack is aimed at the jaw to send his enemy crashing to the ground. Stick and Move Solveig dances around his opponents with his quick footwork. Combining this with his height, Solveig has an uncanny ability of slipping in and out of an opponent's reach and blindspots. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Drinking horn * Roll of thin cloth for hand-wraps. * Deck of cards from his homeland. WEAPONS * A pair of brass knuckles, engraved with dwarven runes (non-magical) H I S T O R Y --- Born in the mountainous caverns of Tharum Koldur, Solveig grew up like many of his kind did. As soon as he could, a pick was put in his hands and he learnt all there was to the art of Mining. He quickly learnt the value in ores, minerals and gems. His family was descended from a long line of crafters and blacksmiths, and it was assuredly to be Solveig's fate. In his teenage years, Solveig spent a lot of time at the markets when he wasn't learning how to mine or how to use Dwarven weaponry. It was there that he discovered Prizefighting. A crowd would gather in the square as two men began to circle each other. Solveig originally thought it was just a fight but that wasn't the case. It was about two warriors who were going to go toe-to-toe in a contest of power and skill. That was the true aspect, and the glory that went along with it. Raucous cheers surrounded young Solveig for each punch thrown or sidestepped as coins practically showered the edge of the makeshift ring. This was the life Solveig would choose. He would spend any time he could watching these fights, shadowboxing by the edge to learn what he could. Eventually, he'd make his debut. To the surprise of everyone, the rookie won and it caught the eye of some particular folk. They saw the talent and a way to make money off of it. They approached him with an offer to throw his next fight. Solveig initially refused, but a young Dwarf's avarice can take hold rather quickly. Once the offer was right, Solveig would eventually agree. He would continue this way of living for a long time. Sometimes his new 'endorsers' would allow him to win the fight, but mostly he would go down whenever they decided. However, the city eventually found out. Disgraced, Solveig was run out of Tharum Koldur and banished to Torvelt. If he could make it in such a harsh environment then he would be awarded his Dwarven honor back. It was a tough adjustment at first but he had survived the five years he's lived in Torvelt so far. This time he was fighting for himself, and nothing hanging over his head. He's spent these years going tavern to tavern, taking on any challenger and spending night and day drinking and prizefighting. While he's run into trouble a fair few times, he's always punched his way out in the end. Solveig still thinks about going home, but he still feels he has something to prove. Besides, he could get used to this...</s> <\|message\|>Ola Al-Fares O L A A L - F A R E S --- Ola drew the sword fully through the trolls leg, the sharpened steel parting the rotting flesh and bone with barely a tug at her arm. It made her shudder inwardly and her nose wrinkled at the stench of the beast. Severing its tendon had a two fold effect; it slowed the troll down, but also caused it to lurch sideways and slam a hand down to maintain any semblance of balance as it launched the vile, green and black loogie she had ever seen. She was unable to follow the projectiles flight path, she was top busy dodging the crashing fist. She was close, maybe to close, the only danger of being a melee fighter when you ran into something undead. Mud spattered her face and cloak and she spat to try and clear the taste even as she scrambled back to put a even a few feet of distance between herself and the huge rotting hand. Only once she had gained a bit of purchase in the mud did she flourish her sword, sending the remnants of her first cut splattering into the mud away from her new allies, and then hack two handed at the arm that was in the mud. If she could sever another limb it might bring the creature down low enough for someone to destroy its other brain. Unless she was mistaken, and had certainly happened from time to time, if they destroyed the brains, the undead would cease to function.</s> <\|message\|>Stur Stonetalon, once celebrated by his people as Stur Sky's Fury STUR __________ The familiar jolt of the axe burying itself in flesh and bone rattled its way up Stur's arms and across his body, causing his teeth to click sharply together. At the same time, an unusually cold spray of blood spattered his face. Ordinarily, the mercenary would have welcomed a little blooding in a fight. But the strange wrongness of the stuff caused him to flinch away in disgust, and then a half-second later in pain. The cursed ichor began to burn and almost sap the strength from his body as anger and bewilderment continued to grow inside his heart. Eyes momentarily blinded, Stur instinctively yanked on the haft of the longaxe to free it from its resting place in the ruins of the troll's second head, but instead found himself tripping backwards in the mud as his hands failed to find a grip on the blood-slicked haft. He cursed loudly at the thing, throwing himself into a clumsy backwards roll, coming back to rights with his dirk firmly gripped in one hand and his right side splattered in mud, but now blessedly free of the troll's poisonous blood. Cautiously opening one eye, he took a moment to survey the situation. The troll was down a leg, scrambling for purchase in the mud with one hand thrust out for balance. His wayward axe was serving as a fair replacement for the abomination's missing head, haft jutting straight out to the side like a sapling grown into the side of a mountain. The new arrival was, to her credit, right in the thick of things, hacking away at limbs seemingly without a fear in the world. Stur felt a brief surge of respect for the woman, though whether she was to be trusted remained to be seen. The troll's ire was focused on Brynan, who was still knelt in the mud after her initial strike. Deciding that the quickest way to finish this was to get the enemy on its back, the battered warrior took advantage of his being behind the troll and undetected, slipping carefully up to its unprotected flank and plunging with the dirk towards the back of its one intact knee.</s> <\|message\|>Imalessa Sharis --- I M A L E S S A S H A R I S --- Imalessa's arrow had hit its mark, and yet the troll still had some fight left in it. Cursing under her breath, she marveled with a sick curiosity at how the thing was still kicking. But the arrow had seemed to do something, if not kill it. She nocked another, watching as it reached out and grabbed at Gentle, preparing to bite. There were no gods she believed in, let alone bothered to pray to, but she hoped she could get lucky once more and loosed her arrow.</s> <\|message\|>Brynan Ianyre --- B R Y N A N I A N Y R E --- Having sliced deeply into the trolls legs, Brynan came to a sliding stop in the mud, her lips pulled back in a grimace of grim satisfaction. She watched as it buckled, trying to regain its balance, only to have one of his legs cut out from underneath it by another blade - that of the sodden stranger. "Beautiful, woman!" she cried out. But she didn't pause to celebrate. The fight was far from over. She adjusted her grip on the scimitars and tensed her body in preparation for another attack. Aiming to slice at its throat, she looked up at the troll just in time to catch a face full of loogie. It covered one of her eyes, entered her parted lips and slid easily down her throat. White-hot pain immediately accompanied it, but Brynan cared little; all she felt was disgust. A primal scream tore from her burning throat and she launched herself at the diseased creature, both blade tips pointed at its distended belly. She would run it through.</s> <\|message\|>Gentle Gentle --- Gentle brayed in pain, skin burning, eyes watering. What kind of diseased sack of poison was this thing? His hands itched, eager, he felt, to grip a sword pommel. Slide back towards being the monster of his youth, that's all that would achieve, he told himself. He had to keep a grip on the person he was now, even if that person was like to end up troll-food in the next few minutes. He stepped backwards, dodging snapping teeth, not so lucky when it came to sharp claws, feeling them peel through the skin of his chest. Felt the wound burn hot, probably infected, no time to worry about that, his feet were slipping from under him. He put a hand to the ground to steady himself, palm gripping on worn wood. His staff, the one the troll had knocked from his hand. It wasn't a sword, but it would do. Surging back to his feet he thrusts the staff like a spear, aiming straight for the ugly fucks chest, snarled curses on his lips, heartfelt prayer in his mind. Apollokeos, he intones silently so only she can hear, Goddess of second chances, help me make this one count. Help me bury this fucker.</s>	<\|message\|>Solveig Forgeheart There was an immediate feeling of uncomfortableness as Solveig began to rodeo the beast. However as gross pus began to pour out from the cut that the Dwarf made, he was forced to dismount. "Fuck me... What is wrong with these bastards..." Solveig grumbled to himself as managed to regain his footing for a moment. The sick feeling began to take over for a few moments as he began to retch. With a deep inhale, Solveig tried to recompose himself to shake off this feeling of illness. Solveig's stance changed as the Rot Troll still seemed to be solely focused on Gentle. Beginning to bounce on his toes more, the Pugilist decided to switch to Outfighting. Solveig gripped his knuckle dusters tighter as he began to flick out jabs into the calves and knees of the Troll, trying to keep his distance.</s>
<\|description\|>Gentle G E N T L E The humans called us monstrous, so monsters are what we became. B A S I C S --- AGE 128 RACE Minotaur CLASS Cleric/Barbarian OCCUPATION Lay Brother of the Temple of Apollokeos ORIGINATES FROM Achea IF OUTSIDE TORVELT The Human Republic of Achea is a loose collection of city states far to the South-West of Torvelt. The climate is hot, and the terrain mountainous, though the people have risen to the challenge of taming such an arid land, becoming famed for their exports of grapes, olives, gold, and marble. The Achean's stand proud of their achievements, proclaiming that their society is the greatest in all the wide world, pointing to their democracies, philosphies, music and art as evidence of this, though it is whispered in courts around the lands that the prosperous country wouldn't be half as impressive as it is if it wasn't for the broken backs of the monstrous slaves it has all been built upon. P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Large even by Minotaur standards, Gentle stands taller than eight-and-a-half feet, over nine if you included the tips of his gently curving horns, which you probably should when measuring a Minotaur. He's broad too, as the 'proverbial' bull in fact, and hasn't he heard that one more than once since coming to Torvelt. His once bulging muscles and steely thews are running to fat a little in his old age and relative indolence, but he still possesses the kind of physique that would give even the most confidant pitfighter cause to pause. To his intense consternation his lustrous black pelt is being invaded by unsightly streaks of iron-grey. Swirling blue-grey patterns are tattoeed across his arms, shoulders, chest and back, intricate patterns of some hidden meaning which Gentle hasn't shared with anyone since arriving in Torvelt. Age has also stolen some of his vim, and the spring from his step, but his hands are still strong and his horns still sharp. It will do, he tells himself. STRENGTHS * Physically powerful * Experienced combatant * Access to divine magic * Rough wisdom WEAKNESSES * Large and heavy * Moderate rheumatoid arthritis * Fading eyesight * Rage P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Pragmatic – Melancholy – Ponderous – Wistful – Studious – Mercurially violent (though working very hard not to be) SEXUALITY Pansexual FEARS * Heights * Deep, fast moving waters * Large canines * Small, enclosed spaces * The ghosts of his past GOALS To find the prince, stop the Fog, and achieve personal salvation. S K I L L S --- Labyrinth Recall He can perfectly recall any path that he has taken. Great Weapon Fighting Perhaps unsurprisingly giant bull-men are pretty good at swinging large, sharp pieces of metal with the intent of hurting people. Who knew? Sense of Smell and Hearing A Minotaur's sense of smell and hearing is several times more advanced than that of a humans. Gentle has found himself relying on his more and more since his eyes started failing him. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Heavy iron bracers * Travellers pack (sleeping roll, tinder box, dried rations etc) * Icon of Apollokeos (Small golden pendant featuring a rising sun over a river) WEAPONS * Large wooden post (Functions as a quarterstaff/club) * Great Sword H I S T O R Y --- The Minotaur known only as Gentle first walked into Torvelt about fifteen years ago, with nothing more than the clothes on his frame and a rolled bundle of leather upon his back. From there he wound a slow and gradual path towards Koprust, eventually arriving in the capital city and taking on a slew of odd jobs, seemingly happy with working hard manual labour for minimal pay, simple food and somewhere dry to sleep. On those rare occasions that he was approached by those not intimated by his monstrous visage he was found to be polite, but distant, seemingly happy to nurse his ghosts in solitude. He eventually found himself working for the Abbott of the Temple of Clean Waters, a holy place that venerated Apollokeos , Lady of Dawn and New Beginnings. Gentle quickly fell into life at the Temple, becoming a lay brother and settling in for what he imagined would be a life of quiet contemplation and honest labour. The God's, it seemed, had other plans. He'd had nightmares for as long as he could remember, horrible and twisted visions from his past that tourtured him nightly without reprieve. However one night, when the horror had reached its zenith, he found salvation. The Lady Apollokeos visited him, in all her golden splendour, and explained that his redemption was in reach. She tasked him with joining the quest to find the Prince, and that through that labour he might just find the peace he so desperately desired. When Gentle awoke he thought the dream no more than that, the fantasy of a tired mind, but later that day he met a man who introduced himself as Minoas, the fabled absent father of the Minotaur race. Minoas reinforced Apollokeos commands, urging Gentle to join the quest before disappearing. One visit from a God he could ignore. Two would have been pushing it. Collecting his belongings and making his farewells, he made his way towards thee castle.</s> <\|message\|>Antraro --- A N T R A R O --- Antraro had come with many others to the throne room of King Brand's castle. He watched as those who had trepidations walked by him towards the exit of the room and castle. Some ran into him, some purposefully and some not so. Even after years of living in the city, some still despised him for his visage. He held no ill will towards them in return, but he did feel a pang of disappointment. Antraro stood at full height in his robes, lizardlike head exposed to the crowd and the royalty before him as King Brand and the Queen presented their speech and call to action. While Antraro heard the speech and registered that it was a quest from a king to his subjects, all he could hear was the sadness of a father who had lost a son begging for help. Antraro watched as two other women of half-elven nature stepped forward with their acceptances and Antraro, would follow suit. In a gentle, deep, voice, he spoke, "I am Antraro, son of Erentus. I pledge my mind, body, and soul to the cause of finding your son, your majesty. This I swear." Antraro frowned in empathy for the king, he knew what it was like to lose something most dear.</s> <\|message\|>Solveig Forgeheart --- Solveig Forgeheart --- Among the audience gathered within the throne room was a stout Dwarf, leaning against one of the far walls with his arms crossed. Solveig was still recovering from a partial hangover with last night's slim prize-money filling his pouch. He listened intently to King Brand's words. The task was clear. Venture into the Torvelt Fog to recover the King's son. This was by far the biggest challenge Solveig was presented with but this... This could be the exact ticket he needed to return home. The Dwarf would watch as many of the court would exit the room. To be honest, Solveig couldn't blame them. You'd either have to be desperate, foolish or just a downright crazy bastard to take on this quest. The funny thing was- Solveig couldn't figure out which category he fell under. Solveig would wait a moment, seeing if there was anyone else who would take on the call with him. Afterall, he didn't want to be the first one to volunteer for a suicide mission. Two half-elves and a Dragonborn would precede Solveig's answer. This wasn't a bad crew by any stretch of the imagination, at least by first glance. Solveig pushed himself off of the wall and uncrossed his arms. "Right then..." He began, mostly murmuring to himself. "I am Solveig Forgeheart of Tharum Kholdur!" The Dwarf introduced himself in an almost boastful manner, pounding his chest. "By my fists and my honour, I will help find yer son!" He answered, the Dwarf's accent was thick and typical of his race.</s> <\|message\|>Stur Stonetalon, once celebrated by his people as Stur Sky's Fury STUR __________ Those with lesser mettle parted around Stur in a steady stream, headed for the doors at the opposite end of the hall. He supposed he did not blame them; there were easier ways to make coin in Koprust, many of which didn't involve throwing your life away. Nobody with a home to return to or a promising life ahead of them would walk willingly towards the Fog. Stur rolled his shoulders slowly in anticipation as the king finished his hopeful entreaty to the few that remained. He had learned well over the years that having one of these soft lowlander nobles indebted to you was a very useful thing indeed, and he intended to take full advantage of the opportunity, whatever the potential cost. He eyed those that stepped forward first with some suspicion, looking them over. Before coming to this cursed place, he had scarcely seen other civilized races than his own - the occasional Orcish raiding party on the northern borders of his land, maybe, and a few half-elves in the columns of Ephreian regulars - and he sometimes felt that he was still getting used to their various oddities. In particular, he kept an eye on the big red lizard. Stur never let his guard down around those fortunate enough to be taller than him. There was a brief lull. He stepped forward. Gods, I could use a drink. "I am Stur." He let the name speak for itself. "I've pulled many free of the talons of death, sire. I'll find your boy for you."</s>	<\|message\|>Gentle The Minotaur stood in the shadows at the back, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible – how successful he was in that goal was up for debate, what with being a pretty damned conspicuous nine-foot tall horned monster and all – and tried not to let the crowd of would be heroes nervous energy get his blood pumping too fast. It was a pretty well known fact that getting a Bull 'Taur like him too excited was like to end in tears, and though he'd gotten a better handle on things of that nature in his old age it still didn't do to tempt the Gods. And seeing as he'd somehow managed to get the attention of not one, but two divine beings, he'd decided it would pay to be careful. Careful. Lot of that going around apparently. A goodly more than half the room had upp'd tails and left at the kings words, no doubt remembering that discretion was the better part of valour. Cowards, some would call them, but not Gentle. No, he was too long in the tooth to be throwing words like that around when people were showing good sense. Hell's, he just wished he could join them. Instead he watched the young, the able, the smart and the strong line out of the hall, and pondered just how desperate the king and the God's had to be for them to have to rely on an old, demonstrably-past-his-best-that-wasn't-even-all-that-good-anyway bull like him. Though he supposed that Torvelt was a desperate country, so he guessed they were in the place for it. His attention slowly shifted to those wannabe-worthies who hadn't been dissuaded by the kings words. First was the serious looking half-elf, she who moved like a chimera. The way those swords sat upon her hip; easy, free, and always within an easy pull, he was willing to bet she was almost as deadly as a chimera too. After her was a second half-elf, uncommon to see two at once in Koprust. She didn't move quite so assuredly as the first, though if she spoke true and she did make her living out of the forests of Torvelt then she would be more capable than most. Dangerous things lived in those woods, would take one cold-eyed killer to survive them. Following them was – rarest of rarities – a Dragonborn. He had an incongruously gentle voice, and a calming demeanor about him that seemed at odds with his reptilian visage, but if the stories of his race where to be believed then it would be a damned fool that underestimated him. Then there was the dwarf. Didn't seem like much to Gentle, but then to him most dwarves were barely knee high. He supposed Solveig looked fit enough, for a midget. Smelled like a condemned brewery though, which wasn't ideal. Behind the dwarf there was a human. He looked worn. Battle-worn, age-worn, world-worn, just worn. For a moment Gentle had the uncomfortable thought that if he'd been born human he'd probably look something like the man in front of him. Besides that he didn't think much of Stur. Humans brought little to the world in his opinion. They weren't graceful as the elves, sturdy as the dwarves, or strong like the 'Taurs. More like a hells-spawned plague than... The old Bull felt his blood getting hot and took a breath to calm himself. Probably not all that surprising that even after all this time living among the frails he could still fall back into his old prejudices so easily. Shows that some shackles are harder to break than others. Stur was stepping back now, sending a wary glance Antraro's way – showing good sense or displaying common human racism, Gentle couldn't decide. Regardless he sensed that the time was now upon him to introduce himself. He took a few lumbering steps forward towards the throne, though didn't bother with the bowing. He'd stopped bending the knee to frails in crowns a long time ago. Besides, he wasn't as limber as he used to be. If he got down he wasn't all that sure he could get back up again. "Call me Gentle," his voice came out like a distant rumble, thunder rolling across far off mountains, "The God's have tasked me with finding your boy, so . . . I'm doing it, I guess." He almost shrugged, slightly embarrassed that he couldn't have found fancier words. Everyone else had fancy words, even the bloody dwarf. If Apollokeos and Minoas really were watching him he was guessing they were hucking it up right now. Damage done, he was keen to get out. He cast around and spotted the two half-elves making their way out the door. "Reckon I'll follow them." That rumble of a voice sounded a touch less impressive now as he made after the women, more sheepish than bull.</s>
<\|description\|>Gentle G E N T L E The humans called us monstrous, so monsters are what we became. B A S I C S --- AGE 128 RACE Minotaur CLASS Cleric/Barbarian OCCUPATION Lay Brother of the Temple of Apollokeos ORIGINATES FROM Achea IF OUTSIDE TORVELT The Human Republic of Achea is a loose collection of city states far to the South-West of Torvelt. The climate is hot, and the terrain mountainous, though the people have risen to the challenge of taming such an arid land, becoming famed for their exports of grapes, olives, gold, and marble. The Achean's stand proud of their achievements, proclaiming that their society is the greatest in all the wide world, pointing to their democracies, philosphies, music and art as evidence of this, though it is whispered in courts around the lands that the prosperous country wouldn't be half as impressive as it is if it wasn't for the broken backs of the monstrous slaves it has all been built upon. P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Large even by Minotaur standards, Gentle stands taller than eight-and-a-half feet, over nine if you included the tips of his gently curving horns, which you probably should when measuring a Minotaur. He's broad too, as the 'proverbial' bull in fact, and hasn't he heard that one more than once since coming to Torvelt. His once bulging muscles and steely thews are running to fat a little in his old age and relative indolence, but he still possesses the kind of physique that would give even the most confidant pitfighter cause to pause. To his intense consternation his lustrous black pelt is being invaded by unsightly streaks of iron-grey. Swirling blue-grey patterns are tattoeed across his arms, shoulders, chest and back, intricate patterns of some hidden meaning which Gentle hasn't shared with anyone since arriving in Torvelt. Age has also stolen some of his vim, and the spring from his step, but his hands are still strong and his horns still sharp. It will do, he tells himself. STRENGTHS * Physically powerful * Experienced combatant * Access to divine magic * Rough wisdom WEAKNESSES * Large and heavy * Moderate rheumatoid arthritis * Fading eyesight * Rage P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Pragmatic – Melancholy – Ponderous – Wistful – Studious – Mercurially violent (though working very hard not to be) SEXUALITY Pansexual FEARS * Heights * Deep, fast moving waters * Large canines * Small, enclosed spaces * The ghosts of his past GOALS To find the prince, stop the Fog, and achieve personal salvation. S K I L L S --- Labyrinth Recall He can perfectly recall any path that he has taken. Great Weapon Fighting Perhaps unsurprisingly giant bull-men are pretty good at swinging large, sharp pieces of metal with the intent of hurting people. Who knew? Sense of Smell and Hearing A Minotaur's sense of smell and hearing is several times more advanced than that of a humans. Gentle has found himself relying on his more and more since his eyes started failing him. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Heavy iron bracers * Travellers pack (sleeping roll, tinder box, dried rations etc) * Icon of Apollokeos (Small golden pendant featuring a rising sun over a river) WEAPONS * Large wooden post (Functions as a quarterstaff/club) * Great Sword H I S T O R Y --- The Minotaur known only as Gentle first walked into Torvelt about fifteen years ago, with nothing more than the clothes on his frame and a rolled bundle of leather upon his back. From there he wound a slow and gradual path towards Koprust, eventually arriving in the capital city and taking on a slew of odd jobs, seemingly happy with working hard manual labour for minimal pay, simple food and somewhere dry to sleep. On those rare occasions that he was approached by those not intimated by his monstrous visage he was found to be polite, but distant, seemingly happy to nurse his ghosts in solitude. He eventually found himself working for the Abbott of the Temple of Clean Waters, a holy place that venerated Apollokeos , Lady of Dawn and New Beginnings. Gentle quickly fell into life at the Temple, becoming a lay brother and settling in for what he imagined would be a life of quiet contemplation and honest labour. The God's, it seemed, had other plans. He'd had nightmares for as long as he could remember, horrible and twisted visions from his past that tourtured him nightly without reprieve. However one night, when the horror had reached its zenith, he found salvation. The Lady Apollokeos visited him, in all her golden splendour, and explained that his redemption was in reach. She tasked him with joining the quest to find the Prince, and that through that labour he might just find the peace he so desperately desired. When Gentle awoke he thought the dream no more than that, the fantasy of a tired mind, but later that day he met a man who introduced himself as Minoas, the fabled absent father of the Minotaur race. Minoas reinforced Apollokeos commands, urging Gentle to join the quest before disappearing. One visit from a God he could ignore. Two would have been pushing it. Collecting his belongings and making his farewells, he made his way towards thee castle.</s> <\|message\|>Brynan Ianyre --- B R Y N A N I A N Y R E --- The half-elven warrior was seated on her haunches, her back braced against a cold stone wall and her gaze nailed to the doorway. She watched as one by one the volunteers filed inside; inspecting each closely with an unwavering and appraising eye. They made a varied group, which, she admitted, would count in their favour. But she had mixed feelings about some of them, especially the half-elf. Her face was beautiful but her slight build and timid demeanour put Brynan in mind of a newborn foal. She would be surprised if the girl lasted long enough for them all to learn her name. On the other hand, she was glad to see a dwarf and dragonborn enter the room. Theirs were races known for their fierceness in battle and, if these individuals proved to be at least somewhat honourable, she would be glad to have them fighting at her side. Regardless of her feelings towards them, each one that pledged their loyalty towards the cause and passed through the door received a nod as they walked in - an acknowledgement of her respect. They were a company now, for better or worse, and together they would face the threat engulfing Torvelt. However ... She rose and strode to the front of the room, slipping through those assembled with the lithe grace of a stalking cat. She stopped in front of Nathaniel and faced his mask with an expression that left no doubt about her feelings towards him. "I have a question," she said, loudly enough for all to hear. "Why are you assigned as our guide, Nathaniel?" Coming from her, the name dripped with disdain. "While you concern yourself with spells and trinkets, I've patrolled this land faced its dangers. I should be the one to lead us."</s> <\|message\|>Imalessa Sharis --- I M A L E S S A S H A R I S --- The utter bareness of the room made Imalessa uneasy. She was used to having many hiding places and perches among the branches, just as she was used to the steady weight of her bow on her back. Its absence was painfully noticeable, and she wished she had brought it with her. The idea of carrying a weapon into the castle, though, had set her on edge. She had been unsure how they would react to a strange half-elf, especially one who was armed. As she stepped past the threshold, the other half-elven warrior gave her a small nod. She did not return it. These people were new to her. Regardless of the fact this woman obviously shared her heritage, she didn't know who she could trust. Though she suspected she would be more at ease once she returned to the forest. She wouldn't let her guard down, no, but maybe she would feel comfortable enough to feel out the rest of the company. Her eyes scanned the room. She had only been around the race of men and elves, her father being the only full-blood elf she'd ever met, though she had heard tales of dwarves. The tiefling, dragonborn, and minotaur appeared dangerous, and Imalessa knew they could be, but it was the others that truly set her on edge. She knew enough about wolves to know that they weren't always grizzled and bloodthirsty. Sometimes they were calm, sleek and beautiful. It was those you had to watch out for. She moved to the edge of the room, keeping mostly to herself, and listened as the masked man - Nathaniel - spoke. The idea of yet another joining them bothered her. Not just because it was another person she would have to watch out for but because the trees would not like it. The forest did not like strangers trampling over their earth and leaves and twigs. Her sisters thought she was crazy, they thought something had broken inside her when her father had died. Maybe they were right. Maybe she only thought she could hear the trees because her father had loved them so dearly. But they were not of elven blood; they were fully human. Imalessa shook her head almost imperceptibly. The forest would not like this.</s>	<\|message\|>Gentle He passed a few more adventurers – companions, he supposed they should be called – on his way out the hall. First an impressively scarred Tiefling woman. If her mug was anything to go by then she dealt with most of life's obstacles by barging through them face first. A girl after his own heart. The horns were also a nice addition. Never could have too many horns on an expedition like this. After her came what he assumed was an Aasimir. Gentle didn't know what to make of him, slight little frail that he was. He supposed that looks could be deceiving, and the shield he lugged seemed sturdy enough, though the Achean's had been fans of big shields themselves, and Gentle had seen plenty of those shattered in his time. Maybe he was being harsh on the blonde boy, but if experience had taught him anything it was that the size of the dog in the fight definitely did matter a hell of a lot more than popular wisdom would have you believe. The last member of their little coterie was even skinnier than the Aasimir, bearing the sharp pointed ears and delicate features of an elf. In her case being fragile didn't seem like such an impairment. Elves had access to magics that featured in the other races nightmares, every calf knew that, and you didn't need biceps to cast hocus-pocus. Gentle had run afoul of a few spellcasters in his time, and wasn't keen to repeat the mistake. He'd walk carefully around this one. The crew filed back into the sitting room that they'd passed through on their way into the hall, to be met with the sight of a berobed, masked figure. Nathaniel didn't even have to open his mouth for Gentle to figure out he was a spellcaster. From the way he dressed, to the way he moved, everything about him said 'I'm quite interested in wizard bollocks'. Gentle didn't like him on principal, if for no other reason than his daft mask and the overbearing stench of his lavender perfume. Any man who wore that much perfume was hiding something. As if the mask didn't say that succinctly enough. Still, rules were rules, and Gentle wasn't about to start arguing with a mage without good cause. If Nathaniel wanted to act like the king-swinging dick, he was more than welcome to the role. Gentle had done his share of leading in his younger days, and it hadn't turned out pretty for anyone involved. He was happy to let the bemasked wizard bear that load. However it seemed like not everyone shared his sentiments. The sword-slinging half-elf, Gentle didn't know her name because she had quite helpfully declined to give it to the people she intended on leading, got up in the overly-perfumed mage's face and started acting hard. Gentle would have been more than happy to let them go at it – personal combat to decide which bull led the herd was pretty common in 'taur culture after all – and if this kind of confrontation was likely between the half-elf and the spell-man then it was better to get it out of the way sooner rather than later, but he couldn't help but wonder if this kind of ruckus would be seen as 'barbaric' to the more civilised amongst their numbers. He waited for someone else to speak up, to show support for one side or other, or maybe even throw their own hat into the ring. Nobody did. Looking around he wasn't sure what he seen on the faces of the others. He'd never been all that good at reading others. Imposing his own will on the people around him, that he could do, but divining what they wanted themselves was a skill that had always eluded him. He snorted audibly, and stepped forward. If no one else felt like speaking then he supposed he'd have to give it a try himself. "Does anyone else here care whether Nathaniel, the surely learned and powerful mage who can't remember the name of the place we're supposed to be going, or the lady elf so desperate to display the length and girth of her no-doubt titanic cock leads us 'honourable do-gooders'?" He did his best to emulate Nathaniel's painfully sarcastic tone, but wasn't sure he got the inflection quite right. "Personally I'm happy to form a square in the dirt outside and let them tear lumps out each other to decide, but then I am just a simple Minotaur. Whatever we decide I gotta point out that while I'm not a betting bull I think that the odds are good that if there is any sands left in the prince's hourglass, then they'll be trickling down quick while we're standing here. Even if they weren't the daylights burning and I'd like to leave some miles in our tracks before sundown." He realized that he hadn't managed to go all that long without insulting both a court-mage and a pretty dangerous looking half-elf. So much for staying in the magic-types good graces. Oh well, he'd never been all that good at taking good advice. Especially his own.</s>
<\|description\|>Gentle G E N T L E The humans called us monstrous, so monsters are what we became. B A S I C S --- AGE 128 RACE Minotaur CLASS Cleric/Barbarian OCCUPATION Lay Brother of the Temple of Apollokeos ORIGINATES FROM Achea IF OUTSIDE TORVELT The Human Republic of Achea is a loose collection of city states far to the South-West of Torvelt. The climate is hot, and the terrain mountainous, though the people have risen to the challenge of taming such an arid land, becoming famed for their exports of grapes, olives, gold, and marble. The Achean's stand proud of their achievements, proclaiming that their society is the greatest in all the wide world, pointing to their democracies, philosphies, music and art as evidence of this, though it is whispered in courts around the lands that the prosperous country wouldn't be half as impressive as it is if it wasn't for the broken backs of the monstrous slaves it has all been built upon. P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Large even by Minotaur standards, Gentle stands taller than eight-and-a-half feet, over nine if you included the tips of his gently curving horns, which you probably should when measuring a Minotaur. He's broad too, as the 'proverbial' bull in fact, and hasn't he heard that one more than once since coming to Torvelt. His once bulging muscles and steely thews are running to fat a little in his old age and relative indolence, but he still possesses the kind of physique that would give even the most confidant pitfighter cause to pause. To his intense consternation his lustrous black pelt is being invaded by unsightly streaks of iron-grey. Swirling blue-grey patterns are tattoeed across his arms, shoulders, chest and back, intricate patterns of some hidden meaning which Gentle hasn't shared with anyone since arriving in Torvelt. Age has also stolen some of his vim, and the spring from his step, but his hands are still strong and his horns still sharp. It will do, he tells himself. STRENGTHS * Physically powerful * Experienced combatant * Access to divine magic * Rough wisdom WEAKNESSES * Large and heavy * Moderate rheumatoid arthritis * Fading eyesight * Rage P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Pragmatic – Melancholy – Ponderous – Wistful – Studious – Mercurially violent (though working very hard not to be) SEXUALITY Pansexual FEARS * Heights * Deep, fast moving waters * Large canines * Small, enclosed spaces * The ghosts of his past GOALS To find the prince, stop the Fog, and achieve personal salvation. S K I L L S --- Labyrinth Recall He can perfectly recall any path that he has taken. Great Weapon Fighting Perhaps unsurprisingly giant bull-men are pretty good at swinging large, sharp pieces of metal with the intent of hurting people. Who knew? Sense of Smell and Hearing A Minotaur's sense of smell and hearing is several times more advanced than that of a humans. Gentle has found himself relying on his more and more since his eyes started failing him. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Heavy iron bracers * Travellers pack (sleeping roll, tinder box, dried rations etc) * Icon of Apollokeos (Small golden pendant featuring a rising sun over a river) WEAPONS * Large wooden post (Functions as a quarterstaff/club) * Great Sword H I S T O R Y --- The Minotaur known only as Gentle first walked into Torvelt about fifteen years ago, with nothing more than the clothes on his frame and a rolled bundle of leather upon his back. From there he wound a slow and gradual path towards Koprust, eventually arriving in the capital city and taking on a slew of odd jobs, seemingly happy with working hard manual labour for minimal pay, simple food and somewhere dry to sleep. On those rare occasions that he was approached by those not intimated by his monstrous visage he was found to be polite, but distant, seemingly happy to nurse his ghosts in solitude. He eventually found himself working for the Abbott of the Temple of Clean Waters, a holy place that venerated Apollokeos , Lady of Dawn and New Beginnings. Gentle quickly fell into life at the Temple, becoming a lay brother and settling in for what he imagined would be a life of quiet contemplation and honest labour. The God's, it seemed, had other plans. He'd had nightmares for as long as he could remember, horrible and twisted visions from his past that tourtured him nightly without reprieve. However one night, when the horror had reached its zenith, he found salvation. The Lady Apollokeos visited him, in all her golden splendour, and explained that his redemption was in reach. She tasked him with joining the quest to find the Prince, and that through that labour he might just find the peace he so desperately desired. When Gentle awoke he thought the dream no more than that, the fantasy of a tired mind, but later that day he met a man who introduced himself as Minoas, the fabled absent father of the Minotaur race. Minoas reinforced Apollokeos commands, urging Gentle to join the quest before disappearing. One visit from a God he could ignore. Two would have been pushing it. Collecting his belongings and making his farewells, he made his way towards thee castle.</s> <\|message\|>Stur Stonetalon, once celebrated by his people as Stur Sky's Fury STUR __________ Stur scratched a bit at his beard. He knew that by turning her back on him so pointedly, the half-elf was trying to wound his pride. Despite that particular bit of knowledge, he still felt himself rising to the bait, the words of an equally biting reply forming somewhere inside. Reluctantly, he clamped down on his tongue. The only thing that mattered right now was the mission, the the coin that came after. He needed that reward, needed it more than he needed life itself, and so couldn't afford to drag things out any more than they already were. He let out a long breath, still watching the half-elf as she leaned threateningly toward their masked guide-to-be, dispelling both the eager banter on his lips and the last remaining bit of mirth he had in his system over the situation in the first place. The elf - Aoné - introducing herself as a barbarian nearly started him up again, but Stur held firm, his face once again carefully composed. He listened to the introductions once more, names starting to become more familiar to him this time around. Solveig, Imalessa... the one that perpetually looked like she had swallowed a lemon was called Brynan. So she was in the king's employ, after all. And there it is: the shame, the frustration... the helpless, hopeless anger. The aging mercenary was all too well acquainted with feelings like those. He nodded just slightly to himself - he couldn't bring himself to care much, but he felt like he understood a bit better now. Gentle had moved off to talk directly to the huntress, Imalessa. Stur felt it was time to say his piece, again. He moved a bit to the front of the group, back in the vicinity of Nathaniel and Brynan. "Stur Stonetalon. My business of late is mainly breaking stubborn heads. Though," a quick glance towards the bull and the dragonborn, "looks like I've got some decent competition there. Fortunately for us, I'm a bodyguard of sorts, just like our Royal Protector here. I can keep the less... sturdy among us out of harm's way, if need be." That's not all he could do, of course. But that's all these few needed to know, for now.</s> <\|message\|>Imalessa Sharis --- I M A L E S S A S H A R I S --- Imalessa inclined her head to the minotaur. Gentle, he had said his name was. "I suppose you could try," she said, though she didn't particularly believe it would work. Imalessa simply wasn't the type to believe in gods. If there was a higher power out there, she couldn't believe they would just let innocent people suffer. Or they were nothing but a bunch of bastards high on power. Either way, she didn't put her faith in them. She looked Gentle over. Her father had once told her about the minotaurs. He'd told her a great deal about the outside world, but Imalessa never believed she would get to see it. "My father told me he had a run-in with a minotaur once," she said, changing the subject. She preferred not to talk too much about the forest. As much as she loved it, it had taken so much from her. The memories it held were a tangled mess of good and bad. "If what he said is true, he almost didn't survive it." She cocked her head, honey-gold hair spilling over her shoulder. "Is it true that your kind runs more . . . hot-blooded than most?"</s> <\|message\|>Antraro --- A N T R A R O --- Antraro watched and listened as the tension in the room grew and fell, his posture growing slightly smaller and more meek as he saw tensions rise. As he saw the intensity of the conversation lower and the respective assailants retreat to their corners, he returned to his usual posture, standing straight with his chest slightly pushed out, not in a display of strength but in a simulacrum of how his father once stood. His eyes drifted to his party members as they listed their strengths and proficiencies and he took their strengths into account in comparison to his own. The dwarven man would certainly be a Gods-sent gift for this group. Antraro would be sure to stick close to him, half for the reason that he could diffuse tension somewhat easily, while in comparison it was hard for Antraro to be quite as compelling. The other reason being that the two of them shared similar skillsets and would be on the same relative position on the battlefield, albeit one with more fire and discipline than the other. Stur, the human, was an iceberg. Antraro, with the time that he had living in Koprust after that fateful night, had some insight as to when someone was holding some of their cards. Antraro had a feeling that those cards would come to light during this trip, but it is not for him to decide when it will happen. Antraro empathized with Imalessa due to their shared relative youth. He felt a certain kinship with her, living as a hermit for most of his life with his father he knew what it was like to live isolated from most society and the dangers and boons that said isolation provided. He felt as though she would be a good friend in time. It was safe to say that Gentle intimidated him, not for the power that he wielded behind his frame, nor the sheer size of the older minotaur, but for the visible restraint that he had shown. To Antraro, it takes more strength to have power and choose not to use it freely than to have reckless abandon with said strength. He respected him but knew to never cross him. Antraro had seen Brynan a few times before on his sparse visits to the castle. He had come to the castle to accompany people who had requested his aid. Some simply wanted him there for the company that he provided and the image of a large lizard-man standing by them to bolster their confidence. Some visits were less than savory. Antraro remembered a time when a particularly prickly man who was a recent addition to the island had dragged him to the castle to demand that Antraro be confined in a cell for the safety of the city. Thankfully, the kind king had let him go free and apologized for the disturbance to him. Brynan had always been there, at the side of the royal family, poised for anything that may occur. Aone was a mystery to him, mostly. He gleaned that she was inquisitive, at least, due to her very observant behavior. She watched people and learned about them. Antraro only hoped that that curiosity that she had wouldn't lead to her knowing too much about him and the resulting fear that it may bring. Antraro at this point had been the only one to not speak as the group was ushered into the meeting room. He was nervous but steeled himself. Clearing his throat, the thrum of it being accidentally louder than the voice that escaped, he spoke, "As I said in the throne room, my name is Antraro. I am skilled in hand-to-hand combat and have stood toe to toe with armed opponents and bested them." Antraro fiddled with his clawed and scaled hands, "I also have the ability to fight with my senses impaired and have the ability to exhale flame. I wish to warn you of this fact ahead of time to prevent any...accidents in the future. I do not plan on using my breath in the forest extensively due to the risk of collateral damage that may occur," he adds, nodding respectfully in Imalessa's direction. "I am happy to be working with several skilled men and women and I hope that I may cultivate a kinship with you all." He finishes his statement with an awkward glance about the room while still fiddling with his hands slightly as he awaited a response.</s>	<\|message\|>Gentle Gentle's shovel sized hand scratched behind his ear as he considered the huntress' question. Hot-blooded? That was putting things mild. Hotter-than-a-dragon-with-heartburn would have been closer to the truth, and didn't he know it better than most. "Some of us hotter than others, but yeah, that's about the twist of it." He shrugged his heavy shoulders, equal parts contrite and embarrassed. This wasn't a subject he enjoyed discussing. Too many painful memories tied up with it. But, as Apollokeos taught, there can be no forigivness without acceptance, no redemption from cowardice. Better to face your fears than to live in their shadow. "Minoas' Gift, I've heard some 'taurs call it, though if it is a gift it's the kind he should have kept the receipt for. Course the humans refer to it as 'Baphomet's Hunger', which, while being more insulting by design, does cleave a touch closer to the truth of the affliction." He stopped himself from going more in depth, explaining the theological differences between the ancient God Minoas, and the horned demon Baphomet, and their respective roles in the Minotaur's creationist myth. That was a subject he enjoyed discussing, had in fact spent many an enjoyable evening debating the intricacies of the tale with Pytheas, the elderly Abbot at the Temple of Clean Waters, but he'd gotten the impression from her slightly-sour response to his offer to pray to appease the trees that the small huntress was a sceptic when it came to the Gods. He might have been living in a temple the last five years, but he still didn't like to think of himself as 'preachy'. He chose to change the subject. "Your father took on a raging bull 'taur and lived to speak about it? That's an impressive feat that few can boast of. Must be skilled. He teach you the bow? To survive in the wilds?"</s>
<\|description\|>Gentle G E N T L E The humans called us monstrous, so monsters are what we became. B A S I C S --- AGE 128 RACE Minotaur CLASS Cleric/Barbarian OCCUPATION Lay Brother of the Temple of Apollokeos ORIGINATES FROM Achea IF OUTSIDE TORVELT The Human Republic of Achea is a loose collection of city states far to the South-West of Torvelt. The climate is hot, and the terrain mountainous, though the people have risen to the challenge of taming such an arid land, becoming famed for their exports of grapes, olives, gold, and marble. The Achean's stand proud of their achievements, proclaiming that their society is the greatest in all the wide world, pointing to their democracies, philosphies, music and art as evidence of this, though it is whispered in courts around the lands that the prosperous country wouldn't be half as impressive as it is if it wasn't for the broken backs of the monstrous slaves it has all been built upon. P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Large even by Minotaur standards, Gentle stands taller than eight-and-a-half feet, over nine if you included the tips of his gently curving horns, which you probably should when measuring a Minotaur. He's broad too, as the 'proverbial' bull in fact, and hasn't he heard that one more than once since coming to Torvelt. His once bulging muscles and steely thews are running to fat a little in his old age and relative indolence, but he still possesses the kind of physique that would give even the most confidant pitfighter cause to pause. To his intense consternation his lustrous black pelt is being invaded by unsightly streaks of iron-grey. Swirling blue-grey patterns are tattoeed across his arms, shoulders, chest and back, intricate patterns of some hidden meaning which Gentle hasn't shared with anyone since arriving in Torvelt. Age has also stolen some of his vim, and the spring from his step, but his hands are still strong and his horns still sharp. It will do, he tells himself. STRENGTHS * Physically powerful * Experienced combatant * Access to divine magic * Rough wisdom WEAKNESSES * Large and heavy * Moderate rheumatoid arthritis * Fading eyesight * Rage P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Pragmatic – Melancholy – Ponderous – Wistful – Studious – Mercurially violent (though working very hard not to be) SEXUALITY Pansexual FEARS * Heights * Deep, fast moving waters * Large canines * Small, enclosed spaces * The ghosts of his past GOALS To find the prince, stop the Fog, and achieve personal salvation. S K I L L S --- Labyrinth Recall He can perfectly recall any path that he has taken. Great Weapon Fighting Perhaps unsurprisingly giant bull-men are pretty good at swinging large, sharp pieces of metal with the intent of hurting people. Who knew? Sense of Smell and Hearing A Minotaur's sense of smell and hearing is several times more advanced than that of a humans. Gentle has found himself relying on his more and more since his eyes started failing him. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Heavy iron bracers * Travellers pack (sleeping roll, tinder box, dried rations etc) * Icon of Apollokeos (Small golden pendant featuring a rising sun over a river) WEAPONS * Large wooden post (Functions as a quarterstaff/club) * Great Sword H I S T O R Y --- The Minotaur known only as Gentle first walked into Torvelt about fifteen years ago, with nothing more than the clothes on his frame and a rolled bundle of leather upon his back. From there he wound a slow and gradual path towards Koprust, eventually arriving in the capital city and taking on a slew of odd jobs, seemingly happy with working hard manual labour for minimal pay, simple food and somewhere dry to sleep. On those rare occasions that he was approached by those not intimated by his monstrous visage he was found to be polite, but distant, seemingly happy to nurse his ghosts in solitude. He eventually found himself working for the Abbott of the Temple of Clean Waters, a holy place that venerated Apollokeos , Lady of Dawn and New Beginnings. Gentle quickly fell into life at the Temple, becoming a lay brother and settling in for what he imagined would be a life of quiet contemplation and honest labour. The God's, it seemed, had other plans. He'd had nightmares for as long as he could remember, horrible and twisted visions from his past that tourtured him nightly without reprieve. However one night, when the horror had reached its zenith, he found salvation. The Lady Apollokeos visited him, in all her golden splendour, and explained that his redemption was in reach. She tasked him with joining the quest to find the Prince, and that through that labour he might just find the peace he so desperately desired. When Gentle awoke he thought the dream no more than that, the fantasy of a tired mind, but later that day he met a man who introduced himself as Minoas, the fabled absent father of the Minotaur race. Minoas reinforced Apollokeos commands, urging Gentle to join the quest before disappearing. One visit from a God he could ignore. Two would have been pushing it. Collecting his belongings and making his farewells, he made his way towards thee castle.</s> <\|message\|>Aoné Inalor --- AONÉ INALOR --- It wasn't long before the small party began their travels, Aoné much more at ease now that they had begun. She wasn't particularly in a hurry, not that what they were doing wasn't important and time was certainly of the essence, but she hadn't been blessed with the greatest patience nor the ability to stand by and do nothing whilst pursuing a goal. Both of which had estranged her from her family many years ago, and now she could sense those unwanted feelings creeping up on her again as she stood among this group of strangers. She hadn't said much in their short time together as they introduced themselves, save for the moments she had to, but she honestly preferred it that way. Knowing herself, the elf knew with the way the conversation had been going, she would've just caused trouble; however, it would've been funny had she. Now that the other half-elf, Imalessa, had received a new bow, an honest mistake of coming here without it, they had no more reasons holding them back. Aoné wasn't certain about how she felt toward the huntress, she respected her loyalty to the forest however vocal she was about it, and she didn't seem like someone who'd get in her way lest their tempers clash, other than that, she seemed like someone she could hang around given the time. The term "friends" would be taking it a step too far though. When it came to the other members of the party, Aoné could say she felt indifferent toward them. Not in any negative way, she just needed more time, although she did especially enjoy Gentle who managed to intrigue her the most, purely by the irony of his name. As far as she knew, minotaurs were an angry race; temperamental and ferocious. But judging by the one beside her, she'd have to look into it more. Perhaps she was wrong. As for Brynan...she was something else. Probably would've been fine taking on the task herself if a group wasn't required. Not that Aoné disagreed, just that she would have to keep an eye on her. To make sure she didn't do anything reckless to get the rest of them hurt. --- Luckily for her, horseback riding had been something she was taught from a young age, along with traveling for long periods of time, Aoné's trip to "Mudshit" or wherever was made a lot easier. Along with the essentials, she had managed to grab some medicines and herbs, as well as her journaling book, that was stashed away in a small satchel she carried on her horse. The rain had never ceased as they journeyed, only making her more irritable as her attempts to keep herself dry proved futile. And though light was fading pretty quickly, her darkvision proved useful as she was still able to see. Not too soon after, just as the rain had come to a light drizzle, the caravan in front of her slid to a stop in the mud. Both horses had sensed something and were now freaking out, Aoné struggled to take back control. At first the noise came. And then the putrid smell. Looking to the source, still steadily to maintain her grip on the reins she already knew what enemy lay ahead. "Trolls! Ready yourselves!" Damned fucking trolls. Hopping down and grabbing her satchel, she quickly moved to the rear of the group. Knowing she wouldn't be of any use up front, she prepared for any possible injuries they would suffer.</s> <\|message\|>Solveig Forgeheart --- Solveig Forgeheart --- Rather enjoying the new company, Solveig probably seemed the most nonchalant about marching to his doom. In fact, after they had left Koprust Solveig was obnoxiously whistling as they began to travel to this 'Mudshit'. Apart from the butting of heads between Gentle and Brynan, the rest of the group seemed to be rather introverted or at least withdrawn. Everybody had their secrets for sure, but the Dwarf would've preferred if everyone else weren't quite as reserved. Especially the Dragonborn. Ah well, beggars can't be choosers. Regardless of whether the rest appreciated his loud whistling, nothing brought Dwarves together like a bit of light-hearted rhythm. Perhaps it wasn't time to bust out a mining or drinking song but perhaps the theory could work here too. As rain began to pour, Solveig popped the collar up of his jacket more. He didn't have a hood so his hair and beard were starting to get drenched. However, Solveig kind of liked it. There wasn't any rain to speak of back at Tharum Kholdur, at least if you wasn't a Mountain Guard who watched the borders. Sometimes water would drip down but nothing like this. It was kind of relaxing. The tiny pitter patter of droplets reminded him of pickaxes striking the rocky earth of the Mountain. It was comfort. That was when a potent stench wafted over the party. Solveig held his nose as his face scrunched up. "Gentle! Please tell me that's not what Minotaur shite smells like!" He exclaimed as he tried to wave the smell away. However, the playful jab at Gentle was overshadowed by the call from Naldir. "Trolls! Ready yourselves!" Solveig turned on his heels to the direction of the hollering creatures. He watched as Stur was one of the first to step forward, beginning to draw a battle line. With a grin and a hearty laugh, Solveig joined as he pulled out his prized knuckledusters from his pockets. Punching his own fists together making clanging sounds that rang out, Solveig joined the large human's side with glee. Finally it was time for a punch-up! "RIGHT THEN YA BASTARDS! COME GET A TASTE OF DWARVEN STRENGTH!!!"</s>	<\|message\|>Gentle The day was going bad enough without throwing the stink of rotting meat into the mix. Gentle thumb a soaking forelock out of his eyes, wondering if he could get away with plugging his nostrils with grass when he noticed the pony's terrified looking stance. Rotting meat doesn't scare horses. He took several more deep sniffs, but couldn't work out what the stink belonged to. "Gentle! Please tell me that's not what Minotaur shite smells like!" The dwarf distracted him. He was still trying to lock onto the queer scent when he responded absentmindedly "Only after we eat dwarves. The rest of the time the scent is quite pleasant", shortly after that someone yelled troll, and Gentle's humour soured even more. He'd never met a troll before. Had never wanted to. By all reports they had a worse reputation than Minotaur's, which was akin to winning an award for sheer bastardy. He'd heard they were hard to kill. He guessed he was about to find out just how true that was. Kill. By the God's, he'd really hoped he was finished with killing, but it looked like this old bull still had to put down a few more matadors. Wasn't like he could still get this quest finished and do the God's proud while being digested in a trolls gullet, and if he'd heard right diplomacy rarely worked with these monsters. He gripped his staff tight - not quite willing to draw the sword on his back yet, still scared of the 'taur he became when that hilt was in his hand - and stepped forward to stand alongside the human, on the opposite side of the dwarf. The little bastard was screaming out taunts, and Gentle couldn't help but respect him for it. His hoof stamped in the dirt a couple of times while he tried to quell what he told himself was fear, but he actually knew was excitement. "You fight these things before?" He asked the axe-wielding human. Frail he might be, but he at least looked experienced, and handled that axe like a veteran. Gentle wouldn't like to sip from the same cup as him, but he trusted the man could fight. "They like to set traps?" He gestured off to their right. There was a riot's worth of noise coming from the left, but while Gentle knew next to fuck all about trolls, he had some experience with ambushes. If he was in the attackers position he'd make a lot of noise from one side, while assaulting silently from the other. Nothing wins a battle quite as fast as making the other guy look in the wrong direction while you stabbed him in the back.</s>
<\|description\|>Gentle G E N T L E The humans called us monstrous, so monsters are what we became. B A S I C S --- AGE 128 RACE Minotaur CLASS Cleric/Barbarian OCCUPATION Lay Brother of the Temple of Apollokeos ORIGINATES FROM Achea IF OUTSIDE TORVELT The Human Republic of Achea is a loose collection of city states far to the South-West of Torvelt. The climate is hot, and the terrain mountainous, though the people have risen to the challenge of taming such an arid land, becoming famed for their exports of grapes, olives, gold, and marble. The Achean's stand proud of their achievements, proclaiming that their society is the greatest in all the wide world, pointing to their democracies, philosphies, music and art as evidence of this, though it is whispered in courts around the lands that the prosperous country wouldn't be half as impressive as it is if it wasn't for the broken backs of the monstrous slaves it has all been built upon. P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Large even by Minotaur standards, Gentle stands taller than eight-and-a-half feet, over nine if you included the tips of his gently curving horns, which you probably should when measuring a Minotaur. He's broad too, as the 'proverbial' bull in fact, and hasn't he heard that one more than once since coming to Torvelt. His once bulging muscles and steely thews are running to fat a little in his old age and relative indolence, but he still possesses the kind of physique that would give even the most confidant pitfighter cause to pause. To his intense consternation his lustrous black pelt is being invaded by unsightly streaks of iron-grey. Swirling blue-grey patterns are tattoeed across his arms, shoulders, chest and back, intricate patterns of some hidden meaning which Gentle hasn't shared with anyone since arriving in Torvelt. Age has also stolen some of his vim, and the spring from his step, but his hands are still strong and his horns still sharp. It will do, he tells himself. STRENGTHS * Physically powerful * Experienced combatant * Access to divine magic * Rough wisdom WEAKNESSES * Large and heavy * Moderate rheumatoid arthritis * Fading eyesight * Rage P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Pragmatic – Melancholy – Ponderous – Wistful – Studious – Mercurially violent (though working very hard not to be) SEXUALITY Pansexual FEARS * Heights * Deep, fast moving waters * Large canines * Small, enclosed spaces * The ghosts of his past GOALS To find the prince, stop the Fog, and achieve personal salvation. S K I L L S --- Labyrinth Recall He can perfectly recall any path that he has taken. Great Weapon Fighting Perhaps unsurprisingly giant bull-men are pretty good at swinging large, sharp pieces of metal with the intent of hurting people. Who knew? Sense of Smell and Hearing A Minotaur's sense of smell and hearing is several times more advanced than that of a humans. Gentle has found himself relying on his more and more since his eyes started failing him. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Heavy iron bracers * Travellers pack (sleeping roll, tinder box, dried rations etc) * Icon of Apollokeos (Small golden pendant featuring a rising sun over a river) WEAPONS * Large wooden post (Functions as a quarterstaff/club) * Great Sword H I S T O R Y --- The Minotaur known only as Gentle first walked into Torvelt about fifteen years ago, with nothing more than the clothes on his frame and a rolled bundle of leather upon his back. From there he wound a slow and gradual path towards Koprust, eventually arriving in the capital city and taking on a slew of odd jobs, seemingly happy with working hard manual labour for minimal pay, simple food and somewhere dry to sleep. On those rare occasions that he was approached by those not intimated by his monstrous visage he was found to be polite, but distant, seemingly happy to nurse his ghosts in solitude. He eventually found himself working for the Abbott of the Temple of Clean Waters, a holy place that venerated Apollokeos , Lady of Dawn and New Beginnings. Gentle quickly fell into life at the Temple, becoming a lay brother and settling in for what he imagined would be a life of quiet contemplation and honest labour. The God's, it seemed, had other plans. He'd had nightmares for as long as he could remember, horrible and twisted visions from his past that tourtured him nightly without reprieve. However one night, when the horror had reached its zenith, he found salvation. The Lady Apollokeos visited him, in all her golden splendour, and explained that his redemption was in reach. She tasked him with joining the quest to find the Prince, and that through that labour he might just find the peace he so desperately desired. When Gentle awoke he thought the dream no more than that, the fantasy of a tired mind, but later that day he met a man who introduced himself as Minoas, the fabled absent father of the Minotaur race. Minoas reinforced Apollokeos commands, urging Gentle to join the quest before disappearing. One visit from a God he could ignore. Two would have been pushing it. Collecting his belongings and making his farewells, he made his way towards thee castle.</s> <\|message\|>Ola Al-Fares O L A A L - F A R E S --- Ola drew the sword fully through the trolls leg, the sharpened steel parting the rotting flesh and bone with barely a tug at her arm. It made her shudder inwardly and her nose wrinkled at the stench of the beast. Severing its tendon had a two fold effect; it slowed the troll down, but also caused it to lurch sideways and slam a hand down to maintain any semblance of balance as it launched the vile, green and black loogie she had ever seen. She was unable to follow the projectiles flight path, she was top busy dodging the crashing fist. She was close, maybe to close, the only danger of being a melee fighter when you ran into something undead. Mud spattered her face and cloak and she spat to try and clear the taste even as she scrambled back to put a even a few feet of distance between herself and the huge rotting hand. Only once she had gained a bit of purchase in the mud did she flourish her sword, sending the remnants of her first cut splattering into the mud away from her new allies, and then hack two handed at the arm that was in the mud. If she could sever another limb it might bring the creature down low enough for someone to destroy its other brain. Unless she was mistaken, and had certainly happened from time to time, if they destroyed the brains, the undead would cease to function.</s> <\|message\|>Stur Stonetalon, once celebrated by his people as Stur Sky's Fury STUR __________ The familiar jolt of the axe burying itself in flesh and bone rattled its way up Stur's arms and across his body, causing his teeth to click sharply together. At the same time, an unusually cold spray of blood spattered his face. Ordinarily, the mercenary would have welcomed a little blooding in a fight. But the strange wrongness of the stuff caused him to flinch away in disgust, and then a half-second later in pain. The cursed ichor began to burn and almost sap the strength from his body as anger and bewilderment continued to grow inside his heart. Eyes momentarily blinded, Stur instinctively yanked on the haft of the longaxe to free it from its resting place in the ruins of the troll's second head, but instead found himself tripping backwards in the mud as his hands failed to find a grip on the blood-slicked haft. He cursed loudly at the thing, throwing himself into a clumsy backwards roll, coming back to rights with his dirk firmly gripped in one hand and his right side splattered in mud, but now blessedly free of the troll's poisonous blood. Cautiously opening one eye, he took a moment to survey the situation. The troll was down a leg, scrambling for purchase in the mud with one hand thrust out for balance. His wayward axe was serving as a fair replacement for the abomination's missing head, haft jutting straight out to the side like a sapling grown into the side of a mountain. The new arrival was, to her credit, right in the thick of things, hacking away at limbs seemingly without a fear in the world. Stur felt a brief surge of respect for the woman, though whether she was to be trusted remained to be seen. The troll's ire was focused on Brynan, who was still knelt in the mud after her initial strike. Deciding that the quickest way to finish this was to get the enemy on its back, the battered warrior took advantage of his being behind the troll and undetected, slipping carefully up to its unprotected flank and plunging with the dirk towards the back of its one intact knee.</s> <\|message\|>Imalessa Sharis --- I M A L E S S A S H A R I S --- Imalessa's arrow had hit its mark, and yet the troll still had some fight left in it. Cursing under her breath, she marveled with a sick curiosity at how the thing was still kicking. But the arrow had seemed to do something, if not kill it. She nocked another, watching as it reached out and grabbed at Gentle, preparing to bite. There were no gods she believed in, let alone bothered to pray to, but she hoped she could get lucky once more and loosed her arrow.</s> <\|message\|>Brynan Ianyre --- B R Y N A N I A N Y R E --- Having sliced deeply into the trolls legs, Brynan came to a sliding stop in the mud, her lips pulled back in a grimace of grim satisfaction. She watched as it buckled, trying to regain its balance, only to have one of his legs cut out from underneath it by another blade - that of the sodden stranger. "Beautiful, woman!" she cried out. But she didn't pause to celebrate. The fight was far from over. She adjusted her grip on the scimitars and tensed her body in preparation for another attack. Aiming to slice at its throat, she looked up at the troll just in time to catch a face full of loogie. It covered one of her eyes, entered her parted lips and slid easily down her throat. White-hot pain immediately accompanied it, but Brynan cared little; all she felt was disgust. A primal scream tore from her burning throat and she launched herself at the diseased creature, both blade tips pointed at its distended belly. She would run it through.</s>	<\|message\|>Gentle Gentle brayed in pain, skin burning, eyes watering. What kind of diseased sack of poison was this thing? His hands itched, eager, he felt, to grip a sword pommel. Slide back towards being the monster of his youth, that's all that would achieve, he told himself. He had to keep a grip on the person he was now, even if that person was like to end up troll-food in the next few minutes. He stepped backwards, dodging snapping teeth, not so lucky when it came to sharp claws, feeling them peel through the skin of his chest. Felt the wound burn hot, probably infected, no time to worry about that, his feet were slipping from under him. He put a hand to the ground to steady himself, palm gripping on worn wood. His staff, the one the troll had knocked from his hand. It wasn't a sword, but it would do. Surging back to his feet he thrusts the staff like a spear, aiming straight for the ugly fucks chest, snarled curses on his lips, heartfelt prayer in his mind. Apollokeos, he intones silently so only she can hear, Goddess of second chances, help me make this one count. Help me bury this fucker.</s>
<\|description\|>Aoné Inalor AONÉ INALOR "I'm not sure you understand, so let me clear it up for you" B A S I C S --- AGE 102 in elf years RACE Elf CLASS Sorceress OCCUPATION Medic ORIGINATES FROM Havenloft IF OUTSIDE TORVELT An ancient and sacred forest to the north, known for being inhabited by elves. P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Not the tallest of elf, Aoné stands around 5 foot 8, while taking on the definitive pointed ears and slim features of her ancestors. While not the strongest either, she's surprisingly more toned than one would think having to wrestle down more than a few rowdy and wounded folk of Torvelt so she could work properly. A few scars lay scattered across her body when she learned the hard way what the more aggressive folk of the city were like, having been slashed at trying to do the same job, especially during the earlier time of her stay. She's certainly gotten tougher since and isn't afraid to act that way. STRENGTHS * With age comes wisdom * During her travels (and during her time in Torvelt), Aoné's come to know quite a few people * She's very quick to adapt to new situations WEAKNESSES * Working under pressure * Not well trained for intense combat, she usually needs someone to rely on to protect her * Doesn't posess the greatest people skills P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Intuitive \| Sharp-tongued \| Curious \| Independent \| Apathetic \| Distant \| Decisive \| Disciplined \| Perceptive SEXUALITY Lesbian FEARS * Being overly dependent on someone * People larger than her (She gets rather defensive) * Not being worth something GOALS * To travel the rest of the world * Gaining as much medical knowledge as she can S K I L L S --- A listing of skills, such as horseback riding, and natural abilities such as night vision - this also includes any racial edges. Nightvision Able to see 60 ft ahead of her with little to no light. Booksmart An arcane spellcaster, she knows quite a bit of knowledge of magic. Born to a wealthy family, she also had access to many sources of information, especially history and language. Meditation Unlike humans, Aoné doesn't need to sleep being an elf. Instead or around 4 hours a day, she meditates in a trance like state that equals that of 8 hours of sleep. Horseback riding Trained from a young age, Aoné has taken to horseback pretty easily. Having been traveling for awhile, she's only honed those skills over the years. M A G I C --- Cure Wounds Able to heal minor wounds, Aoné uses this skill pretty frequently. Mass Heal Wounds A more intense spell than the one above, this is able to heal greater wounds but at more of a cost. Draining energy faster, she doesn't use this spell nearly as often Cordon of Arrows A spell in which if she places four arrows or crossbow bolts in the ground and places magic upon them, any creature that gets close to 30 ft to them, one of the pieces will fly up and target them. Mostly used as a protection spell, whenever she's alone she uses this spell. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Two small bundles, one for medicinal herbs and another for spices. * A small journal she uses for taking note of the places she's been, some pages containing pressed flowers. * A basic grimoire, she carries this for her spells. WEAPONS * A medium sized staff, wooden and designed with intricate carvings. * A small dagger she keeps close by, just in case she needs to use it H I S T O R Y --- Born to a very highly known and wealthy family, Aoné was raised very nearly in the center of Havenloft among her many other siblings. The Inalor family is known to deal its hand in sorcery, creating many great elven mages throughout the generations. Not only that, they also trained in sword fighting and archery along with trade and politics. A jack-of-all-trades kind of family, it was only common sense to know of all the responsibilities and hardships one had to endure to uphold the family name. As being a part of this family, it was greatly stressed among Aoné and her siblings to further the family lineage with a strong ambition and strive for success, pride, and power. Fortunately and unfortunately, Aoné never was much interested in family affairs, she preffered to focus her studies in sorcery, spending most of her time in the library. But because her prowess in sword fighting and archery was less than proficient, and her attitude was considered crude by her elders, she could clearly see that favor was not in her direction. Her family often tried to "correct" her, but she found that with enough time and persistance they're lenience grew and so did her freedom. It was around this time when her curiousity for the outside world piqued, and soon after, she packed her bags and practiced the little spells that she knew before heading off. Leaving when no one was watching, she left only a letter addressing quite formally why she left and that she'd probably never return. Throughout her travels, she picked up the art of medicine, helping those in need along the way. She doesn't recall how long she's been traveling, nor how she heard about Torvelt, but she remembered how she felt when she first entered. Compared to other places, especially Havenloft, this place seemed in need for a change, one that she hoped she would bring. Aoné didn't dwell in the politics of this place too much, but when the fog began and she couldn't do anything about it, her curiousity took over and the hunt to find the cure began.</s> <\|message\|>Zosimos Blackcoil --- Z O S I M O S B L A C K C O I L --- Zosimos eyed the gathering of travellers in the royal court with suspicion from underneath her hooded cloak and nimbly side-stepped any who drew too close to her person. She kept to the back of the hall, sequestering herself in a nook behind a lit torch that was attached to the wall. There she hid in the dancing shadows the flames cast and observed those who came forward to answer the King's quest – a fool's quest. Many times, between setting foot inside the royal castle and leaving behind her reclusive life in Torvelt's mountain forests, Zosimos had questioned her own sanity following her decision to journey to Koprust to embark upon this fool's quest. As many travellers turned and filtered out of the King's hall after his wise words of warning, she mused that many shared her thoughts on the matter. Whilst Zosimos held the Prince no ill will, she did not desire to forfeit her own life in the search for his – and yet, her feet remained rooted to the spot. The very thought of banding together with an assortment of miscreants and would-be heroes had the Tiefling's pistris-like teeth tingling in her mouth. She watched closely as members of this band stepped forward and wondered what motivated them to do so. For some it seemed it was honour; for others perhaps it was compassion of some kind; and for those like herself, it was the promise of the King's reward should they succeed. It was that tendril of faith in this promise and what she would claim from it that finally gave Zosimos the nerve to walk through the remaining members of the Hall towards the King and Queen. She stopped in front of them and lowered her hood. She heard a few gasps and sharp intakes of breath as eyes fell upon her disfigured face and demonic features. Zosimos's hand tightened on her Warlock's staff. She gave a small bow to the King and then to the Queen before lifting her eyes – or rather, her one good eye – to meet theirs. "Zosimos Blackcoil. I pledge my staff in the quest to find your son," the Tiefling spoke calmly before moving off to follow her fellow companions.</s> <\|message\|>Naldir Kadim Naldir was ready to leave before the King even began to speak. As he stood in the great hall, standing among adventurers of every kind, Naldir felt out of his element. He had long surrendered his sword and shield, instead walking the path of a civilian. But why then did he feel so unfulfilled. His thoughts nagged at the back of his mind, as did the words of the divine interloper. For the past several nights the God Amaldi had come to him in nocturnal visions, pleading for him to return to the path of the just. And now for several days Naldir had attempted to ignore the pleas, as he did now, moving to leave the hall. It was then that the King began to speak with a mighty voice that had a quiver of sadness. Naldir turned back to hear what he had to say, owing the Lord that honour at least. As Naldir listened he pondered over the quandary that was the Fog. For many weeks he heard tales of it, how it swallowed people up forever. He had also heard whispers of the Prince disappearing, but it was still a shock when King Brand confirmed it. Naldir felt a knot form in his stomach as he remembered what it was like to feel like you have lost someone very close to you. He focused on that feeling as the King continued talking, even glossing over the reward. There was nothing physical that Brand could offer Naldir, he did not need riches or land. Naldir was painfully aware that no mortal could repair his soul, for he truly believed that it had been damaged. Naldir remained in the hall as many began to leave, obviously not ready for the danger required in dealing with the Fog. As Naldir began to think that everyone may leave, a Half-Elf approached the King and knelt before him, swearing herself to the cause. Immediately afterwards several others approached, first another Half-Elf, then a fearsome looking Dragonborn, a Dwarf and a Man, a Minotaur of all things, then a lady Tiefling. All pledged themselves to the cause. Most of the others had left the room and Naldir greatly considered following them. Surely this was enough heroes, as they all seemed quite capable. But Naldir remembered the lessons of a Paladin, that an extra blade in good faith is always needed. With the knot tightening in his stomach, Naldir stepped forward. "My name is Naldir Kadim, and I shall pledge you Lord my sword and shield," Naldir said as he knelt, "As I devote myself to returning the young Prince." Naldir looked up, locking eyes with the King. Realizing that there was no going back now, Naldir stood up and followed after the others who had sworn themselves to this quest. In the back of his mind he recalled the dreams of Amaldi telling him to follow the path to redemption.</s>	<\|message\|>Aoné Inalor Mingling somewhere among the middle of the crowd, Aoné listened closely to the words of King, her head propped up on her hands. She hadn't expected herself to be here, much less have stayed when the majority of the room cleared out at the mention of the amount of danger the fog held; however, this fog had a mysteriousness that she couldn't ignore. She didn't yet know how she felt about the reward for there wasn't anything she needed at the moment, but she was sure she'd come up with something. As of now, learning as much as she could was her top priority. Glancing around the room at the faces left standing, Aoné raised an amused eyebrow as they introduced themselves. Certainly a diverse cast they were. And certainly unexpected. She supposed that's because all the truly rational folk left while they could, though she wouldn't call herself irrational per se. Just intrigued. The tiefling, Zosimos, and minotaur, Gentle, were the ones that truly caught her eye, and although a bit intimidated, her eyes and thoughts lingered on them just a tad longer. Her eyes moved back to the King as a silence fell, signaling her turn to speak. Standing up slowly and raising her chin, her hands folded in front of her, Aoné began her introduction, trying to maintain elegance the best she could. "Your Majesties," she gave a small bow with her head. "I may not be one to meddle in the affairs of royalty, but I feel great sorrow and pain for the disappearance of your son, the Prince. And as not to waste any time, I'll finish by saying this: I will do as much as I possibly can to help find your son, and to find a cure to this terrible fog. My highest prayers to the safety of your son and the three of you the best of health for years to come." With a more dignified bow, Aoné turned and followed her newfound group, letting out the smallest of sighs. She hadn't been that formal since her last interaction with her family, but she didn't let her uncomfort show. Shoulders back, and head raised, she mentally prepared herself for the hard times to come.</s>
<\|description\|>Aoné Inalor AONÉ INALOR "I'm not sure you understand, so let me clear it up for you" B A S I C S --- AGE 102 in elf years RACE Elf CLASS Sorceress OCCUPATION Medic ORIGINATES FROM Havenloft IF OUTSIDE TORVELT An ancient and sacred forest to the north, known for being inhabited by elves. P H Y S I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Not the tallest of elf, Aoné stands around 5 foot 8, while taking on the definitive pointed ears and slim features of her ancestors. While not the strongest either, she's surprisingly more toned than one would think having to wrestle down more than a few rowdy and wounded folk of Torvelt so she could work properly. A few scars lay scattered across her body when she learned the hard way what the more aggressive folk of the city were like, having been slashed at trying to do the same job, especially during the earlier time of her stay. She's certainly gotten tougher since and isn't afraid to act that way. STRENGTHS * With age comes wisdom * During her travels (and during her time in Torvelt), Aoné's come to know quite a few people * She's very quick to adapt to new situations WEAKNESSES * Working under pressure * Not well trained for intense combat, she usually needs someone to rely on to protect her * Doesn't posess the greatest people skills P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A T T R I B U T E S --- PERSONALITY Intuitive \| Sharp-tongued \| Curious \| Independent \| Apathetic \| Distant \| Decisive \| Disciplined \| Perceptive SEXUALITY Lesbian FEARS * Being overly dependent on someone * People larger than her (She gets rather defensive) * Not being worth something GOALS * To travel the rest of the world * Gaining as much medical knowledge as she can S K I L L S --- A listing of skills, such as horseback riding, and natural abilities such as night vision - this also includes any racial edges. Nightvision Able to see 60 ft ahead of her with little to no light. Booksmart An arcane spellcaster, she knows quite a bit of knowledge of magic. Born to a wealthy family, she also had access to many sources of information, especially history and language. Meditation Unlike humans, Aoné doesn't need to sleep being an elf. Instead or around 4 hours a day, she meditates in a trance like state that equals that of 8 hours of sleep. Horseback riding Trained from a young age, Aoné has taken to horseback pretty easily. Having been traveling for awhile, she's only honed those skills over the years. M A G I C --- Cure Wounds Able to heal minor wounds, Aoné uses this skill pretty frequently. Mass Heal Wounds A more intense spell than the one above, this is able to heal greater wounds but at more of a cost. Draining energy faster, she doesn't use this spell nearly as often Cordon of Arrows A spell in which if she places four arrows or crossbow bolts in the ground and places magic upon them, any creature that gets close to 30 ft to them, one of the pieces will fly up and target them. Mostly used as a protection spell, whenever she's alone she uses this spell. G E A R --- ITEMS ON PERSON * Two small bundles, one for medicinal herbs and another for spices. * A small journal she uses for taking note of the places she's been, some pages containing pressed flowers. * A basic grimoire, she carries this for her spells. WEAPONS * A medium sized staff, wooden and designed with intricate carvings. * A small dagger she keeps close by, just in case she needs to use it H I S T O R Y --- Born to a very highly known and wealthy family, Aoné was raised very nearly in the center of Havenloft among her many other siblings. The Inalor family is known to deal its hand in sorcery, creating many great elven mages throughout the generations. Not only that, they also trained in sword fighting and archery along with trade and politics. A jack-of-all-trades kind of family, it was only common sense to know of all the responsibilities and hardships one had to endure to uphold the family name. As being a part of this family, it was greatly stressed among Aoné and her siblings to further the family lineage with a strong ambition and strive for success, pride, and power. Fortunately and unfortunately, Aoné never was much interested in family affairs, she preffered to focus her studies in sorcery, spending most of her time in the library. But because her prowess in sword fighting and archery was less than proficient, and her attitude was considered crude by her elders, she could clearly see that favor was not in her direction. Her family often tried to "correct" her, but she found that with enough time and persistance they're lenience grew and so did her freedom. It was around this time when her curiousity for the outside world piqued, and soon after, she packed her bags and practiced the little spells that she knew before heading off. Leaving when no one was watching, she left only a letter addressing quite formally why she left and that she'd probably never return. Throughout her travels, she picked up the art of medicine, helping those in need along the way. She doesn't recall how long she's been traveling, nor how she heard about Torvelt, but she remembered how she felt when she first entered. Compared to other places, especially Havenloft, this place seemed in need for a change, one that she hoped she would bring. Aoné didn't dwell in the politics of this place too much, but when the fog began and she couldn't do anything about it, her curiousity took over and the hunt to find the cure began.</s> <\|message\|>Naldir Kadim Naldir had mostly remained quiet since the formation of the party. For one, he wasn't sure of this mixed bunch of adventurers. Also, he was unsure of himself. It had been several years since he had gone on this kind of excursion. He had almost abandoned the party as they were leaving town, as when he went to the tavern to talk to his boss, he almost remained. But he had given his word and Naldir did value that kind of contract, and was not ready to break it. So he gave the tavern keeper his notice, quitting his bar keeping job. As Naldir gathered his few belongings into his pack, the tavern keeper was already posting a help wanted sign. Naldir sighed, realizing that there was no turning back, before rejoining the adventuring party. The group then began their journey, marching down muck covered paths for several hours. Naldir was surprised by how light his large shield was in his hand. He would of thought that without using it for several years that it would be unfamiliar and heavy, but it felt like an old friend kept close. Naldir's years of training had left him strong and full of energy. Even as the sun set Naldir was not tiring and felt like he could go for several days more. Even as he sludged through the mud and rain, Naldir was surprised with how well this journey had gone so far. That sense that everything was good was interrupted when a foul smell rolled in over the hills. At first Naldir thought that they were passing a particularly vile bog. But then it dawned on Naldir what the odour was, as several yells off in the distance confirmed it. Trolls. Naldir had only seen trolls in the northern wild lands of his homeland. They were always an awful and deadly encounter. Many men had fallen beside Naldir to the clubs and spears of a troll. Naldir unintentionally gritted his teeth, his left hand quickly unsheathing his sword. "Trolls! Ready yourselves!" Naldir shouted as he raised his shield in front of himself. As Naldir shouted he saw that Nathaniel had cast some kind of spell to turn invisible. At first Naldir thought it was an act of cowardice, but he decided to trust the masked man, hoping that he had some kind of plan. Naldir wished he had a plan. He was out of practise in the art of combat, a fact that could get him killed. As his anxieties washed over his body, Naldir noticed that his shield felt just a little bit heavier in his hand. He once again gritted his teeth as he tried to steel up his body. "Come on. Focus." Naldir muttered as he tried to steady his hands and the weapons held within.</s> <\|message\|>Stur Stonetalon, once celebrated by his people as Stur Sky's Fury STUR __________ Stur murmured a low oath as the first bone-chilling yell drifted over their surroundings. He knew that sound instinctively; he'd had to deal with many a troll, back in the day. It was never pretty. He cast a quick look back over his shoulder, trying to make eye contact with any of the more long-range inclined types that happened to be paying attention. "They're faster than they look, and an arrow or two will probably only make 'em madder. Might want to stay behind us." He called tersely, us obviously indicating the sturdier members of the band. As it happens, the mercenary managed to glance back at just the right time to see their fearless leader Nathaniel completely vanish while standing in plain sight. "Fuckin' figures." He ground his teeth in frustration and swung back to keep his focus trained on the hill where the troll-cries were coming from, hefting his longaxe as he did so. Its worn haft thudded softly into the cold, yielding mud of the road. Couldn't rely on those gods-damned frilly casters to do anything useful when it came down to cold iron.</s> <\|message\|>Imalessa Sharis --- I M A L E S S A S H A R I S --- The rain and mud made traveling difficult, and Imalessa wished she had brought something other than her heavy cloak. It soaked up the water and weighed her down, and the mud sucked at her boots, threatening to pull them off her small feet. Of all the days for it to rain so much and so violently, or maybe she was just more unused to being under the open sky than she'd thought. The only thing that kept her from being in a positively vile mood was that every step brought her closer and closer to home. As the hours wore on and the sun sank lower and lower, exhaustion started to wear at Imalessa. The chill and damp made her bones ache. Her legs burned and feet hurt something fierce. She wondered when they would make camp . . . if they would make camp, but refused to ask. Forgetting her bow had already cost her; she didn't want to be seen as weak as well as unprepared. That bow lay across her back now. It was bigger than her own but of much better quality. She had yet to try it out and hoped that wouldn't prove too much trouble down the road. Soon the smell of rain and mud turned sour. Imalessa wrinkled her nose, cursing her luck that now she had to put up with such a fetid stench on top of everything else. It wasn't until the call cut through the patter of rain and creaking of the cart that she realized the danger. "Trolls! Ready yourselves!" someone shouted. Imalessa wasn't sure who. It didn't matter, not when she could barely hear over the pounding of her heart in her ears. She scrambled for her bow and struggled to nock an arrow. The rain and darkness wasn't nearly as debilitating as the trembling of her fingers. She'd thought her experience with hunting, with killing predators had prepared her for this, made her capable of this. But that wasn't the call of a wolf or bear, and Imalessa suddenly realized just how inexperienced she truly was. Her eyes strained to catch a glimpse. She struggled to bring her breathing under control and still her trembling fingers.</s>	<\|message\|>Aoné Inalor It wasn't long before the small party began their travels, Aoné much more at ease now that they had begun. She wasn't particularly in a hurry, not that what they were doing wasn't important and time was certainly of the essence, but she hadn't been blessed with the greatest patience nor the ability to stand by and do nothing whilst pursuing a goal. Both of which had estranged her from her family many years ago, and now she could sense those unwanted feelings creeping up on her again as she stood among this group of strangers. She hadn't said much in their short time together as they introduced themselves, save for the moments she had to, but she honestly preferred it that way. Knowing herself, the elf knew with the way the conversation had been going, she would've just caused trouble; however, it would've been funny had she. Now that the other half-elf, Imalessa, had received a new bow, an honest mistake of coming here without it, they had no more reasons holding them back. Aoné wasn't certain about how she felt toward the huntress, she respected her loyalty to the forest however vocal she was about it, and she didn't seem like someone who'd get in her way lest their tempers clash, other than that, she seemed like someone she could hang around given the time. The term "friends" would be taking it a step too far though. When it came to the other members of the party, Aoné could say she felt indifferent toward them. Not in any negative way, she just needed more time, although she did especially enjoy Gentle who managed to intrigue her the most, purely by the irony of his name. As far as she knew, minotaurs were an angry race; temperamental and ferocious. But judging by the one beside her, she'd have to look into it more. Perhaps she was wrong. As for Brynan...she was something else. Probably would've been fine taking on the task herself if a group wasn't required. Not that Aoné disagreed, just that she would have to keep an eye on her. To make sure she didn't do anything reckless to get the rest of them hurt. --- Luckily for her, horseback riding had been something she was taught from a young age, along with traveling for long periods of time, Aoné's trip to "Mudshit" or wherever was made a lot easier. Along with the essentials, she had managed to grab some medicines and herbs, as well as her journaling book, that was stashed away in a small satchel she carried on her horse. The rain had never ceased as they journeyed, only making her more irritable as her attempts to keep herself dry proved futile. And though light was fading pretty quickly, her darkvision proved useful as she was still able to see. Not too soon after, just as the rain had come to a light drizzle, the caravan in front of her slid to a stop in the mud. Both horses had sensed something and were now freaking out, Aoné struggled to take back control. At first the noise came. And then the putrid smell. Looking to the source, still steadily to maintain her grip on the reins she already knew what enemy lay ahead. "Trolls! Ready yourselves!" Damned fucking trolls. Hopping down and grabbing her satchel, she quickly moved to the rear of the group. Knowing she wouldn't be of any use up front, she prepared for any possible injuries they would suffer.</s>
<\|description\|>Kanman Ataru Nickname: N/A Age: 14 / 27 Gender: Male Height: 160cm (5 feet 2 inches) / 183cm (6 feet) Nature: Lightning Personality: As a child Ataru kept mostly to himself during his academy days. His mind was always off dreaming big dreams and living in his own fantasy world. He often could be found aimlessly dozing off and talking to himself, something other kids found odd. Ataru was truly a cheerful and kind young boy if other's truly got to know him. With being often alone, the young ninja found other interests in schoolwork and was very studious and full of curiosity, which helped him excel academically. Background: Ataru is only child of Yuu and Akari, two talented medical-nins of Konoha. They lifted their son whenever they could, assuring him that no goal was ever out of reach and that with persistence and hard-work he could accomplish it. Inheriting his parents knack for studying, Ataru did his best to become a top ninja at the academy. With a childhood full of love and warmth, Ataru was given every opportunity to exceed in whatever he wanted, and that big dream was to become one of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas. He wanted to prove that he could become strong, despite his small frame and physically weak disposition. Ataru wasn't the strongest shinobi, but he had the perseverance and heart to match with the others. Wanting to prove himself as one of the best from his class, Ataru was ready to prove it during the Chunin exams. Fighting Style: Ataru tries to avoid hand-to-hand combat as much as possible, since with his small frame and lack of rock hard muscle, a direct hit would lead to a lot of physical hurt. He does his best to support his teammates in any way possible, either applying pressure to the fight or strengthening his teammates abilities. Abilities: The three areas that Ataru can hold his own in are ninjutsu, fuinjutsu, and shurikenjutsu. Lightning Blade: Projectile Cutter - Ataru channels his lightning chakra into his kunai or shuriken before throwing it at top speeds. Lightning Release: Lightning Strike - The most basic Lightning Release technique, where Ataru is able to create an electric current, shooting it at his opponents. Lightning Release: Lightning Ball - Ataru creates multiple spheres of electrical energy around him, launching them and shocking his enemies. Lightning Release: Thunderbolt - Using both his arms, Ataru releases a large, wild discharge of electrical energy around him. It's uncontrollable and strikes anyone nearby. Acceleration Seal - Able to create a seal that boosters speed for a short period of time, only usable when attached to footwear. Twin Rising Dragons - Throwing up two scrolls, Ataru leaps in between the spiraling scrolls and conjurs up weapons where he's able to throw them in the direction of his opponents from a safe distance. Manipulated Tools: One Thousand Blades Attack - Summoning countless kunai, Ataru is able to send them barraging forward.</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi Mizo noted that smug glare from Kimiko while she was talking to Daichi. Bitch. Okay, that's probably a bit too harsh, considering Mizo and Kimiko are actually friends and such, but man can she be an ass sometimes. Being a princess must give you a big head, huh? In any case, she ignored Hoeskin ruffling her hair and stuff. "Sure, but we still have the Chunin Exams in the morning. Hoseki." Kana was minding his business, clearly. Mizo has no problem with her team at all, Hoseki had his heart in the right place, and Kana...well, he keeps others' hearts in the right place - physically speaking. Glancing at the blankets of golden flowers upon the hill, Mizo began strategizing, she didn't say anything out loud just yet, since they were right there. Would Emi and Daichi join them? Who knows. "Hmm..." Kimiko probably thought Mizo was thinking of a slugging match at this very moment, but that was a big lie. Mizo, in her head, was thinking about testing a new Jutsu on none other than the Bitch Queen her Smug-gesty. The Antlion Hole Jutsu. Mizo just knew that Kimiko would try and keep the flag for herself, probably thinking Kushizu and Ataru wouldn't be able to handle the I unimaginable responsibility of running from someone while hoarding scraps of cloth. Hoseki wouldn't notice, and would probably go in guns blazing - in a quite literal sense that his arms would be on fire - and Kana might hang back, maybe he'd catch wind? Either way, his style is lightning, so she'd have to be careful not to clash with him...Anyway, about Kimiko... She'd probably be right if they knew about her new Jutsu, which she hasn't even mentioned to Daichi and the others yet. Daichi would certainly be able to find her, since he's a Hyuga and all, but Hoseki and Kana would no doubt just literally walk right over her. She was imagining in her head the chakra forms needed for it. It was a pretty awkward jutsu, it was a trap. And springing it would be the hardest part for Mizo to execute. Hopefully she can do it. If she can manage the trap, it would be incredible in the matches tomorrow. "A cone...no, splitting apart, maybe..." Miso was a full blown Earth Style user, and that was no secret among anyone who knew her, Kimiko, Daichi, Emi, hopefully Kana, who is lightning. Thankfully, the terrain was a large forest, plenty of rocks and soft ground to tear up, hell, Mizo night even come up with some more Jutsu. The more you got in your pocket, the better.</s> <\|message\|>Kana Kinoshi KANA KINOSHI Kana stood with his hands in the pockets of the grey-ish cargo pants that he wore. His T-shirt was also an non-descript grey with a tight breathable long sleeve shirt under it the color of dull brown. A leaf head band tied to his right shoulder was the only sign of his position as a ninja. His short hair that fell just past his ears was wavy and swayed in the morning wind. He waited patiently for the signal to begin to be given. He could see Team 5 on the opposite side of the field. He did notice that the boys seemed to be enjoying the golden blooms. No doubt the source of the hill's name. Speaking of names, he could not recall any of theirs. It was not because he did not consider them important but because his mind classified anything not medical related as non-necessary for filing in his brain archives. There was no animosity but there was also no sense of camaraderie. Indeed, there was really no feeling towards them at all. One thing was for certain that he would run into a hail of shuriken and pull them out if need be. He sideways glanced at his own team. He would do the same for them too. Despite their rough nature, he knew that there were some deep feelings in those two. Very seldom are people so spirited as Hoseki and Mizu moved by weak feelings. Heck, Hoseki even manifested those feelings via his firsts and Mizu could literally build walls around her. If chakra was the melding mind and spirit then it would not surprise him if those two held deep reserves. Kana was not one to talk however as his feelings were very well kept inside him. They distracted him from the here and now. He always seemed to manage a smile or two but was not exceptionally good at it. Perhaps he should practice more. After all, if he was to become a medic, bedside manner was extremely important. A crooked smile started to appear on the left side of his face. To any onlooker it would seem like he was having a twitch that left his face comical looking. Just like Mizu, Kana wondered why they needed to be here. Surely the best recipe for a successful result to the exam was rest and relaxation. However, he knew that people such as Hoseki would rather expend some energy that be stuck at home. Well, whatever the case, he needed to finish this quickly. He had promised Akimi he would take her to see the fish at the Koi pond. She really liked the way they gobbled up the pieces of bread he took with him. This time, his smile was genuine as he felt a warmth for his little sister few would think him capable of. The smile almost immediately disappeared. Not because he was ashamed but because a new wave of fear, sadness and anger about Akimi's condition came to the front of his mind. Few knew this was the reason he was always researching, always perfecting any jutsu that could be connected to medical capabilities. Despite his aloof attitude towards this exercise, he knew that Akimi would reprimand him for not trying hard. Again the smile appeared and it stayed there longer than usual clearly visible to anyone. He craked his neck, a sudden sense of commitment towards the exercise visible in his countenance and his body posture. He surveyed the opposing team, as if seeing them for the first time. It would have helped if he had researched and known their abilities but he would just have to learn that on the fly. A plan started to form in his mind. He was no Nara but he was not a complete idiot….he thought…</s>	<\|message\|>Kanman Ataru It was hard for the Hyuga to ignore the question of the sole kunoichi on his team, knowing that she already had made up her mind even if he did respond to her. As Daichi was about to blurt out a response, he received the go-ahead from his old teammate, ready for the start of the Capture the Flag. Lifting his arm into the air, he swung it back down quickly in a slicing motion shouting. "Begin!" The tiny boy's mind fluttered as both his teammates began talking along with what felt like thundering voice of Daichi-sensei signifying the start of the game. Ataru's mind was always full of jumbled thoughts and ideas that fired left and right, always putting him in a daze. Somehow Ataru had ended up in Team 5, under the tutelage of Emi-sensei, who was one of the top kunoichi, if not one of the top ninjas in Konoha, along with two other students from his academy class, a lot of eyes have been on them. Kushizu wasn't too expressive or open about himself, even after their team was formed, Ataru didn't know much more about him than he had during their academy days. Of course, getting to know him wasn't something Ataru was going to initiate himself. All he knew about his teammate was that he had no parents, and he was extremely empathetic, a trait Ataru tried to inherit from him. Kushizu was a bit of a enigma, something Ataru's parents tried encouraging him to press on in order to become a better teammate and friend, something he was trying to work on. Kimiko on the other hand towered over everyone, not just with her height, but with her abilities and prowess, something Ataru envied. Ataru considered her the de facto leader whenever Emi-sensei wasn't around as her voice was the loudest and strongest of the three. She was confident in her own abilities, which is the one trait Ataru wanted to gain from her, whereas he lacked that self-confidence for sure. Ever since being assigned to Team 5 Ataru has been learning a lot about himself and who he should be to become a good ninja, something his teammates taught him. They showed a lot of respect and kindness, even if he was weird, and for sure he knew they all got annoyed of each other at times, but their success all really depended on how well they all did together. "I know we should probably stick with what we're good at, but let's try something different today." Ataru said as he got his head back to the game at hand. "Emi-sensei said we should have some fun today, so let's try that." On their past missions, Team 5 had a cut-and-dry strategy and formation that almost always worked. Emi-sensei would lead the team, followed by Kimiko, who was physically the strongest and most intimidating of the three; then by Kushizu, the most rounded teammate; and in the back of the team was Ataru as their support. "They have to come get the flag, so if we have Kimiko-chan here defending instead of me, that'll give them a disadvantage when it comes to one-on-one combat. If you and I charge in, it might not be as strong as having Kimiko-chan charging in, but it gives us the best defense while we try and take their flag, Kushizu." "Also... Not that I can't defend the flag," Ataru added, "but I don't think I can take one of Hoseki's punches if he's the one attacking. Pretty sure I could handle one of Mizo-chan's either..." With a nervous breath, he tightened his headband and pulled out a few scrolls from his pouch, kneeling and attaching them to his teammate's shoes. "These acceleration seals will help, but only for a few minutes until I can reattach some more." The white haired boy said. He was nervous, but there wasn't ever a time that anxiety didn't fill his body unless he was reading or dreaming of dungeons and dragons.</s>
<\|description\|>Kanman Ataru Nickname: N/A Age: 14 / 27 Gender: Male Height: 160cm (5 feet 2 inches) / 183cm (6 feet) Nature: Lightning Personality: As a child Ataru kept mostly to himself during his academy days. His mind was always off dreaming big dreams and living in his own fantasy world. He often could be found aimlessly dozing off and talking to himself, something other kids found odd. Ataru was truly a cheerful and kind young boy if other's truly got to know him. With being often alone, the young ninja found other interests in schoolwork and was very studious and full of curiosity, which helped him excel academically. Background: Ataru is only child of Yuu and Akari, two talented medical-nins of Konoha. They lifted their son whenever they could, assuring him that no goal was ever out of reach and that with persistence and hard-work he could accomplish it. Inheriting his parents knack for studying, Ataru did his best to become a top ninja at the academy. With a childhood full of love and warmth, Ataru was given every opportunity to exceed in whatever he wanted, and that big dream was to become one of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas. He wanted to prove that he could become strong, despite his small frame and physically weak disposition. Ataru wasn't the strongest shinobi, but he had the perseverance and heart to match with the others. Wanting to prove himself as one of the best from his class, Ataru was ready to prove it during the Chunin exams. Fighting Style: Ataru tries to avoid hand-to-hand combat as much as possible, since with his small frame and lack of rock hard muscle, a direct hit would lead to a lot of physical hurt. He does his best to support his teammates in any way possible, either applying pressure to the fight or strengthening his teammates abilities. Abilities: The three areas that Ataru can hold his own in are ninjutsu, fuinjutsu, and shurikenjutsu. Lightning Blade: Projectile Cutter - Ataru channels his lightning chakra into his kunai or shuriken before throwing it at top speeds. Lightning Release: Lightning Strike - The most basic Lightning Release technique, where Ataru is able to create an electric current, shooting it at his opponents. Lightning Release: Lightning Ball - Ataru creates multiple spheres of electrical energy around him, launching them and shocking his enemies. Lightning Release: Thunderbolt - Using both his arms, Ataru releases a large, wild discharge of electrical energy around him. It's uncontrollable and strikes anyone nearby. Acceleration Seal - Able to create a seal that boosters speed for a short period of time, only usable when attached to footwear. Twin Rising Dragons - Throwing up two scrolls, Ataru leaps in between the spiraling scrolls and conjurs up weapons where he's able to throw them in the direction of his opponents from a safe distance. Manipulated Tools: One Thousand Blades Attack - Summoning countless kunai, Ataru is able to send them barraging forward.</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi Little did Kimiko realize, that wasn't Mizo covered in water. After attempting to slam one of them in the face and getting drenched, she silently stood upwards and slowly, quite dramatically, turned to face Kimiko. Right about now was when Mizo would say something like "It's about to get really interesting." Or "Buy me dinner first." She would if she had a voice, which she didn't. Knowing full well that Kimiko was now out of range of the trap, and ready to square off with Mizo for real this time. Hoseki just backed away, and tapped the ground with his foot, to let the Mizo underground know that things were shifting a little. "This'll be fun. Hoseki said, dripping with sarcasm. Seeing the samurai bitch pull out one of those katanas and pointing it at Kizo? Who the fuck knew what was gonna happen? Especially when that was just a clone. Normally, the Wind Style wouldn't do much against Earth Style, but considering the fact that the Mizo which was now cracking its knuckles was made of mud and chakra, it was hard to say if any kind of Jutsu would work on Kiniko. And that's assuming a mud clone could even preform Jutsu. Hoeski made a mental note of the flag being tied around her neck, maybe he could singe it a little...made it fall off easier. In any case, It wasn't clear whether or not Mizo's trap would work at this rate, if it did, great. If not, well, she could always blast out of the ground with all the energy she conserved through the battle and really give Kimiko a run for her money. Thankfully, Hoseki's bakt didn't entirely give her position away, maybe Kimiko thought he was trying a new Jutsu himself, or maybe she really thought they were in kahoots. It didn't matter now. Mizo's clone was now staring down Kimiko, fists clenched behind her gauntlets. Looking the samurai bitch dead in the eyes, not a trace of fear or energy on her face. Was Kimiko expecting a reaction out of her rival? Hopefully not. The ensuing battle looked like it was taking hold of the game, fun. Kana was lucky, he didn't have to stick around to see the absolute cat fight.</s> <\|message\|>Kushizu Ienari Kushizu Ienari Uh, the water gun did not work as well as he thought. Usually the high pressure of the water gun technique knocks people back but, at least it landed on target. Maybe he did not put enough effort into it since this is just a friendly match. That is what Emi-Sensei said, at least. Did not feel like one since Kana took the flag from its spot and is now carrying it. Acting as a mobile flag point that they had to both reach and take the flag from him. Nothing was said in the rules about taking the flag, and none of the Jonin were saying anything. So anything goes so far in this friendly match. Getting Mizo wet did not really help but, it got Mizo off of Ataru's back for the time being. Then he heard a yell from behind him about Ataru and knew it was Kimiko. Ah, so she did hear that... guess he will see Kimiko have a chat with Ataru after the match is over. Which is a sight he will not enjoy to see if Kimiko is anything like herself. Or maybe there would be a change in pace, who knows. Either best not to focus on that now and see if they can win this. Kushizu noticed Mizo had turned to face someone and turned his head to see who that was. Only to find that it was Kimiko and noticed that she was wearing their flag like a bandanna around her neck. Oh, so we are doing that now too. Well, if the other team decides on cheating, then it is fair to cheat too to even the playing field. Also, seeing Kimiko raise her sword Kimiko at Mizo, Kushizu knew what that meant. So she wants to challenge Mizo, Kushizu sighed. That means he better stay out of her way during the impending fight. So he choose to reposition himself to cover her flank. Putting himself between Kimiko and Hoseki. Just in case Hoseki decides on intervening, Kimiko is the flag. So it is better to help protect her and even if she may not need or want it. Who knows how this match is going to go at this rate.</s> <\|message\|>Kana Kinoshi Kana did not have to be a medic to know that the Katanas the young lady was brandishing would deal quite a bit of damage. He was chagrined about the fact that the other team had copied his strategy. However, this made the other team less mobile. All their hope was placed on either protecting the sword woman or chasing after him to finish the fight quickly. It appeared that Team 5 was congregating around Hoseki and Mizo. While Kana was not by any means an exceptionally close combat fighter, he was actually a pretty good shot when it came to dealing with Kunai or shuriken. True he was no Uchiha or on par with any weapon user, but he had tried to hone his skills enough that he could be mostly accurate. He maintained a firm hold onto hi s original four Kunai which where were now outfitted with about 25FT of wire rope each and tied around his index and middle fingers on either hand. He shifted their location to the space between pinky and ring fingers and using the shuriken he had produced earlier during his plan formulation he moved closer at an angle to where the fight seemed to be concentrated. From his point of view, Hoseki and Clone Mizo where about five feet apart directly in front of him. Ataru seemed to be just to the left of the Fire bearing member of his team and the other male member of team 9 seemed to be closer to clone Mizo. Taking this into account he edged almost all the way a round until he was at a 30-degree angle with Mizo's clone. He let his two shuriken fly. They would travel 20ft outward and start curving in so that their flight path would find them aiming at the opposing teams shoulder and hip. They would be easy to avoid given the distance they were traveling. Kana's aim was for them to be avoided. If the genin facing Mizo's clone jumped forward, he would be closer to the clone and withing punching distance. If he jumped back, his forward motion would be stopped. Either case, the shuriken would continue to travel towards the second target, Ataru. It was really simple and not deadly but the aim was to harass and to distract while the front damage dealers took care of them.</s>	<\|message\|>Kanman Ataru With the sound of Kimiko's anger, Ataru picked up his pace. He was dead after the match, that's for sure. His mistake of not only falling down during a match, but it was his idea to have her cover the flag, something he knew for a fact was not what the samurai wanted to do. She was an attacker through and through, and the little frail ninja knew he made the biggest mistake as he watched her tie the flag around her neck, katakana in hand as she readied herself for a fight. Ataru was happy about how protective she was towards them, it showed that she actually cared, but he also knew that she used that same energy of protecting them in wanting to beat them as well for mistakes. It was all out of love, of course, according to Emi-sensei. Having his clone take the hit, and Kushizu covering him, Ataru took that as a chance to dash off again towards the flag carrying Kana. There was more distance between them now as Kana had a chance to make another run for it, but Ataru was still determined. With his electrically charged up shoes Ataru lunged towards his shinobi twin of Team 9 as shurikens came flying towards him. Ducking and dodging one, he quickly deflected the other with another pair of kunai. As he parried one of the shurikens he panicked, barely noticing the wire attached. In a swift movement, this time more graceful than the last, Ataru pivoted as far as he could from the shurikens before tossing his kunai towards Kana. Again roaring, "Lightning Blade: Projectile Cutter!"</s>
<\|description\|>Mizo Aberashi "There aren't many problems in the shinobi world I haven't been able to solve without a fist. The rest? Ramen. That's the universal sign of peace for shinobi. You could end wars with a steaming hot...fresh...bowl of...what was I saying?" Nickname: Post Time Skip, they call her the Mountain Sage of The Leaf Age: 14 \| 27 Gender: Female Height:5'4" 5'9" Nature: Earth Personality: Mizo is inherently levelheaded and peaceful, though she doesn't smile terribly often unless it's for a good reason, she can definitely cut loose and enjoy some ramen in town or get a kick out of life. She enjoys spending time studying the more far out aspects of the shinobi world, like senjutsu, the history of the Rinnegan and the Sage of Six Paths, or sealing jutsu that she rarely hears anyone talk about. Despite her kind and mellow nature, when somebody gets under her skin, they get a good solid fist slammed into their stomach. Mizo may appear to be a generally carefree shinobi, but over the years she has learned to appreciate where she came from, and is fiercely loyal to Konoha and everyone who lives there. She is proud to be a Leaf shinobi, and will never take that for granted. She will always do everything she can to protect the people of her nation, and anyone who calls her nation a friend. Before now, as a genin, she didn't think much of Konoha as a whole, she thought it was just a place, and that it wouldn't matter if the people weren't here. To Mizo's genin self, Konoha wasn't where the people were already, but where they are any time. It doesn't sound like it makes a lot of sense, but it did to her, it was about the people living on the land, not the land itself, that Mizo cared about. Of course, she began to understand that the "Land" in "Land of Fire" wouldn't be Konoha unless people spent countless generations making it what it is, so these days, everything about her home means the the world - literally - to Mizo. Mizo's come to think that she's make a pretty decent teacher, she'd love to pull together a genin squad and show them how to scrap like real shinobi one day. Granted, she's probably pound them into the dirt every day, tell them to walk it off with a big laughing smile, and buy them a round of ramen at Ichiraku's after they're able to walk again and call that their training. Oh, and maybe teach them the rock wall jutsu between stomach ruptures. Also, she has a toad skin flask that may, or may not contain sake, not that anyone would be able to tell... Background: Growing up in the ninja academy, Mizo struggled with things like the basic clone jutsu or substitution, though she was great at taijutsu, which wasn't special since most kids are. Mizo one day read a book on the earth style, and asked her teacher if she could try to learn the rock wall. Her teacher found it odd that a student who was underperforming at ninjutsu wanted to learn something like this, but also understood that everyone learned differently. As it turned out, Mizo was a natural at things like the rock wall and mud clone. Her newfound skill awarded her a pass, and her teacher gave Mizo an alternative learning path, she would still learn shuriken throwing and chakra control, but anywhere that a jutsu could be replaced with earth style, She'd learn differently. A few years later, in the middle of her chunin rank, Mizo journeyed to Mount Myoboku to learn senjutsu from the Toad Sages, and it was by this point that her training began to feel like it was really coming together in her mind. She put earth style on the back burner and devoted her time to Sage Mode, eventually interweaving the two into her own genuine fighting style. Fighting Style: Mizo is a very grounded fighter, she doesn't worry about fancy flips or disorienting an enemy. She hits them, and she hits them as hard as she can so they don't get back up. The better parts of her fighting style revolves around Myoboku Senjutsu, since she has trained endlessly to base herself around the techniques of nature energy. If an encounter doesn't last very long, she will simply fall back on the earth style and taijutsu, but if it's something more serious that demands her full attention, Mizo lets it be know why they call her the Mountain Sage. Abilities: Ninja Art : Summoning Jutsu Summons a toad from Mount Myoboku. She didn't learn this until a while after the chunin exams, when she learned senjutsu. Earth Style : Rock Wall A literal wall of rock. Like a shield. It's about ten feet high. Earth Style : Mud Clone Mud clone. Simple enough. Earth Style : Antlion Hole The ground beneath Mizo's feet slowly starts to crumble away until she sinks underneath, only to seal itself shut once she's buried underneath, she then listens for the vibrations in the ground, until somebody comes along for her to grab so she can have her way with them. Mizo didn't learn Senjutsu until she was around 16-17. Since then, she's changed up her fighting style to revolve primarily around senjutsu. Sage Art : Mountain Shield Like rock wall, but much bigger and stronger. Sage Art : Canyon Slam A ground punch that splits open the earth, for trapping. The small canyon is roughly 30 feet deep, and is best used in large, spacious area. Sage Art : Black Iron Sealing Pit Similar to Canyon Slam, but a straight drop deep into the earth, seals the target away with jet black chains that wrap around the target, pulling them deep into the dark chasm that closes behind them. Sage Art : Toad Oil Mizo inhales air, and exhales oil, very flammable oil that can be sprayed a decent distance for as long as she exhales. It burns well, but needs to be ignited by something like a paper bomb, or fire style. Sage Art : Toad Clay The ground becomes soft and mushy beneath one's feet until they fall through, when the ground hardens, they're stuck. It's not terribly difficult to break free, unless the ground is made of stone or something else stronger than dirt. Sage Art : Frog Axe Kick The one exception in Mizo's fighting style, what some more fervent taijutsu practitioners would get their jumpsuits in a twist over is that it's call a Frog axe kick, rather than a soaring axe kick. Sure, there's channeling chakra into the leg, but this is a toad taijutsu that involves charging at an enemy while going off the ground, and then spinning around to shatter some poor soul's arm and neck with the back of your leg. It's pretty satisfying to watch, actually.</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi In an instant, Mizo dipped into the field, running like she was on a mission. "I got a plan, there's a new Jutsu I'm working on that I haven't told you guys about yet. It's a trap. If I keep our flag, I can hide it along with myself while they look for it. At that point I can spring out from the ground and grab their flag, or not let them get any clue about ours." She told Kana and Hoseki while the three of them were on their way in. Mizo's pack was full of ninja tools. Smoke bombs, paper bombs, wire, that sort of thing. She had a lot of room for planning with the other two. She never did ask if their squad leaders were gonna join them. Not that it mattered, best case scenario was her teammates figured her plan out with Daichi's byakugan. Worst is Daichi somehow got in the way. Not that he would, after all, he's a Hyuga and knew that Mizo could come up with some good tactics. Most, if not all of her strategies revolved around the earth. Mizo just happened to be running into a large, spacious field of shaded, soft ground to play with. She could just feel the jutsu she was working on would be perfect for this scenario, and maybe she could win the battles in the chunin exams without a single punch. That would be something. "Kana, this jutsu I'm talking about would be ruined if you zap the ground, so be careful. Our chakras would cancel out." She told Kana. He was a pretty observant ninja, so it probably went without saying that he could disrupt her jutsu, but then again, Mizo knew he was a medical ninja, so it was safe to assume in her head that he'd hang back. "Hoseki, I think if you go full force like usual they'll be too busy worrying about your attack to notice me preform the trap. Of course, if anyone's got a better idea for handling those swords Kimiko has, I'm listening. Hoseki's fire would just be blown back by her wind style." Not that such a thing would stop, or even matter to Hoseki. His hot-hot headed nature would nearly compel the guy to just charge at them all. Mizo was pretty confident in her ability to come up with a plan, especially with a team that could execute it like this, but at this point in her life, full blown head to head combat like Hoseki's was in the passenger seat. Such a thing was why she made the Antlion Hole Jutsu, at least until she could fill the gap with even stronger fists. Sure, she was good at throwing punches, but the problem was that she needed the circumstances to be on her side, an even playing field would be the most she could handle without a plan in mind beforehand.</s> <\|message\|>Hoseki Rengoku Hoseki Rengoku --- Hoseki glanced up at Mizo from his concentrated gaze on his left fist, flames breathing and barking around it. "One second… " he uttered absently; hoping to buy time for himself. Then he joined her quickly dash towards them, willing the chakra to expand and grow stronger. He gave her a hard nod of agreement after she spoke. Her plan was a good one, he liked it but a part of him hated bogging down his brain with specifics. In the heat of battle, all he wanted to do was let loose. So he turned his attention back towards the team of ninjas ahead, who to him felt not completely like a team. He couldn't put his thumb on it and so he let the thought fly away. "Sounds good, do what you do, Mizo. I'm going to go bust some heads!" and he sprinted ahead of Mizo and Kana, his fist blazing with the fire he had been building up. The field of flowers was perfect for him, he believed. It set the stage for so many advantages. So he leapt and aimed at the golden flowers in front of him. He launched the blast of fire at such an angle that the hungry flames would initially flood towards Team 5 and their flag; spread by the flowers they would spread both towards and around Team 5. Potentially this was dangerous for all of them, if luck wasn't on his side but the first dozen moments were definitely his to play it; he had made it so. He landed with softly, satisfied with the flurry of yellow pedals dancing around him and the heat infusing in the air. "I'm too good at this," he said, smoking fist squeezed and arms tensed at his side. "Mizo take advantage of the chaos, they won't know what's coming!"</s>	<\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi Mizo dropped instantly behind Hoseki, firmly planted on the ground. "On it." She very quickly busted out two hand signs, horse followed by dragon, this resulted in the ground liquifying and rising up, it molded itself into a shape that took on the colors of Mizo. It was a mud clone. The idea was to keep Mizo's absence from being detected. The voiceless clone stood side by side with Hoseki as the real Mizo focused on another set of hand signs. "Watch your step-" Ox-Boar-Dog-Dragon-Serpent-Ram-Dog Earth Style : Antlion's Hole Jutsu! Mizo pressed her fist into the dirt as it caved in, a small sinkhole formed deep enough to cover Mizo's head. She gracefully fell in as the surface of the hole filled itself up. "I'll know if they come by here with the flag. If they slip past you, drive them towards me... With that, the real Mizo was gone from sight. Clone Mizo cracked her knuckles, and prepared a battle stance. It was common knowledge on team 9 that Mizo's clones had no voice, but they could fight with as much skill and power as the real deal while the real deal was focusing her chakra and pouring it into the earth to detect anyone on team 5, if the soft dirt was shaken, the vibrations would reverberate into the earthen chamber Mizo was hiding in. Presumably, while Kana and Hoseki knew what Mizo was planning, only Daichi was theoretically capable of detecting this trap, and the thick, rigid chakra surrounding it. "The trap is ready."</s>
<\|description\|>Hoseki Rengoku Artwork doesn't belong to me --- Nickname: Time-Bomb Age: 14 / 26 Gender: Male Height: 5'4" / 5'11" Nature: Fire Personality: Hoseki could be described in many ways, from delinquent to resident badass. He was a local legend at the school, known for snarky remarks, barely passing grades, and a tendency to lean towards violence. What many don't know and wouldn't tell you, is that Hoseki has a fondness for birds. That he reads, usually horror-fiction, but it raises question marks all the same from his peers. That some of the poorer, weaker kids are under his umbrella of protection. But mostly, the real juicy part, is that he's kind and something of a leader when he wants to be. Background: Hoseki's birth was bittersweet. The climax to his father's life many would say. The rest of said-life seemed to be a jab at his surname: Rengoku, which translated, meant purgatory. For when morning came that night, the nurses introduced him to his son and explained that something had gone wrong. It was never clear what had happened, just that his wife had fought tooth and nail in that delivery room. The man cried deeply at this, he fell to his knees and raked from his core all his pain. Till his tears dried up and all that was left was a husk. It went without saying that Hoseki's childhood was hard. His dad was not an abusive man and neither was he a ninja. That particular gene was maternal. No, his dad had been a gravedigger for Konoha's fallen. It was a job that built all sorts of callouses both seen and unseen. To be frank, his dad hardly spoke to him. It almost appeared to Hoseki that he didn't exist in the eyes of his father. If not for the two chairs at the table or the few things that did pop up that screamed, 'KID ALERT', Hoseki could've fixed that belief in his mind. Being on the lower-end of society didn't help things. There were bullies and teasing, there was that persistent look of pity from the adults, and there was a bit of shunning. But Hoseki was always good at lashing out. Never being heard or seen at home, even when he stood defiant, made him a loud, angry kid. As he grew older, certain things changed. Features grew clear, turned out that Hoseki was a rather good-looking fellow and people noticed that. Funny how that changed his situation, not at home of course but at school, dramatically. People were being nice and Hoseki hated it. How fake, he often thought. But at that age he could hardly articulate the problem well enough, so he lashed out as normal. He became the bully, the feared 'Time-Bomb'. That carried on for awhile and everyone started talking about him as if he was smeared in legend or myth. He fought a lot of people and that seemed to be the cornerstone of it all. So when he met his uncle, who would later change his perspective with a single punch, he cried with laughter. His mother's younger brother, Satori, had a gruff and deliberate voice. When he spoke it was purposeful and not a word was wasted. Hoseki liked that. He remembered being called a punk when first they met. How Satori explained he was in Konoha the night his mother died, then left the next morning, traumatized by the shock of it all. But when he got a letter from Hoseki's father years later, he couldn't say no to his request. 'He wants me to mentor you. I said yes. I'll beat you first; you're the type that won't listen otherwise.' A single punch was all it took. Ever since that day, they've worked together, usually on shifting his perspective. Hoseki has eased up on being a loner. He's more inclined to helping people as well and now carries a offhand code of sorts. Fighting Style: Hoseki, in the world of ninjas, is a oddity. In that his fighting style is no-style. He's a brawler for the most part, enjoying a good fist-fight up close and personal. That meant the first thing, Satori worked on with him, was developing an effective long-range ninjutsu. Hoseki is rather simplistic and that shows itself best when's in the middle of a good fight. Abilities \| Greater Vessel: Hoseki was born with an above-average vessel for chakra. The amount he's capable of storing is perfect for his straight-forward prowess. * Honed through Conflict: Sparring, brawling, missions; even as a ninja his instincts and body are honed to a greater degree than most his peers. He's a fighter. He was meant for it, born for it. Not many can say that and Hoseki's always used combat as a outlet. A big part of him actually enjoys it. * Fire Fist: An enhanced form of combat, one that coats his fist with fire and amps them up another notch. Its low-cost in chakra is perfect for drawn out fights and his already explosive strength. Furthermore, a straight-forward concentrated blast of fire can be thrown from his fist. This usually takes about five seconds to prepare but the wait is worth it, the damage output is about two-times that of his physical blows. * Fire God: For some reason, Hoseki has a resistance to fire-type jutsu. That and heat in general doesn't bother him as much as others.</s> <\|message\|>Kanman Ataru Konohagakure has been preparing for the start of the Chunin Exams for the past few months, and no other ninjas in the village have been preparing themselves more than the genin. Each youthful ninja is ready to prove their worth in a test of skill for the world to see. On the final day before the exams begin, Konoha's teams are taking their final steps of preparation for tomorrow's grueling tests as other teams from neighboring lands make their way to the village hidden in the leaves. The teams entering this year from Konoha have been training and honing their abilities, waiting for their best shot at succeeding. Two teams from the Hidden Leaf Village have caught the attention of many people, as they are led by two famous Jonin, who were mentored by the current Hokage, Sarutobi Gennosuke. Emi leads Team 5 with her carefree approach, nurturing her genin's talents for quick-thinking and recovering from their mistakes. Whereas her fellow Jonin leading Team 9, Daichi of the Hyuga clan, tries his best to mold discipline and tact into his young ninjas with boisterous personalities. --- Standing on the fields of the Twenty-Seventh Training Grounds also known as Flower Hill, both Jonin leading Team's 5 and 9 figured it would be best for their genin have a little fun before the exams, agreeing to a friendly match of capture the flag. "Rules are as follows," Daichi began, "first team to capture their opponents flag along with still having theirs wins. Any team member who falls off the hill is also out of the game." "It's a friendly match, but try your best and have some fun." Emi said with her bright smile. "Now if there aren't any questions, let's get to our sides." Ataru's eyes wandered the fields full of marigolds as he took in the refreshing scents the flowers were giving off into the air. Upon reaching their flag, the young ninja bent down and wafted the scent of the marigolds towards his face again, inhaling deeply with pure relaxation expressed on his face. "I don't get why we don't train here more often, it's so nice here." A wide smile ran across his face as he picked one of the flowers, oblivious to the game at hand that was just about to begin.</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi Hoeski and Kana were no doubt ready for this, after all, who wouldn't be? Not Mizo. She was cracking her knuckles and tightening the leaf headband that was tied around her forehead. It was scratched up from all the rough training she's done. Team 9 was standing directly in front of the gates, ready to start. She remembered to wear her chakra braces, a pair of arm guards made of a special metal that conducts the properties of one's chakra. If a wind style ninja wore them, their fists would be like knives. In Mizo's case, her fists would be like rocky shields, but she wasn't going to rely on some fancy gloves alone, no, she had a team. "Daichi sensei, should we be doing this? I mean, the chunin exams are tomorrow. Shouldn't we be going over some last minute stuff? Like, I don't know, what kind of taijutsu the other genin are gonna use?" Mizo knee Daichi was a more disciplinary shinobi, not that she had a problem with that, and she was certainly grateful that they had the chance to do something fun. But of all the times to do so, he chose now? The Hokage himself was sure to watch the exams, and Mizo could be working on her Antlion Hole Jutsu. "Is this really the time?" In any case, she'd surely have a chance to practice against others, but it would still be nice if she could learn about the genin she doesn't know about. That's the problem with Mizo, she just doesn't seem to know when to cut loose, when to know that she's done enough. At least she had a team to help her out in that way. Miso wasn't exactly stressed about the chi in exams, she had a great teacher, but it never hurts to know as much as you can about an opponent before you face them.</s>	<\|message\|>Hoseki Rengoku Hoseki was disgustingly quiet while Diachi-sensei explained the rules on top of Flower Hill, a cozy smirk rested on his face. But on the way there, all he was doing was talking tactics with the others. He believed Team-Five was going to lose; partly because they lacked a certain kind of spirit, mostly because they were up against him. Mizo was busy yapping about unimportant what-ifs. That part of her irked him but only because it tried to force sense onto chaos. He often wondered what she'd do if things didn't need to make sense. Probably sit on her ass until it did. Hoseki chuckled at that, even as Emi-sensei directed them to their respective sides. Hoseki ruffled Mizo hair with a quick brotherly gesture, "Yap, yap, yap. We have trash in front of us that needs to be taken out," he said with a gleaming grin. "That's all that matters isn't it. We get to prove to them that Team-Nine is leagues ahead of the others. Them included." His ruby eyes were cold as he observed the enemy, hands stuffed in his pockets. Team-Five was far away on the other side. Too far, he thought. "I wanna close the distance between us and them. Mizu, you can help with that right? and Kana, you'll save our asses if we get into deep shit won't ya?" He smacked his lips and his grin turned into a closed-lip smirk. Hoseki was an oddity, of that much he was sure. Not a speck of ninja-tools were on him, his gear was simple, and all he usually fought with were his fist. His black tank-top offered no defenses, his dark trousers were only accentuated by a thick leather belt, and his black ninja sandals were really only used to house the ends of said-trousers. He wore a silver ring on his left middle finger, a thin silver bracelet on the same hand, and of course his signature corded-belt chain was the hall-mark for useless. And still, with all the useless trinkets he managed to collect on himself, Hoseki still held supreme confidence in his ability to win. Fire started to lick at his fist and forearms.</s>
<\|description\|>Kushizu Ienari Nickname: Hermit Age: 13 / 26 Gender: Male Height: 5'3 / 5'9 Nature: Water Personality: Kushizu ever since his parents died has been a loner. Choosing to keep to himself because he thinks that if people knew who his parents were they would treat him badly. Though this does not hinder his ability to work with others. Often being reserved when dealing with others and tends to keep his opinions to himself. Behind his loner nature, Kushizu can be someone that can very loyal to anyone he considers a friend. Along with being friendly or understanding someone's problems. Even if he does not show it and has some hobbies like stargazing or reading sci-fi books. Background: Kushizu's life since he was born had been an interesting one. Born to two missing-nin from the Land of Water. Kushizu's early life was marked by moving from place to place as his family sold their services to the highest bidder. Though they tried to hide some of the more ruthless jobs from him, sometimes he could catch word of his parent's deeds would have mixed feelings about it. Kushizu loved his parents but, he could not quite come to grip with some of the jobs that his parents have done. Things would change for him after his parents finished a job in the Land of Fire near Konohagakure when a squad of Hunter-nin ambushed them. His parent tell him to hide while they fought off the Hunter-nin. While Kushizu hid inside of a hollowed-out log and he watched as his parents fought the Hunter-nin. While his parents killed some of the Hunter-nin, they were ultimately killed and Kushizu rushed towards their dead bodies. He only had a few moments to cry before the Hunter-nin forced him away while they destroyed the bodies and cut off his parent's heads as proof that they were dead. Once they were done, they were unsure of what to do with the young Kushizu and they simply pointed him to Konohagakure and left. After a couple of minutes of crying and mourning, Kushizu would go in the direction he was told and would curse the Hunter-nin that killed his parents. Saying one day he will find them and avenge his parents. Later Kushizu would arrive in the village and after finding out he was orphan, they directed him to the orphanage. He would not say what happened to his parents only that they were killed. Thinking how people would treat him if they knew his parents were missing-nin. Probably not well he thought and became a loner. Keeping to himself, for the most part, and would enroll in the academy. Showing potential to be a shinobi, mainly excelling in water release techniques and taijutsu. Now on the eve of the Chunin Exams, he hopes to pass and become and full-fledged shinobi. From there, though he knows how hard it will be. Perhaps find whoever killed his parents and get his revenge. Fighting Style: Kushizu prefers to be strategic when he fights, dodging attacks until he finds a weak point or opening in his opponent's movements. Then using all of his might to exploit the opening to end the fight as fast as possible. Which if he incorrectly times an attack, it leaves him open for a counter-attack. If a fight goes on longer then Kushizu wants then he will resort to a combination of ninjutsu and taijutsu to bring down a target. Using mid-range abilities when he first engages and moving to close range as time passes. Abilities: Water Release: Barrier - Summons a large seven-foot-tall wall that blocks incoming attacks. Water Release: Water Gun - Shots a torrent of water from his mouth that reaches up to six feet and can be used to keep a target in place if pinned to a surface. Water Release: Whip - Creates a whip made of water that is used to ensure targets and keep them in place. Water Release: Weapons - Can create various weapons made of water that range from swords to shurikens. Water Release: Bullet Swarm - Creates a barrage of water bullets and shoots the opponent in successive hits Water Release: Mouth Shot - A fast-moving blade of water that Kushizu spits out of his mouth, does not do a lot of damage. Mainly used to distract or weaken foes. Agile - Due to fighting style, Kushizu is good at dodging attacks though he does get hit sometimes. Water Blade - a combination of Water Release and taijutsu, Kushizu switches between punching and using a blade made of water.</s> <\|message\|>Kanman Ataru Konohagakure has been preparing for the start of the Chunin Exams for the past few months, and no other ninjas in the village have been preparing themselves more than the genin. Each youthful ninja is ready to prove their worth in a test of skill for the world to see. On the final day before the exams begin, Konoha's teams are taking their final steps of preparation for tomorrow's grueling tests as other teams from neighboring lands make their way to the village hidden in the leaves. The teams entering this year from Konoha have been training and honing their abilities, waiting for their best shot at succeeding. Two teams from the Hidden Leaf Village have caught the attention of many people, as they are led by two famous Jonin, who were mentored by the current Hokage, Sarutobi Gennosuke. Emi leads Team 5 with her carefree approach, nurturing her genin's talents for quick-thinking and recovering from their mistakes. Whereas her fellow Jonin leading Team 9, Daichi of the Hyuga clan, tries his best to mold discipline and tact into his young ninjas with boisterous personalities. --- Standing on the fields of the Twenty-Seventh Training Grounds also known as Flower Hill, both Jonin leading Team's 5 and 9 figured it would be best for their genin have a little fun before the exams, agreeing to a friendly match of capture the flag. "Rules are as follows," Daichi began, "first team to capture their opponents flag along with still having theirs wins. Any team member who falls off the hill is also out of the game." "It's a friendly match, but try your best and have some fun." Emi said with her bright smile. "Now if there aren't any questions, let's get to our sides." Ataru's eyes wandered the fields full of marigolds as he took in the refreshing scents the flowers were giving off into the air. Upon reaching their flag, the young ninja bent down and wafted the scent of the marigolds towards his face again, inhaling deeply with pure relaxation expressed on his face. "I don't get why we don't train here more often, it's so nice here." A wide smile ran across his face as he picked one of the flowers, oblivious to the game at hand that was just about to begin.</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi Hoeski and Kana were no doubt ready for this, after all, who wouldn't be? Not Mizo. She was cracking her knuckles and tightening the leaf headband that was tied around her forehead. It was scratched up from all the rough training she's done. Team 9 was standing directly in front of the gates, ready to start. She remembered to wear her chakra braces, a pair of arm guards made of a special metal that conducts the properties of one's chakra. If a wind style ninja wore them, their fists would be like knives. In Mizo's case, her fists would be like rocky shields, but she wasn't going to rely on some fancy gloves alone, no, she had a team. "Daichi sensei, should we be doing this? I mean, the chunin exams are tomorrow. Shouldn't we be going over some last minute stuff? Like, I don't know, what kind of taijutsu the other genin are gonna use?" Mizo knee Daichi was a more disciplinary shinobi, not that she had a problem with that, and she was certainly grateful that they had the chance to do something fun. But of all the times to do so, he chose now? The Hokage himself was sure to watch the exams, and Mizo could be working on her Antlion Hole Jutsu. "Is this really the time?" In any case, she'd surely have a chance to practice against others, but it would still be nice if she could learn about the genin she doesn't know about. That's the problem with Mizo, she just doesn't seem to know when to cut loose, when to know that she's done enough. At least she had a team to help her out in that way. Miso wasn't exactly stressed about the chi in exams, she had a great teacher, but it never hurts to know as much as you can about an opponent before you face them.</s> <\|message\|>Hoseki Rengoku Hoseki Rengoku --- Hoseki was disgustingly quiet while Diachi-sensei explained the rules on top of Flower Hill, a cozy smirk rested on his face. But on the way there, all he was doing was talking tactics with the others. He believed Team-Five was going to lose; partly because they lacked a certain kind of spirit, mostly because they were up against him. Mizo was busy yapping about unimportant what-ifs. That part of her irked him but only because it tried to force sense onto chaos. He often wondered what she'd do if things didn't need to make sense. Probably sit on her ass until it did. Hoseki chuckled at that, even as Emi-sensei directed them to their respective sides. Hoseki ruffled Mizo hair with a quick brotherly gesture, "Yap, yap, yap. We have trash in front of us that needs to be taken out," he said with a gleaming grin. "That's all that matters isn't it. We get to prove to them that Team-Nine is leagues ahead of the others. Them included." His ruby eyes were cold as he observed the enemy, hands stuffed in his pockets. Team-Five was far away on the other side. Too far, he thought. "I wanna close the distance between us and them. Mizu, you can help with that right? and Kana, you'll save our asses if we get into deep shit won't ya?" He smacked his lips and his grin turned into a closed-lip smirk. Hoseki was an oddity, of that much he was sure. Not a speck of ninja-tools were on him, his gear was simple, and all he usually fought with were his fist. His black tank-top offered no defenses, his dark trousers were only accentuated by a thick leather belt, and his black ninja sandals were really only used to house the ends of said-trousers. He wore a silver ring on his left middle finger, a thin silver bracelet on the same hand, and of course his signature corded-belt chain was the hall-mark for useless. And still, with all the useless trinkets he managed to collect on himself, Hoseki still held supreme confidence in his ability to win. Fire started to lick at his fist and forearms.</s>	<\|message\|>Kushizu Ienari Have some fun before the chunin exams tomorrow. A match with another team is not exactly what he would call fun, but, he supposed it could be. Having a friendly match with another team could help prepare them for tomorrow with what they may face. Kushizu cracked his neck by shifting it from left to right. Besides, it has been awhile; they have been on a mission. Nice to get some action in even if it is a simple game of capture the flag. Might even make Emi proud. He has learned much under Emi though she is not what he expected of a teacher. Her carefree approach to training threw him off, but, he has gotten used to it. Not many like her he imagined, and Kushizu sometimes wonders how it would be like if he was trained by someone else. Still, Kushizu liked Emi even if he did not show it. As for his teammates, they were okay. Ataru tends to have his head in the clouds, and Kimiko well is troublesome to work with. But, they are his team, so he has tried to make it work, which will show during this match and the chunin exams tomorrow. After arriving at their side of the field. Kushizu scanned the landscape. This place would make a great spot to stargaze. He could picture it now, lying down in the clearing in the center. Back to the ground with an ocean of stars above him. No one around and with minimum light pollution. A good night that is and mentally slap himself. Focus on the now rather the what could be, and Kushizu walked over to where Ataru was. Kneeling down next to him, "When you are done with the flowers, we got a match to do, and I would rather us have some kind of plan rather than winging it".</s>
<\|description\|>Kushizu Ienari Nickname: Hermit Age: 13 / 26 Gender: Male Height: 5'3 / 5'9 Nature: Water Personality: Kushizu ever since his parents died has been a loner. Choosing to keep to himself because he thinks that if people knew who his parents were they would treat him badly. Though this does not hinder his ability to work with others. Often being reserved when dealing with others and tends to keep his opinions to himself. Behind his loner nature, Kushizu can be someone that can very loyal to anyone he considers a friend. Along with being friendly or understanding someone's problems. Even if he does not show it and has some hobbies like stargazing or reading sci-fi books. Background: Kushizu's life since he was born had been an interesting one. Born to two missing-nin from the Land of Water. Kushizu's early life was marked by moving from place to place as his family sold their services to the highest bidder. Though they tried to hide some of the more ruthless jobs from him, sometimes he could catch word of his parent's deeds would have mixed feelings about it. Kushizu loved his parents but, he could not quite come to grip with some of the jobs that his parents have done. Things would change for him after his parents finished a job in the Land of Fire near Konohagakure when a squad of Hunter-nin ambushed them. His parent tell him to hide while they fought off the Hunter-nin. While Kushizu hid inside of a hollowed-out log and he watched as his parents fought the Hunter-nin. While his parents killed some of the Hunter-nin, they were ultimately killed and Kushizu rushed towards their dead bodies. He only had a few moments to cry before the Hunter-nin forced him away while they destroyed the bodies and cut off his parent's heads as proof that they were dead. Once they were done, they were unsure of what to do with the young Kushizu and they simply pointed him to Konohagakure and left. After a couple of minutes of crying and mourning, Kushizu would go in the direction he was told and would curse the Hunter-nin that killed his parents. Saying one day he will find them and avenge his parents. Later Kushizu would arrive in the village and after finding out he was orphan, they directed him to the orphanage. He would not say what happened to his parents only that they were killed. Thinking how people would treat him if they knew his parents were missing-nin. Probably not well he thought and became a loner. Keeping to himself, for the most part, and would enroll in the academy. Showing potential to be a shinobi, mainly excelling in water release techniques and taijutsu. Now on the eve of the Chunin Exams, he hopes to pass and become and full-fledged shinobi. From there, though he knows how hard it will be. Perhaps find whoever killed his parents and get his revenge. Fighting Style: Kushizu prefers to be strategic when he fights, dodging attacks until he finds a weak point or opening in his opponent's movements. Then using all of his might to exploit the opening to end the fight as fast as possible. Which if he incorrectly times an attack, it leaves him open for a counter-attack. If a fight goes on longer then Kushizu wants then he will resort to a combination of ninjutsu and taijutsu to bring down a target. Using mid-range abilities when he first engages and moving to close range as time passes. Abilities: Water Release: Barrier - Summons a large seven-foot-tall wall that blocks incoming attacks. Water Release: Water Gun - Shots a torrent of water from his mouth that reaches up to six feet and can be used to keep a target in place if pinned to a surface. Water Release: Whip - Creates a whip made of water that is used to ensure targets and keep them in place. Water Release: Weapons - Can create various weapons made of water that range from swords to shurikens. Water Release: Bullet Swarm - Creates a barrage of water bullets and shoots the opponent in successive hits Water Release: Mouth Shot - A fast-moving blade of water that Kushizu spits out of his mouth, does not do a lot of damage. Mainly used to distract or weaken foes. Agile - Due to fighting style, Kushizu is good at dodging attacks though he does get hit sometimes. Water Blade - a combination of Water Release and taijutsu, Kushizu switches between punching and using a blade made of water.</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi In an instant, Mizo dipped into the field, running like she was on a mission. "I got a plan, there's a new Jutsu I'm working on that I haven't told you guys about yet. It's a trap. If I keep our flag, I can hide it along with myself while they look for it. At that point I can spring out from the ground and grab their flag, or not let them get any clue about ours." She told Kana and Hoseki while the three of them were on their way in. Mizo's pack was full of ninja tools. Smoke bombs, paper bombs, wire, that sort of thing. She had a lot of room for planning with the other two. She never did ask if their squad leaders were gonna join them. Not that it mattered, best case scenario was her teammates figured her plan out with Daichi's byakugan. Worst is Daichi somehow got in the way. Not that he would, after all, he's a Hyuga and knew that Mizo could come up with some good tactics. Most, if not all of her strategies revolved around the earth. Mizo just happened to be running into a large, spacious field of shaded, soft ground to play with. She could just feel the jutsu she was working on would be perfect for this scenario, and maybe she could win the battles in the chunin exams without a single punch. That would be something. "Kana, this jutsu I'm talking about would be ruined if you zap the ground, so be careful. Our chakras would cancel out." She told Kana. He was a pretty observant ninja, so it probably went without saying that he could disrupt her jutsu, but then again, Mizo knew he was a medical ninja, so it was safe to assume in her head that he'd hang back. "Hoseki, I think if you go full force like usual they'll be too busy worrying about your attack to notice me preform the trap. Of course, if anyone's got a better idea for handling those swords Kimiko has, I'm listening. Hoseki's fire would just be blown back by her wind style." Not that such a thing would stop, or even matter to Hoseki. His hot-hot headed nature would nearly compel the guy to just charge at them all. Mizo was pretty confident in her ability to come up with a plan, especially with a team that could execute it like this, but at this point in her life, full blown head to head combat like Hoseki's was in the passenger seat. Such a thing was why she made the Antlion Hole Jutsu, at least until she could fill the gap with even stronger fists. Sure, she was good at throwing punches, but the problem was that she needed the circumstances to be on her side, an even playing field would be the most she could handle without a plan in mind beforehand.</s> <\|message\|>Hoseki Rengoku Hoseki Rengoku --- Hoseki glanced up at Mizo from his concentrated gaze on his left fist, flames breathing and barking around it. "One second… " he uttered absently; hoping to buy time for himself. Then he joined her quickly dash towards them, willing the chakra to expand and grow stronger. He gave her a hard nod of agreement after she spoke. Her plan was a good one, he liked it but a part of him hated bogging down his brain with specifics. In the heat of battle, all he wanted to do was let loose. So he turned his attention back towards the team of ninjas ahead, who to him felt not completely like a team. He couldn't put his thumb on it and so he let the thought fly away. "Sounds good, do what you do, Mizo. I'm going to go bust some heads!" and he sprinted ahead of Mizo and Kana, his fist blazing with the fire he had been building up. The field of flowers was perfect for him, he believed. It set the stage for so many advantages. So he leapt and aimed at the golden flowers in front of him. He launched the blast of fire at such an angle that the hungry flames would initially flood towards Team 5 and their flag; spread by the flowers they would spread both towards and around Team 5. Potentially this was dangerous for all of them, if luck wasn't on his side but the first dozen moments were definitely his to play it; he had made it so. He landed with softly, satisfied with the flurry of yellow pedals dancing around him and the heat infusing in the air. "I'm too good at this," he said, smoking fist squeezed and arms tensed at his side. "Mizo take advantage of the chaos, they won't know what's coming!"</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi Mizo dropped instantly behind Hoseki, firmly planted on the ground. "On it." She very quickly busted out two hand signs, horse followed by dragon, this resulted in the ground liquifying and rising up, it molded itself into a shape that took on the colors of Mizo. It was a mud clone. The idea was to keep Mizo's absence from being detected. The voiceless clone stood side by side with Hoseki as the real Mizo focused on another set of hand signs. "Watch your step-" Ox-Boar-Dog-Dragon-Serpent-Ram-Dog Earth Style : Antlion's Hole Jutsu! Mizo pressed her fist into the dirt as it caved in, a small sinkhole formed deep enough to cover Mizo's head. She gracefully fell in as the surface of the hole filled itself up. "I'll know if they come by here with the flag. If they slip past you, drive them towards me... With that, the real Mizo was gone from sight. Clone Mizo cracked her knuckles, and prepared a battle stance. It was common knowledge on team 9 that Mizo's clones had no voice, but they could fight with as much skill and power as the real deal while the real deal was focusing her chakra and pouring it into the earth to detect anyone on team 5, if the soft dirt was shaken, the vibrations would reverberate into the earthen chamber Mizo was hiding in. Presumably, while Kana and Hoseki knew what Mizo was planning, only Daichi was theoretically capable of detecting this trap, and the thick, rigid chakra surrounding it. "The trap is ready."</s>	<\|message\|>Kushizu Ienari "That sounds like a plan I can get behind and the thanks for the added boast". Kushizu smiled and got up. He liked Ataru's plan, even if it was different then what he is used to. Normally Kimiko would be in the lead with Ataru in the back supporting the team. It could throw the other team off or make it easy for them to win. Though with Kimiko as the flag's defender, getting their flag will not be easy. Granted that is if Kimiko agrees to the plan that is. Since he kinda doubted that since Kimiko was their strongest, that she would like to be a flag defender. Still, Kimiko may surprise him. Then he heard Daichi say begin and Kushizu watched as Mizo immediately rush on to the field. Followed by Hoseki shortly behind her. "Frick, looks like we are on", Kushizu rushed on to the field and stood in between the other team and the flag. Noting Hoseki's fiery display as fire moved towards them and around them. This guy does not care if he burns the whole field down. Which Kushizu would rather not get burned the day before the chunin exams. "What are they planning? Kushizu said under his breath as the fire raved. Preparing himself for a fight, Kushizu did a series of hand signs, used the Water Release to summon weapons made of water. Specifically, a sword made of water and held it in a defensive stance while his team gets into position. Kushizu in a way was a counter to Hoseki in that his fire techniques are weak to his water ninjutsu. Still, he is more of a bruiser and Kushizu may not last long against him if he lands a hit. But, Kushizu fighting style is around dodging attacks until an opening presents itself. So as long as he can dodge Hoseki's attacks and Kushizu is confident he can. It will not be a problem. Just needs to wait while his team gets into position on the field and then the game can really start.</s>
<\|description\|>Kushizu Ienari Nickname: Hermit Age: 13 / 26 Gender: Male Height: 5'3 / 5'9 Nature: Water Personality: Kushizu ever since his parents died has been a loner. Choosing to keep to himself because he thinks that if people knew who his parents were they would treat him badly. Though this does not hinder his ability to work with others. Often being reserved when dealing with others and tends to keep his opinions to himself. Behind his loner nature, Kushizu can be someone that can very loyal to anyone he considers a friend. Along with being friendly or understanding someone's problems. Even if he does not show it and has some hobbies like stargazing or reading sci-fi books. Background: Kushizu's life since he was born had been an interesting one. Born to two missing-nin from the Land of Water. Kushizu's early life was marked by moving from place to place as his family sold their services to the highest bidder. Though they tried to hide some of the more ruthless jobs from him, sometimes he could catch word of his parent's deeds would have mixed feelings about it. Kushizu loved his parents but, he could not quite come to grip with some of the jobs that his parents have done. Things would change for him after his parents finished a job in the Land of Fire near Konohagakure when a squad of Hunter-nin ambushed them. His parent tell him to hide while they fought off the Hunter-nin. While Kushizu hid inside of a hollowed-out log and he watched as his parents fought the Hunter-nin. While his parents killed some of the Hunter-nin, they were ultimately killed and Kushizu rushed towards their dead bodies. He only had a few moments to cry before the Hunter-nin forced him away while they destroyed the bodies and cut off his parent's heads as proof that they were dead. Once they were done, they were unsure of what to do with the young Kushizu and they simply pointed him to Konohagakure and left. After a couple of minutes of crying and mourning, Kushizu would go in the direction he was told and would curse the Hunter-nin that killed his parents. Saying one day he will find them and avenge his parents. Later Kushizu would arrive in the village and after finding out he was orphan, they directed him to the orphanage. He would not say what happened to his parents only that they were killed. Thinking how people would treat him if they knew his parents were missing-nin. Probably not well he thought and became a loner. Keeping to himself, for the most part, and would enroll in the academy. Showing potential to be a shinobi, mainly excelling in water release techniques and taijutsu. Now on the eve of the Chunin Exams, he hopes to pass and become and full-fledged shinobi. From there, though he knows how hard it will be. Perhaps find whoever killed his parents and get his revenge. Fighting Style: Kushizu prefers to be strategic when he fights, dodging attacks until he finds a weak point or opening in his opponent's movements. Then using all of his might to exploit the opening to end the fight as fast as possible. Which if he incorrectly times an attack, it leaves him open for a counter-attack. If a fight goes on longer then Kushizu wants then he will resort to a combination of ninjutsu and taijutsu to bring down a target. Using mid-range abilities when he first engages and moving to close range as time passes. Abilities: Water Release: Barrier - Summons a large seven-foot-tall wall that blocks incoming attacks. Water Release: Water Gun - Shots a torrent of water from his mouth that reaches up to six feet and can be used to keep a target in place if pinned to a surface. Water Release: Whip - Creates a whip made of water that is used to ensure targets and keep them in place. Water Release: Weapons - Can create various weapons made of water that range from swords to shurikens. Water Release: Bullet Swarm - Creates a barrage of water bullets and shoots the opponent in successive hits Water Release: Mouth Shot - A fast-moving blade of water that Kushizu spits out of his mouth, does not do a lot of damage. Mainly used to distract or weaken foes. Agile - Due to fighting style, Kushizu is good at dodging attacks though he does get hit sometimes. Water Blade - a combination of Water Release and taijutsu, Kushizu switches between punching and using a blade made of water.</s> <\|message\|>Kanman Ataru The action started with what seemed like no hesitation by the other genin on the field. Fire flew in Team 5's direction brought on by the flames of Hoseki, but was dodged or countered by Ataru's teammates with ease. The young ninja was able to come out of the flames untouched, but a bit toasty. Lunging forward, he started on their offense, following behind Kushizu. Taking notice of the two ninja's before them, his eyes scanned the field, counting the final member of Team 9 running off into the distance. Ataru and Kana were around the same height and carried almost the same build, so noticing someone who was oddly similar wasn't hard to notice. "Kana has the flag," Ataru said as he ran past Kushizu, gripping two kunai from his bag. "Cover me, I can try and get past Hoseki and Mizo!" It was strange that Ataru was taking initiative. It wasn't like him at all, but the thought floating in his head was that if their team were to finish this game as fast as possible and that meant that they would be able to have more free time before the exams started tomorrow. Making that extra amount of free time the real reward that the ninja wanted. Crossing his fingers before him, still holding onto his kunai, Ataru signed a quick and easy shadow clone technique, continuing his sprint across the flower field. Knowing for a fact that he couldn't take on Hoseki or Mizo, he left them up to his teammates, hoping they would be able to cover him as he ran towards Kana's direction. Knowing he wasn't out of trouble, Ataru and his clone spat out another technique, something he knew he was fairly good at. "Lightning Blade: Projectile Cutter!" Pivoting from running head on into the muscle of Team 9, Ataru and his clone both side-stepped to the right as they each threw out two electrically-charged kunai in their opponent's direction. As he pivoted onto his right foot and pushed off, his left foot slipped, causing him to ungracefully tumble down. It was utterly embarrassing. The fall felt like an eternity, but in reality it was a short few seconds as Ataru's clone quickly picked up the dirtied host. "Come on," the clone said, patting Ataru's back. His face was flushed, but he had a flag to get. He just hoped that his fall wasn't noticed by anyone else.</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi Mizo's clone didn't actually react verbally to Ataru falling on his ass, it was funny, sure, and the real Mizo felt it in the dirt, but the clone simply crackled her knuckles and charged right at Ataru and his two Kunai, dodging the lightning attack that the clone didn't even care to pay much attention to, she leapt towards Ataru's shadow clone with a right hook aimed at its jaw, the real Mizo noted how both Atari and his clone were alarmingly close to the antlion trap. Mizo was messing with the dirt underground, spacing out the ground to rig up a strategy that she presumed would work against some hopeless genin, nameless Kimiko, during the Chunin exams. The only problem is that this hole wouldn't be as big as the one she'd need for such a thing to work, knowing this, she simply rigged up a few Kunai to be stuck in the walls of her space, between each kuna was string that would presumably tangle the target up, and for good measure, smoke bomb for somebody to fall an and flail to get away from, tangling themselves even more...imagine Kimiko getting smoked like that...it almost made her chuckle.</s> <\|message\|>Kana Kinoshi KANA KINOSHI Kana had no time to be aware of the commotion happening not far from him. He had expected that his team mates would take the fight to the enemy and cause them to divide or coalesce but it appeared that team 5 was taking the initiative. He hurriedly dug in his Genin pouch that housed his ninja tools. His hand clasped the familiar shape of an explosive tag. He rolled the flag around the pole tightly and he slapped the tag onto it keeping the flag rolled. Worse came to worse, the young ninja would explode the flag denying the opposite team the victory. In real life, this would equate to a squad having to destroy sensitive information to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. That task being completed the proceeded to tie some metal wire onto about five of his kunai. He was taking advantage of the little time he had to prepare. His plan may have been too hasty but at least it had drawn the enemy as he had hoped. Now, he just had to keep them at bay while Hoseki and Mizo did the rest. His gaze fell on the opposite team's flag. It fluttered defiantly behind a female figure. Even from this distance Kana could sense the utter determination and offensive stance. The young aspiring medic was not very good at taijustu or any sort of fighting but even he could tell that the young woman standing on the opposite side of the field knew her stuff. He smiled at little as she reminded him a bit of Mizo. He would assume the fight be tween the two would be epic. It would definitely cause a major distraction as people would no doubt stop to watch. He actually hoped for that brawl. Mizo would not be happy until she beat up somebody. His gaze fell towards Hoseki where he now noticed that……A…At…Ataru! Yes that was the boy's name who he had ran into a few times at the library. Ataru seemed to have slipped. Kana grimaced but knew that the best quality of a ninja was to take advantage of any situation. The young medic was actually a bit jealous that Ataru seemed to be able to use the Shadow clone jutsu. That was something he would hope to add to his knowledge base. He tightened this grasp on the kunai he held and looked determinately towards the incoming team. He was not really good at rumbling but he was exceptionally well at dodging.</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi After the great blast of fire scorched the field, Hoseki jumped backwards, almost right over Mizo's trap. He remembered that spot, knowing full well that she was trying to get Kimiko to walk right over it, so he didn't step on it. Instead he positioned himself behind it so if Kimiko charged him, she's run into it. Hoseki watched as Kana readied an attack nearby, while that one guy - what was his name? - stormed off. Not like he's find Kana's flag like that or anything. "Hey, Samurai Bitch! You want the flag? Come get it!" He deliberately tried to distract Kimiko, taunting her with name calling, that was the one thing he knew about Kimiko, she didn't like name calling. Hoeski's fists picked up flames from thin air, like he was ready to punch her lights out. "What? Scared?" What he didn't realize was that Kimiko's wind style would make short work of his fire style, possibly blowing it back in his face. --- Meanwhile, Mizo's trap was ready. The small hole was big enough for two people, and wires were suspended from the walls to tangle someone who fell in. Smoke bombs with carefully placed at Mizo's feet, 4 of them to be exact. One was enough to really mess someone up, but knowing Kimiko, she'd cause a scene and blow a single one away, so 4 would work. She could feel Hoseki's chakra burn the air, Mizo knew he was trying to lead her directly into the trap. That's team 9 for you....The plan was to spring up from the hole as fast as possible, grab hold of Kimiko long enough to to take the flag, and slam her into the hole as fast as possible, lighting the smoke bombs and tangling the wire around her. "Yeah...that's right...gimme that flag, Kimiko...</s>	<\|message\|>Kushizu Ienari Things were certainly heating up on the field, both figuratively and literally thanks to Hoseki and his fire jutsu. He watched as Ataru ran passed him and gave the heads up that Kana has the flag. So the flag is mobile, that changes so things but, Kana can not run forever and with the battlefield being a flat field. It should not be too hard to spot him and caught up to him. However, it seems that Ataru has taken up the role of getting the flag and wanting Kushizu to cover him. That was unexpected, Kushizu is used to Ataru being support and not going to the frontlines. He wondered what caused this change but was not bothered by it. It was kinda nice to see Ataru take the initiative for once but, whether or not it will work out has yet to be seen. Then Kushizu watched Ataru fall to the ground unceremoniously. Kushizu's face noticeably turned as the fall happened. Though Ataru was able to get back up quickly with his shadow clone helping him up. Kushizu decided not to bring up when the match was over. One bump on getting to Kana does not need to be repeated. Especially to Kimiko and hopes that this stays unheard by her. With the plan to cover Ataru, Kushizu moved closer to Ataru as Mizo got in range of Ataru. Watching as Mizo about to punch Ataru's shadow clone in the face and rushed to cover his teammate. Handling Mizo should be easier to deal with Hoseki. Should being the keyword, and Kushizu did expect her to be an easy target. When he finally got in range, Kushizu aimed with his mouth at Mizo and used Water Release: Water Gun. A torrent of water was launched out of his mouth and headed straight towards her. Now let's see if this can get Mizo off of Ataru's back.</s>
<\|description\|>Kushizu Ienari Nickname: Hermit Age: 13 / 26 Gender: Male Height: 5'3 / 5'9 Nature: Water Personality: Kushizu ever since his parents died has been a loner. Choosing to keep to himself because he thinks that if people knew who his parents were they would treat him badly. Though this does not hinder his ability to work with others. Often being reserved when dealing with others and tends to keep his opinions to himself. Behind his loner nature, Kushizu can be someone that can very loyal to anyone he considers a friend. Along with being friendly or understanding someone's problems. Even if he does not show it and has some hobbies like stargazing or reading sci-fi books. Background: Kushizu's life since he was born had been an interesting one. Born to two missing-nin from the Land of Water. Kushizu's early life was marked by moving from place to place as his family sold their services to the highest bidder. Though they tried to hide some of the more ruthless jobs from him, sometimes he could catch word of his parent's deeds would have mixed feelings about it. Kushizu loved his parents but, he could not quite come to grip with some of the jobs that his parents have done. Things would change for him after his parents finished a job in the Land of Fire near Konohagakure when a squad of Hunter-nin ambushed them. His parent tell him to hide while they fought off the Hunter-nin. While Kushizu hid inside of a hollowed-out log and he watched as his parents fought the Hunter-nin. While his parents killed some of the Hunter-nin, they were ultimately killed and Kushizu rushed towards their dead bodies. He only had a few moments to cry before the Hunter-nin forced him away while they destroyed the bodies and cut off his parent's heads as proof that they were dead. Once they were done, they were unsure of what to do with the young Kushizu and they simply pointed him to Konohagakure and left. After a couple of minutes of crying and mourning, Kushizu would go in the direction he was told and would curse the Hunter-nin that killed his parents. Saying one day he will find them and avenge his parents. Later Kushizu would arrive in the village and after finding out he was orphan, they directed him to the orphanage. He would not say what happened to his parents only that they were killed. Thinking how people would treat him if they knew his parents were missing-nin. Probably not well he thought and became a loner. Keeping to himself, for the most part, and would enroll in the academy. Showing potential to be a shinobi, mainly excelling in water release techniques and taijutsu. Now on the eve of the Chunin Exams, he hopes to pass and become and full-fledged shinobi. From there, though he knows how hard it will be. Perhaps find whoever killed his parents and get his revenge. Fighting Style: Kushizu prefers to be strategic when he fights, dodging attacks until he finds a weak point or opening in his opponent's movements. Then using all of his might to exploit the opening to end the fight as fast as possible. Which if he incorrectly times an attack, it leaves him open for a counter-attack. If a fight goes on longer then Kushizu wants then he will resort to a combination of ninjutsu and taijutsu to bring down a target. Using mid-range abilities when he first engages and moving to close range as time passes. Abilities: Water Release: Barrier - Summons a large seven-foot-tall wall that blocks incoming attacks. Water Release: Water Gun - Shots a torrent of water from his mouth that reaches up to six feet and can be used to keep a target in place if pinned to a surface. Water Release: Whip - Creates a whip made of water that is used to ensure targets and keep them in place. Water Release: Weapons - Can create various weapons made of water that range from swords to shurikens. Water Release: Bullet Swarm - Creates a barrage of water bullets and shoots the opponent in successive hits Water Release: Mouth Shot - A fast-moving blade of water that Kushizu spits out of his mouth, does not do a lot of damage. Mainly used to distract or weaken foes. Agile - Due to fighting style, Kushizu is good at dodging attacks though he does get hit sometimes. Water Blade - a combination of Water Release and taijutsu, Kushizu switches between punching and using a blade made of water.</s> <\|message\|>Uesugi Kimiko Ten The young shinobi darted about the burning flower field like rats while Kimiko, the lazy housecat, watched them scurry with a mixture of loathing and aloofness. Sure, her instincts urged her to stalk, prowl, and pounce, but she knew better. She held the cheese that the rats so desperately craved. Sooner or later, their hunger would overwhelm their fear, and they'd crawl just a little...too...close. And then she would strike: lopping off their diseased little heads and presenting their mangled corpses to her master - a gift. A display of her superior hunting prowess and a promise of future success. Nine But, as the girl settled into her fantasy, one of the rats opened its big rat mouth and vomited up some truly disgusting sounds in a vain attempt at speech. She narrowed her gaze at the little loudmouth, measuring his worth. "BITE ME!" she spat back at him. She had been wrong in her assessment - he was no rat. Why, he was no more than a flea. A pesky, meaningless flea. She could crush him. She should crush him. She would crush him. But not yet. She had given her word. The other two would retrieve the flag and this stupid little game would come to an…end? … ...wait… ...where was the flag? Eight Kimiko gazed past the chirping insect towards the other end of the field. She had been certain there was a flag there...where the actual fuck did it go? It couldn't have simply vanished...could it? Was that something one of those rats could do? She returned her gaze to Hoseki. No flag. The ugly toad-rat then? How in the actual fuck did they hide a colorful piece of cloth on a damn pole that quickly? Seven The increasingly agitated kunoichi scanned the field once more. She noticed Ruru actually taking the lead. The actual stones on this kid. She was impressed. More than that really. She was proud. Her little kitten was now acting like a proper predator. He was… Slipping. On. His. GOD. DAMN. ASS. Six "RURU, YOU LITTLE SHIT! GET YOUR GODDAMN ASS UP!" the raging Mama Cat roared, all her previous feelings of pride now acting as fuel to the white hot inferno of wrath burning away the girl's patience and goodwill. She wasn't suited to the backlines. Her instincts were becoming harder to resist. How the actual fuck was she supposed to trust her teammates if THEY COULDN'T EVEN HANDLE FUCKING WALKING?!! Five That ugly toad-rat threw a punch at Ruru. As unbelievably angry as Kimiko currently was, she actually managed to surpass it and reach levels of rage the girl thought before to be impossible. Her knuckles were tiny mountains dusted with snow as the tension wound her grip around her sword's hilt and sheath to painful levels. This waiting thing was getting REAL OLD, REAL FAST. …! Four Kimiko's head snapped towards the tiny rat gazing at her. It held in its greedy little paws a pole. And around that pole was the little piece of fabric that marked Team Nine's flag. That. Dirty. Little. Shit. Three Was that cheating? Well...nobody said you COULDN'T move the flag. Actually, there really weren't any rules mentioned besides getting the other flag. A horrid grin stretched across Kimiko's face as she relaxed her body. Fine. If that's the game those little shits wanted to play, that's the game they'd play. Kimiko turned and walked towards her team's flag pole. She quickly drew her sword and sliced the rope tethering the flag to the pole. As the fabric fell, it got picked up by the wind, floating carelessly over to the girl. She snatched it out of the air and examined it before tying it around her neck like a bandanna. If those rats wanted their cheese, then they'd have to pry it from her cold, dead, claws. Two Kimiko stood unmoving for a moment or two after donning the flag. Then, she turned towards Hoseki. She lingered there for a moment. Then she took a step. And another. Three steps towards the boy. Kimiko stopped and frowned. Something wasn't right. She couldn't exactly place her finger on it, but that hotheaded fuckboy not charging in was a red flag. Whatever he had planned, she didn't give a fuck. He wasn't important. Not yet anyway. Sure, he ran his fat rat mouth, and she'd surely carve him up eventually, but she had another target in mind. Kimiko turned towards her boys engaged with the ugly troll toad rat abomination and dashed towards them. She arced around Hoseki, not getting any closer, yet also not running away. If he wanted to fight, it would be on her terms. Sure, she could always go after that nameless little Ruru-wannabe. She could cut him down real quick then take the flag...but where was the fun in that? Kimiko trained her eyes directly on him, her killing intent on full display. Ruru and Kuku had been pushing towards him on one side, but the little coward liked to run. Of course he did. What else could frightened little rats do but scurry? But no, he would also get a pass for the moment. Which left only... One That idiot. That absolutely ignorant waste of air. She had fucked up. She had royally fucked up. She had placed her FILTHY RAT PAWS on KIMIKO'S PROPERTY. Those boys of hers, as fucking useless as they may be, were still HERS. And NOBODY would harm HER PROPERTY without her permission. Surely Mizo knew that? She couldn't POSSIBLY be so arrogant as to think that there would be no PUNISHMENT for her crimes? As Kimiko grew closer to her teammates, she slowed, coming to a complete stop about ten yards away from the two. Casting a quick glance over her shoulder towards Hoseki to see if he had reacted to her sudden repositioning, Kimiko raised her left hand and pointed her sword towards the thing she thought was Mizo, wordlessly challenging her. Her arm trembled in excitement. Her face contorted into a mixture of rage and pure, sadistic bliss. GO! She was going to hurt somebody.</s> <\|message\|>Mizo Aberashi Little did Kimiko realize, that wasn't Mizo covered in water. After attempting to slam one of them in the face and getting drenched, she silently stood upwards and slowly, quite dramatically, turned to face Kimiko. Right about now was when Mizo would say something like "It's about to get really interesting." Or "Buy me dinner first." She would if she had a voice, which she didn't. Knowing full well that Kimiko was now out of range of the trap, and ready to square off with Mizo for real this time. Hoseki just backed away, and tapped the ground with his foot, to let the Mizo underground know that things were shifting a little. "This'll be fun. Hoseki said, dripping with sarcasm. Seeing the samurai bitch pull out one of those katanas and pointing it at Kizo? Who the fuck knew what was gonna happen? Especially when that was just a clone. Normally, the Wind Style wouldn't do much against Earth Style, but considering the fact that the Mizo which was now cracking its knuckles was made of mud and chakra, it was hard to say if any kind of Jutsu would work on Kiniko. And that's assuming a mud clone could even preform Jutsu. Hoeski made a mental note of the flag being tied around her neck, maybe he could singe it a little...made it fall off easier. In any case, It wasn't clear whether or not Mizo's trap would work at this rate, if it did, great. If not, well, she could always blast out of the ground with all the energy she conserved through the battle and really give Kimiko a run for her money. Thankfully, Hoseki's bakt didn't entirely give her position away, maybe Kimiko thought he was trying a new Jutsu himself, or maybe she really thought they were in kahoots. It didn't matter now. Mizo's clone was now staring down Kimiko, fists clenched behind her gauntlets. Looking the samurai bitch dead in the eyes, not a trace of fear or energy on her face. Was Kimiko expecting a reaction out of her rival? Hopefully not. The ensuing battle looked like it was taking hold of the game, fun. Kana was lucky, he didn't have to stick around to see the absolute cat fight.</s>	<\|message\|>Kushizu Ienari Uh, the water gun did not work as well as he thought. Usually the high pressure of the water gun technique knocks people back but, at least it landed on target. Maybe he did not put enough effort into it since this is just a friendly match. That is what Emi-Sensei said, at least. Did not feel like one since Kana took the flag from its spot and is now carrying it. Acting as a mobile flag point that they had to both reach and take the flag from him. Nothing was said in the rules about taking the flag, and none of the Jonin were saying anything. So anything goes so far in this friendly match. Getting Mizo wet did not really help but, it got Mizo off of Ataru's back for the time being. Then he heard a yell from behind him about Ataru and knew it was Kimiko. Ah, so she did hear that... guess he will see Kimiko have a chat with Ataru after the match is over. Which is a sight he will not enjoy to see if Kimiko is anything like herself. Or maybe there would be a change in pace, who knows. Either best not to focus on that now and see if they can win this. Kushizu noticed Mizo had turned to face someone and turned his head to see who that was. Only to find that it was Kimiko and noticed that she was wearing their flag like a bandanna around her neck. Oh, so we are doing that now too. Well, if the other team decides on cheating, then it is fair to cheat too to even the playing field. Also, seeing Kimiko raise her sword Kimiko at Mizo, Kushizu knew what that meant. So she wants to challenge Mizo, Kushizu sighed. That means he better stay out of her way during the impending fight. So he choose to reposition himself to cover her flank. Putting himself between Kimiko and Hoseki. Just in case Hoseki decides on intervening, Kimiko is the flag. So it is better to help protect her and even if she may not need or want it. Who knows how this match is going to go at this rate.</s>
<\|description\|>Aya Lynn Germain Nicknames/Aliases: N/A X-Men Code Name: Cosmos Gender: Female Age: 18 Physical Description: Height: 4'10" Weight: 81 lbs Skin: Medium-fair Eyes: Black (Green pre-mutation) Hair: Dark brown Distinctive Markings: Freckles, a mole above her mouth Mutations: Astral Projection Aya is capable of extending her consciousness outside of her body. Invisible to others, her spirit form is capable of passing through solid objects or going into dangerous situations or environments that she otherwise would avoid. She can also create projections of other people if she's touching them, separating their consciousness from their bodies. She has to be touching them to bring them back for the astral plane, however. If Aya snaps back to her body without touching the other person's projection, then the person will be stuck there until she snaps to the other side again to bring them back. When on the astral plane she can also enter the mind of an unconscious person if she touches their form. When maintaining her projection, her physical body is more or less helpless, and she is oblivious to her surroundings. Due to her projection's intangible nature, she's also unable to influence her spiritual environment or talk to anyone through it. She still knows very little about her powers -- she doesn't know how long she can keep it up for yet, or how far away she can travel from her body. Her current record is 3 days and about 15 miles, at great physical cost. She also seems to have some level of control over the astral plane; Aya can sense otherworldly entities in it and has demonstrated the ability to push other beings out of th astral plane, though she doesn't yet know how she did it or how to replicate it. Aya is still uncomfortable with the fact that she's a mutant and so tends to not use her powers, though with Professor Everose's guidance she's steadily learning how to control them better. She can now activate her powers on command, though it's not always perfect, and she only very rarely uses her powers on accident. She can now also maintain a sense of awareness over her body if she deliberately uses her powers -- she can hear sounds and feel whatever her body goes through physically to a certain degree. Personality: Aya is quiet and reserved, equal parts mature and insecure. Her introverted nature makes it hard to connect to the people around her, but when she does open up, she reveals a sensitive heart, a sharp mind, and a sardonic sense of humor. Background: Originally from the island of Oahu, Aya is the only child of an American father and Japanese mother. Her childhood was fairly normal. She played piano, danced hula, went to Japanese school after her normal school day finished... then her father was diagnosed with lung cancer when she was 11, and life got a bit harder. Her mother, unable to deal with the emotional hardship, simply up and left one day. She tried to take Aya with her, but the little girl screamed and cried, refusing to go back to Japan and abandon her father. Aya's relationship with her today is still strained, to say the least. Her dad finally succumbed to his cancer when Aya was 17, just two weeks before she graduated high school. She doesn't like to talk about him. After graduating she decided to come to Ashford. While she's highly intelligent, her grades had suffered during her last few years of high school due to Aya devoting all her free time to working and caring for her dad, and so her college prospects were abysmal. Ashford was her best option for escaping the island she'd spent her entire life on, and she hopes the school will give her enough control over her powers so she never uses them again. Recap of your mutations awakening: Aya was 16 years old and at the only high school party she'd ever attended. When the night finished she and her classmate, Kainoa Young, were found unconscious on the bed in his room, Kainoa on top of her. At first everyone just laughed, assuming they were about to get it on when they'd passed out from drunkenness. But then no one could wake them up. Eventually Aya and Kainoa were placed in a hospital as doctors struggled to figure out why the two teens were in comas -- they were healthy, young, and while they'd been drinking at the party there were no signs of alcohol poisoning. Three days passed. Then Aya finally woke up. Her eyes, which were once a rich green color, were now black as coal. She seemed shaken and disoriented. She claimed not to remember anything from the party, or why they'd both passed out. Kainoa never woke up. The longer he slept, the weaker and weaker his body became. Kainoa deteriorated until he needed to be hooked up to a machine to even breathe. Then finally, after months of being on life support, his body simply shut down. When the school held a ceremony after his death, Aya was the only student absent.</s> <\|message\|>Veronica 'Ronnie' Arleen Malcolm ᴠᴇʀᴏɴɪᴄᴀ "ʀᴏɴɴɪᴇ" ᴍᴀʟᴄᴏʟᴍ --- 9 am \| Danger Room Ronnie's peripheral vision caught movement. Her attention tracked it as she turned her head to the source. She spotted 'Tazer-girl' displaying her phone to another student, the brown-haired troublemaker. Ronnie found that odd, but she only made a note of it. The girl must've had an issue hearing or a mental condition. Thankfully, at least one student had the ability to relay information. Else it would've slowed them down much more than Ronnie liked. It took the teacher long enough to realize the issue as subtitles then appeared in thin air. She found herself more unnerved by each new rule of reality the room broke. It was like they were in a cheap netflix movie with lame subtitles. Fiction only belonged in the imagination, not in the real world. Her fingers tightened about the spiral edge of her notebook. It rested against her hips as she debated on if she should ask more questions or let the matter rest. Upon the teacher's bubbly voice, she held her tongue. She doubted she would get useful information. When Ronnie watched the others converse, pain stabbed into her heart. It just reminded her of what she missed. Her allies, routine, and normalcy to the point her whole future was planned out. It all cracked when her mutant ability happened. She couldn't salvage anything from her old life. It is my fault for being a mutant. Ronnie caught the run down of what Heidi gave, but didn't take the lead. She found it suspicious how Heidi knew everyone's ability when she just arrived a few days ago and never demonstrated it. For now, she just pushed past the discomfort. She didn't know enough about everyone to trust them. Trust given freely just lead to disappointment. It meant she had to take things into her own hands. It was hard to wait around and do nothing when their issue stood before them.</s> <\|message\|>Mathew Frakes Mathew Frakes --- Location:Danger Room --- Interactions & Mentions:@Silver Carrot,@Fallenreaper, @Chev,@ViolentViolet,@webboysurf --- --- Taking off one glove, Matt moved toward the door, where the padlock hung. Reaching out his hand he stopped; thinking of what Heidi had said. Looking back at the group. "I can show you the combination. This can go one of two ways. Either, the chain is electrified or it is not. Whichever, the case if... Heidi is it?" He asked quizzically before moveing on. "If she is right, then any of you with combative abilities should ready yourselves. I am not much of a fighter myself but once you pick a target keep your eyes one it and I may be able to provide a disttaction for you." Matt thought about his discusion with Professor Finn. The Professor had asked if if he had to "rewind" and seemed to think he should be able to go directly to a desired moment. He had no idea of how to do that but drawing off every book he ever read and a couple Sciencw Fiction TV shows he figured it had something to do with concentration. He pictured the lock open in his head and focused on that image as he grabbed it with his ungloved hand, making sure the others could see the lock as well. A wave of dizziness hit Matt and he had a sudden sensation of falling. He gripped tighter. Soon the images jumped out sharp and crisp. Matt felt like he was going to vomit and swallowed hard to stave it off. Professor Tabitha North stood in front of him clicking the lock shut. Matt realised she had just tested the lock and quickly rewound the memory. Images blurred again but only for a second. Then he let the memomry play out. Not only was she working the lock but saying the combination aloud. Matt hoped that was enough as he let go of the padlock the room returning to normal. His projected image gone. "Tell me someone got that. I really don't wanna do that again for a bit." He still felt dizzy but the sensation was fading fast. Matt clumsily put his glove back on then; without realising what he was doing, perfectly copied what Professor North had just done unlocking the chain. His head lurched from the vertigo. He grabbed forward with both hands one grabbing the center chain the other the handle of the door. The room spun and he lost his balance pulling as he stumbled back, both removing the chain and opening the door.</s>	<\|message\|>Aya Lynn Germain The Mall - 9:50 AM --- --- Aya thanked the Lyft driver as she climbed out of the blue sedan. It'd been a quiet ride - after taking a look at her red, tear-stained face, the middle-aged driver had seen fit to leave her to her thoughts. He barely looked back at her as she closed the door, no doubt eager to run from a stranger's problems. Pulling her bag strap over her shoulder, Aya made her way into the mall. It was wide and open, more of an enclosed street than a single building. Shops lined the path, doors open, wafting their perfumes or music or flashing screens, beckoning potetial customers. Aya couldn't focus on any of them. She felt the phantom weight of the envelopes in her bag, making each step heavy. Aya spent the next hour or so wandering the mall, trying to distract herself. At one point she meandered into a shop stuffed to the brim with bath products - candles and lotions, colorful loofas hanging along a wall, glittery soaps, and body creams in wide, pastel jars. Aya had never liked these kinds of stores. The warring scents were too overwhelming, giving her a headache. But today, Aya found herself wandering through bright aisles, fingers trailing along the glossy labels. She paused on a bottle of lotion labeled Vanilla Dream, with the word tester written beneath it in thick Sharpie. Aya looked down at it. She picked it up, popping open the lid and squeezing a small dollop onto her hand. She rubbed the lotion into her hands, continuing her walk down the lotion aisle, eyes scanning the labels again. Minty Morning. Aya put a small squirt into her hand and then rubbed that into her skin, too. She brought her hands to her nose and gave a small sniff. Immediately Aya's nose wrinkled, and she pulled her hands away. It was an odd combination, the mint smell overpowering the sweetness of the vanilla. Embarrassment flooded her. Aya left the store, hurrying to the bathroom to wash the lotion off her hands. The scent lingered. She eventually found herself in a small, empty cafe, soft indie music playing over the speakers. She stared down at the stack of black envelopes on the table. They seemed to stare back at her. Aya felt her anxiety building in her stomach, up her chest, clogging her throat, coating her tongue. She took another sip of her half empty mocha. The paper bag that had once held her breakfast sandwich sat in a ruined ball in her other hand. Aya tried to swallow, tasting the chocolate of her drink, suddenly too sweet. She pulled Professor Everose's notebook from her bag, flipping it open. The messy words of her last, chaotic session gave her pause - she hadn't realized she'd written in Japanese. Aya stared at them a moment longer before flipping to a new page. She gripped her pen too tightly in her hand, tip hovering just over the paper. Aya bit her lip. Then she picked up the second envelope and closed her eyes.</s>
<\|description\|>Itimpu -- Panther Man -- "AAAAH WHAT IS THAT?" No, not that Black Panther. Inspiration: Terror Is A Man! Appearance: Standing at a height of 6ft 6in, this monster of muscle, built through a series of horrifying genetic engineering experiments, is in peak physical condition. They sport a full covering of black fur, ran through with scars, as well as bright yellow eyes, a very feline face-- complete with apex predator teeth and whiskers, and a tail long enough to help them balance. Their black claws are at the ends of thick half-human fingers. They sport a set of thick digitigrade legs, like the hind legs of a cat, and their feet are far more pawlike than their hands. Usually, the attire Itimpu wears is a simple set of cloth shorts but, when necessary for them to go into public, they manage to fit into a... Power Ranger's Halloween Costume. Abilities/ Skills: Speech Of Cats -- Naturally or Unnaturally, Itimpu has the ability to communicate with anything feline, with ease. He's even convinced a rather large group of Jaguars, Tigers, and House Cats to follow him around as a sort of "gang". Very Strong, Very Tough -- Thick skinned and as strong as at least FIVE men, Itimpu is also very long lived, with no signs of age slowing him down. They've been shot, stabbed, thrown off cliffs, close to explosions, and even set on fire, and have recovered from all these things in time. There's definitely a way to kill him, of course, but it would take quite a lot. Carnivore's Senses -- Enhanced smell, night vision, and acute hearing accompany their abilities, along with slightly faster-than-normal reflexes and running speed. They can't leap very high but they can climb very well and survive quite a long fall always landing on their feet. History: The first of his kind was a surgical amalgamation of human and panther parts which, after being sent out to sea in a boat, eventually found its way to an uncharted island in the Philippine island chain which, of course, was home to your classic MAD SCIENTIST. Several experiments later and the perfect "new-perfect-super-soldier-to-sell-what-could-go-wrong" was produced. And like all of these stories, the product had different ideas. Itimpu was created and almost immediately went on a murderous rampage. Decades passed. They earned their name in the wilderness and jungles. Somehow, they got into mercenary work. More time passed. And they just so happened to cross paths with a guy, who knew a guy, who knew a woman, who introduced them to Dracula, and they actually became... friends of a sort? Look, everyone knew that Itimpu's loyalty could be bought but was it really paid in fish as the rumors say? And his gang of cats? It's rather widespread. House cats here-- bobcats there-- lynxes, jaguars, lions, even the odd witch's familiar or two-- it's a well known fact he has eyes and ears in the weirdest of places and, simply put, clearly has a way with words, as plenty of cats join "his side" quickly. In terms of sheer numbers, no one knows quite how many "work" for him. One thing's for sure-- Itimpu sure doesn't talk much. Goals: Itimpu has very murky goals, to say the least, and they seem to change based on the situation but, the theme is quite clear when one see what said goals have in common-- Survival Notes: A THEME SONG YOU SAY?! Rumors -- "Supposedly he communicates a lot sub vocally, as cats do." "I heard he doesnt even speak English? Or maybe he was just ignoring me. I dunno." "Apparently he's got this spot behind is ear that he really likes scratched..." "Weaknesses? WEAKNESSES?! HA. A laser pointer!" "...and he's got a whole cardboard fortress..."</s> <\|message\|>Lawrence Talbot; has been operating for the past 2 generations under assumed identities in order to maintain ownership of the Talbot estate; current alias is one "Frederick Talbot". Lawrence anxiously handled his own letter as he listened, patiently, or at least politely. It wasn't difficult for him to make arrangements, and see to his affairs for the duration of his absence while on "holiday". This turn of events, though, troubling as it was, did have the wheels turning in his head. Once Erik had spoken his piece (loony as it was), he took the opportunity to make his own remarks on the apparent state of things. "Well, that certainly was a... 'colorful' performance, Monseur Garnier, but I do think there are some rather pressing issues, more so even than your..." He paused, for dramatic affect, "Fanciful notions. Surely, though this is highly unusual, it wouldn't be the first time that Dracula has taken a leave of absence. This letter, speaking of his likely whereabouts, is not, to my faculties, anything more than what you would have preferred. The simplest and most reasonable assumption is that he is in South Africa, isn't it? There's no reason to assume anything else." He stood, and gesticulated a bit as he continued in his Posh accent, "Accounting for his eccentricities in all of this, and this whole... Hullabaloo is hardly cause for concern, save the inconvenience of it. Surely, if we simply consult his people, we'll find a plan in place, and if not, it would be far more prudent a course to simply... Delegate some manner of stewardship in his absence? Practical, as well, far more so than... Buggering off to Paris, as you seem inclined, regardless!" He left out that he absolutely had someone in mind for the assumption of leadership. After all, as others would point out, he himself has a fair amount of real leadership experience, and is one of the oldest members of the council. Combined with how loyal he'd been to Dracula, he was convinced his qualifications were obvious, and his nomination inevitable. He leaned on the table, "And what of this 'New World' of yours? Had it not occurred to you that if such an idea were manageable, nay, even practical, Dracula might have done it himself by now?" He allowed a bit of a laugh in the last words, a subtle jab. He avoided professional politics, lest his persona become just a little bit too public, but in his shadowy dealings with this council, he certainly developed a taste for politics, all the same. "Even if we were to take this seriously, has it never occurred to your 'brilliant' mind, that a many of us stand to lose far more than we might gain, by investing in this venture? I can assure you, I've worked far too hard for what I've managed to piddle it away on the prospect of... What? Splitting the rent on one of those caves you tinker away in?" Another affected laugh, "No, no, sir, I think we all know better than to 'jump the gun', as the Americans would say; this is not a time for rash behavior, let us instead learn what we can of the situation, and act accordingly." He sat himself down gently, concluding, "And, if we can find no pre-determined course of action or instruction, or, for that matter, Dracula has not returned by such a time, then further action may be appropriate." He looked around the room, "The rest of you lot? You can do as you like, 'playing with matches'; I hardly assume authority, but... I, for one, don't care to be present if Dracula should return to find we've 'burned the house down'." Or raided the pantry, he thought to himself- Lawrence, if you play this right, you may finally be free. Just keep asking yourself: What Would Dracula Do?</s> <\|message\|>Simply called "the creature" by those who discovered him, his true name is unpronounceable by human tongues. When in a human disguise, he goes by the name Marsh, which his colleagues have taken to calling him. Marsh was in Istanbul when the letter came for him. Or rather, he was close by it, plumbing the depths of the Black Sea. It was a difficult task, but a rewarding one, as the salt content of the sea required constant adaptation to breathe within its depths, but the host of ruins along its floor were exquisite. Marsh had almost come to have an appreciation for human history, given his long decades searching through the remnants of their past. The letter came as a small surprise, as Marsh was only so close to Transylvania because Dracula had summoned him a few years earlier. He traveled very slowly, preferring to go alone by water routes, as public transportation made him feel unnecessarily exposed. Luckily, he had no need for such measures this time. The vampiric servant that had tracked down Marsh's encampment on the Sea's shores had come by means of a rugged automobile, and was prepared to chauffeur him back to Dracula's castle. The few days of travel that followed were awkward and uncomfortable. The vampire sent to collect Marsh obviously found him as repellent as normal humans did, and suffered constantly from his foul odor and insidious presence. Marsh similarly did not care much for the undead, and particularly not vampires. As much as he would like to think that such perversions of nature were a uniquely human creation, there were similar monsters in his own time. The Grey Weavers of the tunnel-kingdoms, servants of the Spinner in the Dark came to mind. Once they were free of the prying eyes of common humans, Marsh let his disguise slip, and resumed his natural form. A scaly fish-man that perspired foul, ranine mucous sat looking very out of place in the passenger seat of an offroad vehicle. He didn't expect Dracula to bill him for the cost of having the car reupholstered. They would probably just have to burn the thing to be rid of the smell. Despite being so close, Marsh was one of the last to arrive, probably due to the difficulty inherent to finding him. He came stomping in, his webbed flippers leaving soggy marks on the rug, as the human, Garnier his name was, was going on his rant. "Humans," he gurgled contemptuously, "No bloody sense of proportion." Marsh had to partially transform his laryngeal structure to even be capable of uttering sounds resembling human speech. The result was... barely adequate. An awful, wet croaking that sounded like a man gargling mud. "Do you have any idea how many of you buggers there are? Nearly eight billion. We, the others, number in the thousands-- a million at best. There are simply too many of them and too few of us to ever make a difference. You can take the city, but you won't hold it. Much worse than that, is that you'll make life unmanageable for those of us content where we are. There'll be no hiding after that. They'll kill themselves by the million just to get rid of one of us. They'll do it, too. It'll take time, but they'll do it." Marsh flexed his webbed hand, admiring the sharp black claws that tipped his fingers, before his inhuman gaze snapped back to Garnier. "You're a madman and a fool, and I'll curtail your errand myself before you get a chance to doom us all."</s>	<\|message\|>Itimpu -- Panther Man -- "AAAAH WHAT IS THAT?" The courier found him alright-- just like the others had. Deep in the jungles surrounding Mount Sicapoo, the courier placed a package atop a mossy, ruined, and forgotten stone pillar in the thick of the underbrush. Truly, this had been something of a suicide mission and, just as the courier counted their blessings for having 'made it out alive', they were promptly pounced upon and turned into ash. Which was no fun. Why had he been sending the newbies so often lately? This would have been the question running through the intelligent half-man mind of the 'Killer Panther' had he, well, had more intelligence and patience to give to the thought. As it stood, Itimpu looked at his ash covered man-paws, then promptly hustled around in a frantic circle-- confused as to why the Human in his Territory had just exploded into Nasty Dirt. He hated that. Why was it that sometimes they exploded into Nasty Dirt but other times they-- the package caught his eye and was batted off of the pillar. As it had been designed to do, the box withstood a few more seconds of his Batting it around the jungle floor, before he finally understood it had Latches. And the smell-- oh the smell was familiar. Yes, it was of the Pale King Dressed In Black, this scent, which meant box must become open. Slowly and rather delicately, he pried open the box with is claws, before revealing the contents inside. First, there was some paper-- boring, dis-interesting, who cares? Itimpu gingerly placed it aside. There-- ah, here it was. A shark's lower jaw, teeth still attached, wrapped in the skin of a Human, with the black chain of Itimpu's former shackles-- this was a signal between he and the Pale-Black King. Itimpu lifted the object in to the moonlight, holding it toward the sky, before he placed it over his head. --- Likely, he was one of the first to be summoned, simply due to the distance, but certainly not the last to arrive. When eventually he arrived near the Pale-Black King's manor, he paused, catching a rather... odd scent on the wind-- A baby? Why was there a baby here? Sniffing and snuffling, Itimpu navigated the woods at night, his senses locked upon the scent of a misguided youngling-- how was a baby lost up here? Every instinct prohibited him from continuing up the path until he found it-- a small boy, wandering up the path toward Dracula's manor. Why, only certain people knew where this place was, and where to go. Surely, this small child was summoned in some manner-- was he the child of Dracula? Could Dracula make babies? It didn't matter. From the shadows Itimpu lept, landing next to Gael silently. He snuffled a greeting before promptly picking the child up, by the collar of his shirt, with his cat mouth, and beginning his rapid sprint up the path to Dracula's Manor. Quite easily, he ascended the path, then the side of the house-- ensuring that the small boy didn't bump up against anything-- before he climbed through an open window. He dangled Gael over the windowsill and into the room before releasing him. Immediately, Itimpu was confused. Where was the Pale-Black King? Why were there so many others here that weren't him? Who invited the Sea Beast? Itimpu glared but remained silent as he slinked into the room, smelling about with soft whiffs, as the others began talking. Whatever they were speaking about, it didn't matter, because Dracula was not here. If he was not here then, obviously, he must be somewhere else, which meant that Itimpu needed to go to him. He sniffed at the letter to South Africa, even going so far as to leave his mouth open, to process more of the scent bouquet. Itimpu began to sniff other objects around the room afterward, his paws moving to slowly, ever so slowly, push things here and there onto the floor. There was a trail here, he needed but only find it, and no ink-well-- or weird ornamental cup-- was going to hide said trail underneath it on his watch. edit: added a link</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // A bumpy ride, it was really the only way to describe the pelican ride. Grikgar did not have the physiology to properly sit in the seats like the two humans that accompanied him. He had only arrived the day before and had been staying in a makeshift room on top of a space elevator. The Unggoy had been pulled from active combat with direct orders to get his gear and board a frigate heading for earth. At the very least he was briefed on what he had been chosen for by his commander on the way out. Now he was on his way to meet his new commander and serve with the humans that helped them to end the Great War. It was a strange job in an ever changing world of new possibilities something the Unggoy jumped at the chance for. Another adventure to chalk up to his many accomplishments. At least the humans, although wary didn't out right try to bully him. He can't blame them though, it's not every day one would see a grunt like him. Taller, more robust, no look of fear or being timid towards the humans around them. At the very least he was able to get some sleep on the ride down somehow. The human that was tasked in taking care of him while on the station was a brute of a man with red hair and an accent he called "Scottish" it was always interesting to meet new humans, they were all so different. This one called Sargent Abernathy, was strict around the other soldiers however the man did let Grikgar go through the more recent human music files. This activity kept him up for most of the long hours before his departure from the space elevator. The Unggoy was woken suddenly when the back door to the pelican opened and he not so graciously got up from his spot and looked at the two new soldiers dressed in black. He did catch a quick chuckle from one of the marines in the pelican, more than likely because he was being clumsy. Stepping outside the pelican revealed a grand city, tall spires that reached into the sky one not matching another. It reminded him of the cities of their planet Reach, the engineering of the humans and their ability to build such buildings was always something to be admired. "This way." One of the men in black spoke to him in a gruff and annoyed voice. They definitely were not amused by him being here and didn't seem to want to wait around for the grunt to stop ogling the sky scrapers. Soon he found himself being led through a few corridors only to wind up in a large bright room with many humans moving around. They all looked to be very busy with whatever it was they were in such a hurry for only a couple of wandering eyes found themselves glancing toward him or over to a much larger figure in front of him. He couldn't quite make out the red armor at first but soon it became clear as his escort met up with two others that were escorting a Sangheili in red and white shining armor. By the looks of him and the description of the elite that would be his new commander this one matched the description. "Vael 'Virisusai? Grik has been told a lot about you, it is an honor to have a Sangheili such as yourself as our commander." Grikgar spoke using the Sangheili language in a formal tone as he looked up at him.</s> <\|message\|>Tasumameyofaxre "Tasuma" Tasumameyofaxre<< Mgalekgolo Hunter >> << HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6 >> Tasuma was... happy. That is what the ODSTs said. Yes, it was looking forward to it, and it felt pride, when the medal was pinned to its breastplate. Like it felt when Iteyimeyokosa, its bond brother, taught it the traditional meditations and poems. This pinning of the metal was also traditional, to humans, and the Lieutenant told him the history of it and the meaning. Pinned to the breastplate of the black and grey camouflaged armor was a silver winged parachute, with a large golden star in the middle. Five plus combat drops with the ODSTs. The Lieutenant said Tasuma had earned it, and there was a celebration. Then Tasuma had to leave, and go here, to Australia. Though, the platoon he had fought alongside with for so long strong armed their way into ensuring Tasuma had an escort there. Tasuma had already been in the city for a week, and the UNSC kept it and the five ODST escorts in a nearby base. But today was the day. The truck Tasuma was riding in was dark, with no windows, and the driver went slow. Its companions sat in hastily mounted seats, and they conversed casually, talking about the local food and booze. Some of what they were talking about seemed appealing to Tasuma. Soon the truck halted, and the door opened, revealing the building surrounded by walls. The five fully armored ODSTs quickly unbuckled, one picking up a satchel, and filed out of the truck. Tasuma followed at his own, slow, pace. There were other humans there with a forklift, presumably to transport the box containing Tasumas equipment, one was talking to the ODST Sergeant with a clipboard in hand. As soon as they saw it, they stopped what they were doing, and the man dropped his clipboard. The Sergeant promptly shook the shocked mans shoulders. "I said, do not even scratch the paint," The Sergeant pointed at Tasuma, "of his Assault Cannon and shield!" The Corporal chuckled, and then walked over to the Hunter. He opened his satchel, "So Tas', me and the boys got you a lil' somethin'!" He pulled out a crimson bundle of cloth, and unraveled it in front of the Hunter. It was a shoulder cloak, meant for his right side judging by the leather shoulder pad, and emblazoned in the middle of the large cloak was the symbol of the Swords of Sanghelios in ivory. Tasuma stared in silence. "Alright, alright now don't get all teary eyed on us, you gotta look your best for your new boss." He said, he approached the Mgalekgolo and the other ODSTs helped the Corporal clip the leather pauldron onto the massive colony. The Corporal rubbed some grime off the Hunters helmet before turning to the Sergeant, who was standing with his arms crossed. The Sergeant nodded with approval, and they began to move towards the tower. The people in the courtyards of Bravo-6 gave the Hunter a wide berth, and the five ODSTs surrounding the Hunter ensured it. It wasn't long until Tasuma stopped in its tracks, and the ODST escort halted with it. The six spikes lifted slightly from its back, then it turned and began walking in a separate direction. The ODSTs followed without question, and it became rapidly apparent as to why. As the group rounded the corner of the building, they saw that they were walking towards an Unggoy and a Sangheili.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael had been tolerating the wait, though it seemed like he would be meeting at least some of his team before the Humans actually brought them beyond the atrium. The presence of an Unggoy had few other explanations at the headquarters of the UNSC. Of course, the Unggoy also wasted no time in confirming that fact. Vael had been, to his knowledge, the first chosen by the Swords of Sanghelios for this team, but he was not the one choosing those who would serve underneath him. He did not know what the composition of his team would be and simply had to trust that his own leaders were making the correct decisions. However, it did seem like those being selected were at least being told about him. "I have not yet been informed of the members of my team." Vael replied, also in Sangheili. One of the Human guards beside Vael looked up towards him. "You shouldn't talk about anything unti-" Before the guard could get close to finishing his sentence, Vael's gaze darted down to the Human, followed by a growl. So far, Vael had, from his perspective, given the Humans far more patience than had ever should have been required. Had most other Sangheili been given his position, there would already have been "incidents". But, even Vael's patience was not unlimited. The guard's firm demeanor had diminished almost immediately. He hesitated for a few seconds, weighing in his mind how important it was to push the issue. Ultimately, as long as they were speaking in Sangheili rather than English, he decided to back down. Ignoring the guard entirely, Vael took out his personal data pad and looked down at Grik. "Unggoy…ultra." He said, observing the Unggoy's armor. "What is your full name and specialization?" He asked. Vael's tone was dry and his question straight-to-the-point. He was not dismissive nor irritated towards the Unggoy, but neither was he friendly. He was simply professional. The presence of either a Sangheili or Unggoy who were obviously not refugees was unusual on Earth. At least in a place like this. Civilians passing through the atrium who happened to see them would usually be surprised, and give them a wide berth. However, the approach of a five-and-a-half ton Mgalekgolo could be felt through the metal floor before it could be seen. When the Hunter stepped into view, all eyes were already upon it. The same guard that had tried interrupting Vael stepped forward with his alarmed gaze on the nearest ODST, rather than the Mgalekgolo itself. "Don't bring that…thing in here! It's going to give a civvie a heart attack." He said somewhat frantically in a hushed voice, though he also offered nothing in the way of an alternative. The atrium was essentially the only area on this floor that a Hunter could stand without mostly blocking passage around it.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 Ben-E218 followed the others, keeping a close eye on Rex and the Hunter. For what it was worth, he occasionally looked at the Grunt. No suspicious behaviors. Perhaps he was just being paranoid. Of course, he was paid to be paranoid. That's what Epsilon's company unofficial slogan was, at least. Paid to be paranoid. Not that there was an Epsilon company on any official record. The mention of war games snapped Ben out of his reverie. "War games. I think it's a good idea. Any sniper will tell you that they key to getting one-shot, one-kill is constant practice. Like Simo Häyhä said." He had a feeling that the Finnish Sniper from the Winter War would go over the heads of most of the assembled crowd, but Häyhä had been Ben's idol in training, even more so than any of the Spartan IIs. Ben sat next to Grikgar, one of the only seats available. He turned to look at the Unggoy, finally answering his question. "Of course we're going on a mission. They didn't bring us here for fun. This isn't a child's game." "If I may, Ben, don't hold it against him too much. Unggoy raised by the Covenant were tossed into battle from a young age after being put on an extensive regiment of drugs and given little time to learn anything apart from combat, and were often trained in a rather haphazard manner. Intelligent as he is for his species, much of this must seem like a game to him. At least, that's my assessment." Strangely enough, the way the Grunts had been treated offered some eerie parallels with the Spartan IIs and IIIs. Taken into the military from childhood, frequently drugged up, and a childhood with nothing but war and training for war. Of course, Phong's analysis was hardly perfect. Unggoy aged at a vastly different rate than humans did, even though they kept several features which humans at least would consider child-like; high-pitched voices, frequent naps, cowardice in battle, the frequent lack of footwear, and a fairly 'cute' appearance in terms of proportions. Of course, the average adult Unggoy was actually quite heavy next to most normal humans, and the parallels could only go so far. If anything the Brutes were the closest species the Covenant had ever had to humans, and the comparisons between the two species fell flat on most accounts. "Are we just about ready to get on with things?" He wasn't sure if promptness or patience was appreciated by the Sanghelli, but he had a feeling that this was taking longer than the group leader would have liked.</s> <\|message\|>Tasumameyofaxre "Tasuma" Tasumameyofaxre<< Mgalekgolo Hunter >> << HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6 >> Tasuma rose its head, seeing that Aviza glanced to the Sergeant, it followed her gaze to the Sergeant. It knew the ODSTs were a stubborn bunch, he would never verbally say an apology. The Sergeant finished grilling the guard, and moved back to escort Tasuma. More humans appeared, and there was even a number of Spartans, from the humans warrior-clans. It heard tales from Iteyi, of the 2nd Clan, and 3rd Clan. The 4th, "Gen IV"s were the latest, and the most numerous. As the group began to move, Tasuma and the ODSTs followed, and Tasuma continued to ponder about the humans. It knew some of the IV's, the squad who had protected its bond-brother were elevated into the 4th Clan, but even then they fought alongside other human warriors, with support from vehicles and aircraft. The tales that Iteyi spoke to Tasuma of told of green armored, golden eyed demons, who mostly fought alone. They caused terrible casualties on their own, and more than a few pairs of Mgalekgolo were felled by their hands. The group stopped outside of a room with double doors, and the ODSTs caught Tasumas attention by lightly slapping his arm. It was the Sergeant. "Alright Tas' this is where we split. We gotta grab our orders from somewhere else. Remember Tas', you end up in trouble, give us a call. We'll find a ride to you." The Sergeant said, patting Tasuma on the helmet. The other ODSTs patted the Hunter similarly, and then the five humans left the group. Shortly after, an Elite next to him spoke up in Sangheili, "Your rapport with your human friends bodes well for this venture, mgalekgolo. Perhaps the rest of us are able to win their trust as well." Tasuma looked to the Elite and nodded slowly. Perhaps. Even they, the ODSTs who regarded it with much affection, hated it at first. How could they not? It took months and years to reach where they were with their friendship. When the doors opened, and the humans inside began to file out, Tasuma waited. Thinking. Now that the ODSTs were gone, it was truly alone. Even surrounded by other humans, and the aliens that the Lekgolo regarded as allies, alone. It would take time for it to get used to these new allies, it was among the last to get into the board room, and it was easily apparent that the seats weren't suited for a Mgalekgolo. So it opted to stand in the back of the room, as to not block anyone.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Major Robinson and Captain Leroux --- "We will not be rushing out of the room to get to the ship, but we will not be making any delays to this mission. We have reason to believe that our target will be acting within a few days." Major Robinson answered to Yalu. At the very least, there were no objections to skipping training, but she viewed such enthusiasm as a double-edged sword. The Spartans would likely be able to work together intuitively, but they all needed to learn how to coordinate together, despite vastly different military backgrounds. Against the type of odds they were likely to be facing over the course of their missions, they would not likely be able to rely purely on individual skill to get them out alive, much less complete the mission. For this first mission, though, there was no choice but for them to act quickly. Still, there needed to be some measure of patience at the moment. "I do not questions your combat experience, Spartans, but I do recommend you take preparation seriously. I know some of you have coordinated with Swords of Sanghelios teams before, but none of you have ever been a part of one. All of you will need to learn to fight together as efficiently as you would among your own respective species. At any rate, we will begin the briefing once Captain Leroux has arrived. He has the most recent mission files." Fortunately for Aegis team, the Captain was not far behind the rest of them. It was only a few minutes before he entered the conference room as well. He calmly waited for the door to slide shut behind him before he continued to the table. Unlike many of the others who had seen Aegis team, he had no hint of surprise or discomfort. Even the sight of the Hunter did not influence his composure. He was a man in his late thirties, perhaps early forties, with fair skin and light brown hair. He wore a grey and black UNSC naval uniform that prominently displayed his rank. The Captain stepped up alongside Robinson. After they exchanged a salute, he spoke, perhaps unsurprisingly, with a distinctly French accent. "Aegis Team. I apologize for the delay. May I assume you have all had time to become acquainted?" "Yes, we can get straight to the briefing." Major Robinson answered rather quickly. She consciously avoided sounding too brusque. The Captain gave a nod, then inserted a data crystal chip into the holotank in front of him. The AI within soon manifested its avatar near the center of the table. The avatar had a mostly uniform, light blue tint and depicted a Chinese woman wearing the clothing of a 19th century sailor. "Shih, if you please?" Captain Leroux remarked. The AI acknowledged the Captain, then brought up a hologram of two CCS-class battlecruisers and one SDV-class heavy corvette at the center of the table. "The clan of the Brute war chieftain Brakabus. It is a rather minor, independent clan of Brutes that splintered off from the Covenant after Truth's death. Their chieftain likes to boast about their strength as survivors, but basically, they took a few ships, gathered as many weapons as they could possibly horde, and ran away once things started to fall apart. At first, they ran far from any settled part of space, but presumably, they quickly realized that they couldn't actually eat guns and had to start raiding for supplies. For all of their bragging about their strength, their leader is at least somewhat pragmatic. Over the last five years, they've only raided easy targets, then ran before a response fleet could get to them." Pausing a moment, Shih displayed several images showing what seemed to have been a massacre of twenty or so Humans inside what appeared to be a prefabricated structure, commonly used on colony worlds. Aside from being a rather gruesome sight, what could be easily gathered from the images was that the damage to the bodies, as well as the interior of the structure, was done primarily with plasma weapons. "Last month, this attack was carried out in the Lulnanit province of Andrakis, a colony in one of the Joint Occupation Zones. The victims were the recently-elected governor of the province, and anyone else who happened to be in the building. It was a quick, brutal, and efficient massacre. An EMP attack took out the settlement's power, and by the time any reinforcements could come, the attackers were gone. How does this relate to the Brute clan? Well, our analysis of a few weapons that were seemingly left behind found some subtle, but distinctive markings that link back to Brakabus' clan. Now, nothing about this attack matches the normal motivations or methods of this Brute clan, but we did manage to locate their ships. Based on initial investigations, we believe these Brutes have made a deal to trade some of their weapons to a rebel group for supplies. We have not identified the rebels in question, but we believe their objective is to spark conflict between the UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios. Tensions have already been rising between Human and Sangheili colonists on Andrakis as a result of the assassination."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern It was in Aviza's belief that the Human members of Aegis Team would be lead by a human fire team leader, while the ex-covenant team members would be lead by Vael 'Virisusai. All while staying in communication with each other. This assumption was based off the fact that she had seen such practices be put into use through her lengthy career with the UNSC. Though, times were changing and perhaps she had been mistaken in her assessment. Aviza knew she could easily adapt to what was being requested of her and her fellow humans, and would follow orders swiftly and to the letter regardless if they came from a human or Sangheili. There was a want to comment on this bit of information, though she decided to ask her questions when appropriate, and allow the briefing to continue. With the arrival of Captain Leroux, Aviza would swiftly salute the man then return to her comfortable position, though now crossing her left leg over her right and leaning back in her seat. The captains inquiry had caused Aviza to nod her head once at the man, but this was apparently unnecessary, Major Robinson had responded for them once again. Spartan Aviza hoped this was not going to become a common occurrence, she was plenty capable of responding on her own to any questions that found themselves pointed at her. Perhaps Major Robinson just wanted to get the briefing moving, perhaps she felt above the rest who were present, there was no way to tell why she had done this. The thought was quickly pushed out of her mind though, as Captain Leroux addressed the A.I. known as Shih, informing her to begin the detailed briefing. Holographic images of two CS-class battle-cruisers and one SDV-class heavy corvette suddenly appeared in the middle of the table, Aviza leaned forward slightly to get a better look at them while Shih began explaining the current situation at hand. She had not heard of the Brute war chieftain Brakabus or his clan before, but she knew all to well what fighting those giant ape Berserkers was like, and they were no push over. The fact that they had only only raided easy targets over the last five years did not add up, Brutes were more aggressive than that, perhaps this one was playing it safe at the moment? A few scenarios ran through Aviza's mind while she remained paying close attention to all that was being said. Once Shih had finished with the briefing, Aviza saw her opportunity to ask a number of important questions that she had been holding onto in the back of her mind. Once more in her calm and collected voice, she spoke. "Major Robinson, you said that we will be part of a Swords of Sanghelios team? I have absolutely no problem with this but I was under the assumption that the the Human members of Aegis Team would be lead by a human fire team leader, while the ex-covenant team members would be lead by Vael 'Virisusai? Perhaps I am mistaken in this? As for Brute war chieftain Brakabus and his clan, the fact that weapons with the clans distinctive markings upon them were found at the colony may suggest that they have been trading with the rebel group for a while now. It is even possible that the rebel group attacked the colony. Do we have any information on what kind of numbers and firepower both hostile groups have?"</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Major Robinson, Vael 'Virisusai, and UNSC AI SHI 1203-8 --- Major Robinson, this time, wasted no time in addressing Aviza's questions, at least to an extent. "You are partially correct. The UNSC and the Swords of Sanghelios have come to an arrangement for the leadership of this team. It is…unconventional, and it will mean you will need to learn to work more closely together than you may have been expecting. We will address the command structure of Aegis Team at the end of the briefing. As for the rebels, they almost certainly are the guilty party for the attack. This Brute clan has just those three ships, and barely enough Brutes and Grunts to operate them. Their Jackals left them years ago. However, the Brutes are not your primary target. They are hardly more than a pest; it is the rebels that are dangerous. We know little about them, other than that they are likely a small, but well-trained group. The most concerning detail of your mission, and the primary reason that Aegis team has been selected for it, is to where we have tracked the Brute ships, and most likely the rebels: Sarcophagus." Vael's eyes widened slightly upon the mention of Sarcophagus. Not everyone present would even know about its existence, likely just the Spartans that had been trained on the world as it had once been known: Onyx. Although, the world that they knew had been replaced by something far different. The secret was not so tightly kept outside of the UNSC, but Vael had only been informed of it as a result of his selection as a leader of Aegis Team. The description he had been given had felt almost unbelievable. The AI Shih resumed her briefing once prompted by the Major. "An ONI Prowler tagged the Brute ships and tracked them into the interior of Sarcophagus, formal designation Shield World 006. We believe that the Brutes are making another deal with the rebels for more of their weapons, which means that Paxopolis is almost certainly their next target. The heads of security for the settlement, Franklin Mendez and Kasha 'Hilot, have been informed to prepare for threats, but we would prefer this be dealt with quietly, and especially without danger to the colony. So far, the settlement has not detected the presence of the Brute ships." Vael had put aside his data pad and now looked curiously at the artificial construct. "How is it that capital ships, even just in a small group, could go undetected by the settlement? I had been told that both of our people have fortified the settlement with warriors, and even ships." "You don't understand how massive Sarcophagus truly is. I doubt anyone in this room does. However large you think it is, you are wrong. It is larger. Halo rings? The Ark? They look like children's toys in comparison." Shih explained, though she soon decided to represent it visually. She first created a hologram in the center of the table that almost reached to the ceiling depicting a star, one not too different from the sun. Then, she "zoomed out" to show the orbit of a planet around the star, then again to show a second planet farther out…then yet again to show a third. Only after the third planet did she zoom out far enough to show the Dyson shell around the star's entire inner solar system. At this point, the hologram covered nearly the entire room, which she had no doubt done intentionally for emphasis. "Sarcophagus is a solid shell that orbits at about one astronomical unit. It has an approximate surface area of two hundred and fifty-fife quadrillion square kilometers, and has three planets orbiting a star inside it. Our settlement, our little 'city of peace', is just a speck on its surface." As stoic as he usually was, even Vael's awe showed through in his demeanor. Even just trying to imagine the scale of this creation of the Forerunners felt like an impossible task, and a reminder of the incredible power their kind had once wielded. Major Robinson too hesitated, but she did eventually speak up. "As Shih has…demonstrated, Sarcophagus is a place where the rebels could very easily go into hiding, despite our presence there. Your mission is to follow these Brutes, observe their deal with the rebels, then follow them back to their main encampment. Once you find them, you will strike quickly and decisively. Capture their leader alive if possible, but your main priority is to ensure that their operations are ended permanently. We cannot afford to let them get away, so you must remain undetected until you have identified the rebel encampment."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker The SPARTAN-IV listened to the briefing in silence, absorbing the details and going over them from his experience in the ONI black ops team. Something about this didn't make sense, even with the presented facts. It wouldn't take rocket science to know that the UNSC would investigate the source of the weapons before launching accusations at the Swords, not with the tenuous peace that both sides had already worked so hard to achieve. However, he waited for the rest of the briefing and the additional information, before he spoke up, keeping the specifics of his time with ONI intentionally unmentioned. "Are we sure that these aren't Remnant? That last attack was messy, and leaving weapons behind intentionally? I don't think they're trying to ramp up tensions, they're testing how the Swords and UNSC respond to it. In my unit before I became a SPARTAN-IV, we did similar tests during the war so we knew response times, what the response teams consisted of and what the best ex filtration routes were with the lowest chance of being spotted or intercepted. We may be walking into something much larger than simple rebels."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai "It is possible your intuition is correct, Spartan." The Major answered to Ryker. "ONI has accepted that as a possibility as well. Should you arrive to find the situation is drastically different from our predictions and are unable to contact us, then you should exercise your best judgment to act in the interests of the UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios. But, the evidence we have does lean more strongly towards rebels being the guilty party. Shih, if you please." The AI brought up a different set of images, this time close-up shots from multiple angles of the weapons recovered from the attack, two plasma rifles and an energy sword, as well as detailed shots of some of the plasma damage on the walls. "The markings were found on the energy sword, and were not prominent. Based on previous patterns where it has been seen, it may be a custom of this particular Brute clan to mark trophies they take, perhaps as an insult to the previous owner. They could have been mistaken for battle damage, and the rebels may have not realized they planted marked weapons. If we are right, their goals with the attack were still successful. We may be careful and methodical in our investigations, but the court of public opinion is not so patient. Tensions on the planet are already rising as the colonists blame each other. The rebels may be taking the strategy of driving a wedge between us and the public." "Whether it is rebels you find or another threat, it is still our job to act. Aegis is not merely a strike team. You all were not just chosen for your combat ability, but also your loyalty, judgment, and adaptability. In this mission, and others, you will be called upon to go into uncertain situations that are too dangerous or time-sensitive for traditional espionage. You will need to investigate on your own and act in the best interest of our respective governments." Major Robinson added.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Major Robinson and Vael 'Virisusai --- For once, the Major did not have an immediate answer when Grik posed his question. Despite his surprisingly insightful comments regarding the Brutes, Robinson had not paid him too much attention, even when he broke one of the chairs. However, his question caused her to raise her brow. "You mean the Flood?" She knew what he was referring to, but the connection to why he was bringing it up was not immediately clear to her. Vael, however, understood Grik right away. He had already given the Unggoy a low growl out of annoyance for his clumsiness, but he did not do the same for his mention of the parasite. Normally, he might chastise an Unggoy, or any other of his warriors, for cowardice, but Vael too had the misfortune of having to face the Flood during the war. It was the one opponent to which Vael felt no shame in saying he feared. The parasite was a horror he would not wish upon even the San'Shyuum. "These shield worlds were intended to preserve life when they used the rings. The researchers at Sarcophagus have found no presence of Flood." Vael answered to Grik, basing his words off of the information he had been reading from his data pad. "Yes, well, you all have your orders." The Major continued. "I will also ensure you all have access to the relevant mission files when you arrive on the ship. Now, as to the matter of Aegis Team's command structure, the UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios have come to an agreement on a non-standard command hierarchy. Depending upon the context of your individual missions, either the UNSC or Swords will be given operational authority. Meaning, the command of the team will be given to either Vael, or myself. However, as I am not a field agent, it will be one of you taking command in the field. Spartan Aviza Morgenstern, in light of your service history, you have been authorized a promotion to Fireteam Leader. For this mission, the UNSC has been given operational authority, so you will be in command of Aegis Team. Also note that Vael will be considered your second-in-command, and when the Swords have operational authority, you will likewise be considered his second-in-command."</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Shield World 006, sometimes known as Sarcophagus but more commonly known as ONI Research Facility Trevelyan had become partly-common knowledge among some of the UNSC. Aviza remembered hearing about the joint UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios Onyx United Research Project and that it contained a growing settlement with a population in the thousands. A few scenarios as to why the Brutes and or Rebels would want to attack such a colony that was undoubtedly heavily protected ran through the Spartans mind, perhaps it was for the Forerunner technology that was undoubtedly being integrated into humanities own, to create unrest among the UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios as had been suggested, or for some other unknown reason. Regardless their reasons, the fact that they would be traveling to Shield World 006 drew great interest for Spartan Aviza. From her knowledge, Shield World 006 was the largest Forerunner creation known to the galaxy, and being able to explore such a place caused a small flare of excitement. The mention of Remnant forces was oddly something Aviza had not considered until the moment, but then decided that if the Remnant had indeed carried out the most recent assaults, they would have been much more clean, precise, and well executed. The Remnant were more of a threat than the brutes, in all areas, and fighting them would prove quite a challenge. The Unggoy known as Grikgar had broken the chair he had be leaning back in, but had also brought up very good points that she had somehow over looked for the time being. He was correct, if the Brutes were as hungry as they appeared to be, why would there have been human corpses laying about? Clearly, Grikgar was much more intelligent than his fellow Unggoy, the thought of Yap Yap the Destroyer ran through her mind but was quickly pushed back at the mention of the flood. Aviza had heard of the Flood, seen videos and images of them, and even fought against simulations of them in War-Games but fighting them first hand was nothing she had experienced, and in all honestly, was not something she ever wanted to do. Thankfully though, Vael 'Virisusai explained that it was impossible for the Flood to be on Shield World 006. What happened next came as a surprise to Spartan Aviza Morgenstern, she knew Vael 'Virisusai and Major Robinson were in command of Team Aegis, but being selected as the Fire Team Leader caught her off guard. Still with her calm and collected demeanor, Aviza responded by standing then giving a momentary firm but crisp salute. "It is my honor to not only be chosen as Fire Team Leader but also to work with the Swords of Sanghelios, I will carry out my orders in the best interest of the UNSC and the Swords of Sanghelios as a whole." Once she was finished speaking, Aviza would grab onto her helmet with her left hand, assuming that they would be departing very shortly.</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 This was not what Ben had expected, but he went with it. "Ben, be advised that our team leader has not been briefed on your-" Ben silenced the AI by focusing his eyes on an option to silence Phong which had been programmed into his HUD. Vael knew at least some of Ben's background as an assassin whose real mission was to shoot traitors, cowards, and anyone who would threaten the fragile alliance between humans and the Elites, but Aviza might as well have been Grikgar for all she knew about him. And Ben was under very clear orders NOT to let more people know about his true purpose; he might as well have outranked any of them for the purposes of preventing an interspecies incident. If the mission had to fail in order to keep the peace, Ben wouldn't hesitate to make that happen. They could always deploy a second team, guaranteed, but there was no guarantee that humanity could survive another war. Still, he was also under orders to cooperate while the mission proceeded, and following Aviza was temporarily a part of that. He swallowed his disgust for the Spartan IV program and spoke up to Aviza. "Just make sure that the team keeps to its mission and that we do nothing to jeopardize the alliance. I hope the seriousness of the situation isn't lost on anyone. The human race nearly died in the last war, and that was before the Halo rings were discovered and all sapient life was nearly exterminated. I trust we will all be on our best behavior." "Do you want to see the odds that you're going to have to kill at least one of the team? They're getting higher every minute. The success rate of a mission led by a Spartan falls with every generation after the Spartan IIs. Even when-" Ben muted Phong once more, taking great care not to show any emotion or distrust by his body language. He had kept his helmet on the entire time, so nothing showed from that front.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Captain Leroux and Vael 'Virisusai --- Once the briefing itself was concluded, Shih returned to the data crystal chip, which Captain Leroux pulled from the holotank. After getting a brief confirmation from the Major that she was done, he addressed the team. "The ship to which Aegis Team has been assigned is the Autumn-class Heavy Cruiser, UNSC Chorus of Thunder. My ship. Now, I do not know the customs of the Swords of Sanghelios navy, so for the sake of clarity, I will say now that the Captain is the ranking officer aboard a UNSC vessel, regardless of your branch of service. That means that, as far as my ship is concerned, I have the final authority. As long as that is understood, there is a Pelican waiting outside to take you all to the ship in orbit. Given the needs of your missions, the Thunder has been outfitted for light ground support. A War Games Simulation module has been installed for your use, and you will all be given officer's quarters for the duration of your assignment to my ship. Apart from you, Tasuma." He said, looking to the Mgalekgolo. "Given your…unique requirements, a section of one of the hangers has been converted into a space suitable to your needs. For the Swords personnel present, your weapons have already been checked into the armory, and any other personal effects delivered to your quarters." --- After they were dismissed by the Major, Aegis Team were shown outside to their Pelican. While Tasuma did take up quite a lot of space on its own, a Pelican too was quite a sizable dropship. As long as the rest of the team kept to their seats, there was more than enough space for the Mgalekgolo to stand in the back. Their flight path had already been cleared before take-off, so the flight into orbit did not take too long. Although, even after their Pelican touched down in the cruiser's hanger, the team was not put in any particular hurry. They were deploying on their mission that day, but it would still be a few hours before the ship was ready to depart Earth. In the meantime, Aegis Team's members were free to do as they pleased. Vael was among the first to step out of the Pelican into the hanger. Vehicles and supplies were being loaded onto the ship and taken into storage, so the many of the crew were almost too busy to notice the ship's new set of passengers. Almost. He looked around with at least some slight curiosity. For Vael, this was not his first time aboard a Human warship, but it was his first time aboard as an ally to them. The last time he had walked through one of their corridors, it had been in a hail of bullets and plasma.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko The most eager allies took point ahead of Yalu. He made sure to find a place after Commander 'Virisusai so as not to steal unearned glory, though he was not hesitant. Morgenstern threw herself out of the pelican, then 'Virisusai, then Tasuma, then Ryker, and then Yalu loped out with the momentum of his human machine gun. He followed Ryker until just under the tail of the pelican, ducked across to the right of the pelican's rear, and lowered himself. He the spin of his weapons barrels required a bit of correction as he levelled his aim, and then... Shields flashed on the sentinels. They banked from the gale of high calibre rounds as bright flashes lit up the underside of the dropship tail. Sparks flew at the first two bullets that broke through the instant before a sentinel burst and fell with a heavy clatter. Yalu stopped firing to line up with another cluster of targets. "One down!" he shouted. More noise and tracers leapt out of Yalu's weapon. Another sentinel directed its beam across his energy shield a moment before it was overwhelmed by rapid fire. He had an arc of beside Tasuma and Ryker covered for now. A couple more beams and he would have to withdraw to recharge.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Planets Surface Grikgar waited for the Lekgolo to move out as it seemed a few of the humans where the first to get out and into the fray. Their tactics mirrored his own being the first out and last in just not as well trained to begin with. Tasuma rushed forward after a few others making itself a living barrier between them and the trench the pelican had made. A Spartan took up a position behind the hulking alien, he seemed to be using weapons better suited to go after the sentinels that didn't have shields. Grik moved quickly up behind the hunter pressing his methane tank up against the armored giant. He did this to ensure that his weak spot was better protected and so that he could move with the Lekgolo's movements and not against it. Running head first into the thick of it was how he inspired the best out of the grunts he used to lead, never backing down, never running. Charging his pistols the Unggoy began to fire the balls of tracking green plasma in two directions. One was being fired towards the robots low to the ground and the other was being fired towards the ones still coming down. Charged plasma fire was very good at downing and destroying the machines on their own at times let alone their ability to strip shields and stop electronics. This also had the chance of killing the sentinel without it setting off its secondary explosive and rendering it partially intact. There were still more targets highlighted on his visor but the grunt focused on the bots that were closest to them while staying out of the way of the Lekgolo's footsteps. "Watch for secondary explosions!" he called out.</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 Ben opened fire on the nearest sentinel, downing it with a well-places sniper shot. He had to conserve ammo on that rifle, so he found that he had to switch to his pistol for the time being. After downing four more with his pistol, he realized that his rounds were running out on that gun as well. His arms configuration on this mission had been optimized for taking down a few high-value targets, not a swarm of what might be deemed low-tier trash. Thinking quickly, he ran over to one of the fallen drones, discarded his pistol, and ripped out a beam turret from the construct, hastily checking to see if the weapon was still intact. He aimed the turret at an incoming sentinel and fired, releasing a potent line of thermal energy. It worked, and when it inevitably ran out of power, he'd simply be able to pick up another from one of the fallen sentinels. Why exactly the Forerunners included hand controls on a weapon meant to be fired by a robot without limbs was beyond him, but it didn't matter right now. He ran over in the direction of Grikgar and Tasuma. He knew that, unusually, the Unggoy was shielded, but Tasuma was not. The Mgalekgolo's armor was strong, but unlike an energy shield, it didn't recharge; all damage between repairs was permanent. Incredibly durable though Hunter armor was, it could be burned through eventually. It also had a weak point in the back which was left wide open to attack. And as the sentinels kept coming, the odds that one of them was going to fire its beam into the Hunter's exposed back grow greater and greater. "Tasuma, behind you! Ah!" Ben had leapt between Tasuma and a sentinel beam, taking the blow for the Hunter. Fortunately, Ben's shields had been almost at maximum durability when the beam hit. As such, he could take the blow head-on and return fire with the beam turret, quickly downing his assailant.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern "The number of Sentinels attacking us could grow if we do not tread carefully." Said Aviza over her coms as she snapped to her left and picked another Sentinel before firing upon it. The Forerunner construct fell to pieces after a sustained burst of fire from her MA5D, littering the ground in debris, some of which was burning with a vibrant blue flame. There was a momentary pause in fire from Spartan Aviza as she quickly moved to the right side of the Pelican and took cover behind one of the wings that had dug itself into the ground. "Not that many left, keep firing upon them while I contact the Marines in control of the Mammoth." It was at the time that she noticed that the ONI Spooks were making a mad dash for the Mammoth in the near distance. "You two, get back here and stay in cover, now." Said Aviza in a much more commanding tone, different from her calm and collected voice. She would be responisble if the two were killed under her command, and expected everyone to follow her orders to the letter. After crouching down to give herself better cover, Aviza contacted the crew of the Mammoth and gave them orders, if they could not move to the Mammoth at the moment, the Mammoth would have to come to them. "Move the Mammoth to our position, most of the Sentinels have been destroyed and should pose much less of a threat at the moment." The Mammoth could easily hold its own against the Sentinels, due to the heavy weaponry and armor plating installed upon it.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Shih --- If nothing else, Vael could see that the members of the team were quick to act, took initiative, and were deadly in a fight. Even just simple accuracy with their weapons set them apart. The sentinels were falling much quicker than they would against an average squad of marines, or lance of Swords warriors. Vael was keeping track as best as he could of their enemy; there had been seventeen Forerunner machines to start, and ten had fallen. Unfortunately, more sentinels had arrived within motion sensor range, a fact about which Shih was quick to alert the team, but the number of opponents within range to threaten them had still been temporarily thinned. Taking the opportunity, Vael dashed out from underneath the wing to the wreckage of one of the sentinels. He knew just what he was looking for, so it did not take long for him to holster his weapon and rip from the broken frame the sentinel's weapon. In his experience, the true best weapons against Forerunner machines were their own. It took only a moment for Vael's suit to identify the weapon and paint a reticle on his HUD. The internal battery of a sentinel beam did not last too long when disconnected from a sentinel's power source, but it would certainly be enough for this fight. Vael picked the harder-to-hit targets: the ones flying higher or faster. The intense orange beam hardly took more than a second of sustained fire to deplete the shields and cut through the sentinel's frame, and with no deviation and effectively no travel time, he could fire it with pinpoint precision. Three times Vael fired a burst of the beam, and each of the three times a sentinel came crashing to the ground. Though, as his weapon overheated, two of the remaining sentinels focused their weapons onto Vael. Despite having shield strength appropriate to his rank, the Forerunner weapons were enough to deplete his shields and scorch his chestplate before he could get back into cover under the wing. The nanolaminate plating held, though Vael could feel the heat it had absorbed. "Shields are down!" Vael called out. Vael was not the only one being pressured. Another beam from a different sentinel was cutting across the ground towards Grikgar, while another sentinel that had been damaged accelerated forward towards Ben, likely aiming to kill him with the secondary explosions of its own destruction. With the Spartan's shields weakened as they were, he was vulnerable. At the same time, the Marines radioed back to Aviza's request quickly. "Yes ma'am. Telemetry shows there is a plateau in the way, so we'll have to go around. ETA…two minutes." "More sentinels on approach, and they're spreading out. Looks like they're going to surround the crash site." Shih warned the team.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Tasumameyofaxre "Tasuma" Tasumameyofaxre<< Mgalekgolo Hunter >> << Shield World 006 "Sarcophagus >> The team worked well together, fanning out and splitting into teams quickly as the leader ordered. Surprisingly it wasn't just Grik to be beside him. Spartan Ryker was behind Tasuma not far behind, and the Spartan finished off the two sentinels that the Hunter had weakened. As the Hunter shielded itself from one beam attack, the Spartan peaked around Tasuma and emptied his SMG magazines into the attacking drone. "I got your six, Tasuma. Wouldn't do to not have each other's backs, right?" The Spartan said. Tasuma let out an agreeable grunt, the Spartan was correct. Another sentinel aimed at Tasuma, this time at its rear, but this seemed like a coordinated attack. Multiple sentinels attacked their group, one fired a beam towards Grik, and another, already damaged, dived towards them. A second Spartan leapt to Tasuma's defense, taking a beam to the shields, allowing Tasuma to act. It fired a burst of incendiary gel bolts at the the sentinel firing at Grik, the bolts tracking and smacking against its shield, depleting them. Tasuma had no time to finish it off, it would have to rely on its team for that. Tasuma turned its attention to the diving sentinel, waiting a second for the right moment, then it lifted its shield and swung it. The two ton shield smashed against the damaged sentinel with a loud clang, sending it careening away several meters and into the dirt.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker The left SMG came alive once more to gun down the Sentinel that was firing on Grikgar just before its beam reached the Unggoy and he shifted targets quickly, the remainder of the SMG's magazine went into the next Sentinel to come into the Spartan's sight along with most of the right SMG's. He fired the remaining rounds at an approaching Sentinel to make it veer off before he reloaded. "We should fall back some, use the Pelican's troop bay as a holding point til the mammoth gets here." Another Sentinel came at the group, but it made the mistake of passing too close to Lucas, who caught its underside and swung up on top of it before plunging the wrist mounted energy dagger into it. After gliding a few more feet, it fell to the ground and slid a few feet as Ryker leapt off. Once it stopped, he sliced it open with the self-same energy dagger and pulled out its weapon. "If more are moving into position around us, we might be in trouble. I've seen swarms incinerate large ships with a combined blast."</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko The new sentinels sweeping up over the terrain were not close enough for Yalu's machine gun to focus on. Their shields radiated with stray hits but the spread bullets only knocked them a little off course. Then in an instant he processed a sentinel gunning for Grikgar. He hardly noticed himself whip out his carbine before his machine gun clattered, dropped at his feet. "Danger close, Ultra!" Four sharp shots went straight into the damaged sentinel's 'eye'. Gravity pulled it to the dirt, thankfully unexploded. "Enemy down!" Yalu shouted. He had his primary weapon out now. There was not a moment in the chaos to pick his machine gun back up. "These machines won't be intimidated, either!" Yalu added to Ryker's comment between downing one across under the pelican's tail, trying to cover for Commander Virisusai. Yalu put his head down and darted to the Spartan Ben to help yank up him to his feet. "Honour yourself; do not bleed!" He turned his weapon to the side and strode, scanning for more.</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 "I don't think these things are in the mood to talk! Ben wasn't exactly bleeding, but Yalu's point was taken. The number of drones seemed to be endless, but Ben had been informed that Forerunner facilities rarely sent more than a few dozen drones out at a time at most, unless the flood was attacking. The Spartan-III heard the telltale sound of his shields recharging. He counted himself very lucky that he had never taken a blow which damaged his suit's battery. More thermal lances short out from the drones, forcing Ben to duck down. Grikgar would have been struck if not for his much shorter stature. "Just keep fighting! These things seem to be programmed to send a set number of themselves out against intruders! We just have to reach it and they'll stop coming!"</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Planets Surface Grikgar was paying close attention to the flight patterns of the surrounding sentinels. The team around him seemed to be doing rather well at choosing targets and keeping out of harm's way. The Spartans and even the other elite were calling out targets and the actions they were taking. This was no simulation but at least it showed him that they could work together. Well most of them anyways. The hunter and the other Spartans seemed to be quick to cover the blue Spartan and take out the sentinel's aiming for himself and the Lekgolo. Yet when the hunter shifted Grik could see a few small groups of circling sentinels group up just for a moment before continuing to circle. The Unggoy was quick to holster his right pistol and remove one of the plasma charges from his belt. Quickly molding it in his hand to the shape of a plasma grenade and waited for a moment. "Take Cover!" the grunt shouted throwing the charge into the combined mass of two smaller groups of sentinel's on similar flight paths. Following the charge with his pistol the demolitions expert discharged a short 4 round burst from his pistol striking the charge in the air near the grouped up robots. Twisting himself around the other side of the Lekgolo to use them as cover from the blast. He didn't know if it was close enough but at the very least the EMP or shock wave from the charge might do something.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern The advanced HUD that was built into Aviza's ARGUS-class Mjolnir armor showed that the Mammoth was now nearing their position, they would hopefully be able to retreat to the vehicle shortly. "The Mammoth is almost in range, get ready to fall back into it and provide each other with covering fire." said Aviza her into helmets coms. As the massive vehicle approached, Aviza stayed in cover, still behind the G79H-TC/MA Pelicans right wing, only taking opportune shots at the sentinels with her MA5D when available. So far, they Sentinels were not posing much of a threat as the group was primarily working well together, of course the two ONI Spooks who had ran off in hopes of getting to the Mammoth first did not exactly fall under this. As Spartan Aviza's old instructor once said to her, the best way to learn is upon the field of battle, and the current situation reinforced that statement. When Grikgar had yelled out for everyone to take cover, Aviza had already been safely positioned behind the Pelicans right wing, loading yet another clip into her MA5D Assault Rifle, but also getting ready to move out towards the rapidly approaching Mammoth. Thankfully, the EMP had no effect upon her suit, due to it having protection against such an attack. The shock-wave was felt, but due to the other attacks from the rest of her squad, was mostly drowned out. The low rumble from the Mammoth only grew with every second that passed, and Aviza had decided that it was now time for them to move to the M510. "Mammoth has arrived, everyone fall back and provide cover to the rest of the squad." said Aviza through her helmets coms as she stood up and away from the cover of the crashed Pelican. Once the M510 Mammoth had reached them, the large door upon the rear of it opened, allowing them to enter while the automated rocket pods upon the vehicles exterior locked onto the remaining sentinels and fired volleys of their armament. Aviza was the first of her squad, separate from the ONI Spooks, to board the Mammoth and enter its vehicle and cargo bay. The Spartan turned around and made sure her squad had all entered, still alive and in one piece. "Is everyone alright? Any injuries that need to be tended to?" Asked Aviza.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai With the assistance of the rest of the team in thinning out the sentinels and drawing fire away from him, Vael's shields recovered quickly. Ultimately, they only had to hold a few minutes, a feat of which this team proved more than capable. The machines, despite the power of their weapons, behaved predictably, so the team could easily manage the angles from which they could be threatened while supporting one another. Grikgar's attack was well-timed. The charge cleared a cluster of sentinels, and weakened the shields of a few beyond them, shortly before the Mammoth could be heard on approach. Vael moved out from under the wing for long enough to replace his sentinel beam with a fresh one, then rushed out to give covering fire as soon as Aviza gave the order to move. Most of the team was equipped to take some damage, but the Pelican's pilots, who followed Aviza's signal to move, were more vulnerable. Just as before, Vael found it easy to target the sentinels with the beam, and especially for those with already-damaged shields, they fell quickly. Vael sprinted out ahead of the group until he was about halfway to the Mammoth, then turned back to cover those behind him. Fortunately, they had cleared enough of the machines before making their run that it was not too difficult of a task. He simply focused his fire on any sentinel that seemed to be pointed towards any of his more vulnerable allies. Rockets from the Mammoth provided support as well, though they naturally could not target too close to their position. As Vael finally reached the Mammoth, his shields flared from a sentinel beam striking across his back, but this time, they held until he could make it up the ramp. Once the last of them were inside, the ramp raised up and closed them inside the safety of their mobile base. Even stripped down and lightened as it was, the Mammoth's armor was still much thicker than that of the Pelican and could handle the sentinels' weapons. The sentinels would pursue for a time, but as long as the Mammoth moved away from whatever it was they were protecting, they would not follow forever. Vael could feel the sting of a burn on his chest. His armor's plating dispersed the heat effectively enough to avoid serious injury, though, so he did not find it worth mentioning. "We're fine." The Pelican pilot responded. The co-pilot looked to be catching his breath, though he nodded in agreement to the pilot. "Holy hell, you guys don't screw around…" He said, looking over at the rest of the team. Indeed, for the average soldier, the capabilities of a team such as theirs was nothing short of astounding. A normal squad of marines or Swords lance likely would have faced significant casualties in such a situation, if they even survived at all.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker When the call to fall back to the Mammoth came through, Lucas was already hopping to cover his teammates, letting them move before he did and firing bursts of his SMGs to try and somewhat deter the machines from following too closely. Eventually, he was up the ramp and with the rest of the team, with Tas close behind him. The call for a wellness check prompted Ryker to check his chest plate, where a Sentinel beam had glanced off his shields. Patting it down revealed a level of warmth, unsurprising since the shielding stopped the beam itself, not the heat transfer, but undamaged beyond that. Satisfied, he spoke up in response. "Spartan Ryker, alive and ready to roll." With his check-in done, he gave the eye to his unshielded teammates and made sure that the Sentinels hadn't managed to connect any shots. Satisfied they were fine, the Spartan went and found a seat and then set about taking his SMGs apart and cleaning them after removing the magazines and clearing the breaches. An uncared for weapon was a weapon that could malfunction after all.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Grikgar's grenade whined to a full charge a moment before Yalu dove for cover. The sound of metal blasting apart joined a flash on the walls of the pelican. He stood back up with his carbine levelled to shoot the surrounding sentinels down like flying animals. Relief didn't come too soon as far as Yalu was concerned. He moved as prompted, though was sure to escort one of the human pilots by his upper arm to ensure he was covered by Yalu's energy shield. The human barely kept pace. No sooner was he in the Mammoth than Yalu let the pilot go and spun around to cover Tasuma's retreat. Only when the large doors shut did he habitually replace the magazine of his carbine in three rapid movements. "Major 'Suumko still effective," Yalu responded to Aviza. He had little else to add.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre The combat sim control panel was of Human design, like most of the equipment in Paxopolis. This meant Tar needed several tries to get the settings correct; none of the preset scenarios tested the skills she was instilling in the recruits. She growled in frustration as even the smallest digit on her hand still entered the wrong enemy combatants. Starting again, she skimmed past the human configurations like 'Insurrectionist hijackers' and 'angry urban mob' to access Covenant-era hostiles. Sangheili Zealots <- No Mgalekgolo Pair <- No Yanme'e Swarm <- No Jiralhanae Stalkers <- Perfect She locked them in, selected the number and overall skill level, then checked the rest of the settings before confirming. Lights shining from the high ceiling switched from amber to green, another Human design which meant they were ready to begin. Satisfied the simulation was ready, she turned back to her recruits. Four young Sangheili males stood awkwardly in the centre of the cavernous, empty sim room. They clutched their energy swords and stared suspiciously around as Tar walked quickly over to join them. Among recruits to Paxopolis' defensive garrison, there were few who were truly "green", as the Humans would say. Among the UNSC, it was a secret facility, so they intended to insist upon soldiers with proven loyalty and ability. However, that did not mean that new recruits could simply be integrated right away. They still needed to be evaluated and trained to perform their duties. For some, it could be more difficult to train them than fresh recruits, as some had just enough experience to be stubborn. As Tar drew closer, she could see the four Sangheili recruits were awaiting the start of the simulation with varying degrees of eagerness or irritation. The farthest to the left, from Tar's perspective, was considered by some to be an ideal recruit. He strictly adhered to hierarchy and would obey any order from a superior to the letter, without question or hesitation. However, he also seemed to lack much creativity himself. He was actually the most experienced among the recruits, but not the highest rank. The second in line was one who generally received little respect among his peers. Or at least, not from other Sangheili. He was often hesitant to fight, and though capable when motivated, he seemed to have little drive to improve himself. The third was the one among them who had ascended to Major rank. He was quite tall and strong, even for a Sangheili, and he already had proven skill in combat, but he was far from humble. He had already openly shown disdain for this extra training he was being put through, and he seemed to be somewhat dismissive towards Tar. The last in line was a recruit who was easy to forget about. He has no special experience nor accomplishments, though also no overt flaws. He tended to speak only when spoken to, and generally only said the bare minimum of what was required of him. All four of them drew up to their full stature as Tar entered their space, as she'd noticed was usual for young males. She returned all of their stares to make sure they were listening before briefing them. "Brute Stalkers have infiltrated the base. Their objectives are unknown, but they've infiltrated the Command room and deactivated our defenses. They're contained within the Command complex, but the lights have been disabled and they'll fight hard to break free. Our mission is to insert and kill or capture them all. Any questions?" After a few moments of silence, the second Sangheili, the young warrior named Jurna, started to move his mandibles to speak, but the Major soon spoke over him, loudly and with no shortage of confidence. "I require nothing more than a target. We are not helpless younglings who have never gripped a plasma rifle. We shall slay these mongrels quickly and be done with this nonsense." Jurna did not continue his original thought, and neither of the others spoke up as well, for differing reasons. In any case, each recruit did seem to be ready to enter... They would be armed with simulations of their chosen weapons once the scenario had begun. Tar chuckled at the Major's arrogance. She moved closer, until she stood within an arm's grasp. "Stalkers do not present targets - they are ghosts. Move too quickly, and they will tear you limb from limb. Split from your team, and they will slaughter you. Follow my instructions, stay in formation, and protect your unit, and you may all make it out alive. If you put your team at risk, I will kill you myself, am I understood?" She moved closer still, her head tilted slightly back to meet his gaze fully. The Major just growled, exhibiting a string of body cues that spoke volumes about his displeasure. Tar smiled and looked at the other recruits before hitting a button on her wrist interface. The amber lights above them began flashing. "Prepare yourselves, the simulation starts in thirty seconds."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael could still hear the muffled sounds of explosions from within the Mammoth as the rocket turrets fired back on the pursuing sentinels. He could feel that they were moving, likely at close to the Mammoth's maximum speed. Sentinels, unlike organic foes, held no grudges. Once they were beyond the area the machines were defending, they would no longer pursue. Although the Mammoth was a massive vehicle, its thick armor allowed for less interior space than it might have appeared from the outside. It was not exactly cramped, but to accommodate a ten person team, plus the Mammoth crew and the two pilots, they would have to use their space efficiently. The two Warthogs were held along a rail above the vehicle bay, so there was a fair amount of open space on the lower deck. The middle deck above them had some modifications to better accommodate its role as their mobile base. Just to the right of the entrance to the cockpit was a space that had been designated for use as the equivalent of a medical tent, while to the left was storage for their rations and other extra supplies. To the rear of the deck was an expanded armory, equipped with both Human and Covenant weapons. The top deck was mostly unchanged, apart from the removal of the mini-MAC. In its place was the improved communications equipment and sensors they had been provided for their mission, though it was covered by retractable armored plates when not in use. For anything else that the team might need on an extended mission, they would need to make due with what they had and improvise. Until it was needed again, Vael intended to secure his captured sentinel beam in the armory. Though first, he approached the pair of ONI agents. He had allowed the female to make use of his carbine, but he found little to approve of in either of their actions. They had moved without orders, and did not return when ordered to do so. They were fortunate that the sentinels had not focused their attention on them when they moved beyond cover. Were they his warriors, Vael would have ensured they were punished for their insubordination, but at this stage, he felt it best to allow the Human commander to be the one to deal with the Humans. Still, his displeasure did come through with his tone when he spoke to Corporal Cohen. "Return my weapon." He ordered simply.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 Ben scanned the area, using his helmet's built-in scopes to look around. No threats were incoming from any direction, and his radar's IFF readings didn't show any hostiles. Satisfied that things were calm for the moment, he turned his attention to Grikgar "Grik, be careful with those things. No one really knows how Forerunner tech works, and we don't need to risk disabling the Mammoth in an explosion. What are you trying to make, anyway?" "If I may bring something to your attention, Ben. The UNSC is currently working with reverse-engineered Forerunner equipment to integrate it into new warships, including the UNSC Inf-" Not for the first time, Ben muted the "dumb" AI. As a Spartan, Ben was capable of a number of sophisticated tasks, such as operation of almost every weapon in the UNSC arsenal, piloting ships of every class, operating artillery up to and including MAC cannons, and even training with building and defusing bombs. He had built and planted bombs on several occasions, usually with the goal of taking out a target marked for "pacification" by ONI. As he had said, few if any people still alive understood the intricacies of Forerunner machinery; he even suspected that this knowledge was limited even among the Forerunners themselves. While he didn't dismiss Grikgar's skills entirely, he had to question how much training the Unggoy had in this area. It could have been bias talking, but he didn't see a Grunt- cannon fodder- as being able to deal with this safely. Not by himself. Grunts and explosives tended to mix very poorly for the sake of the former. "Maybe I could lend a hand? I've handled explosives since probably before your grandparents were born, ever since I was barely taller than you." It just occurred to Ben that he had admitted handling explosives since he was about 10. "ONI made Spartan recruits do things that children don't normally do. Let's just leave it at that."</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre Just as he was ordered, Ryssa was the one to take the lead, storm rifle in hand with a needler at his side. "Move forward." He said aloud through their comms to those behind him. He had neglected to give any specific instruction as to the order in which they should move, so it was the Major that was just behind him. He wielded a storm rifle as well, with an energy sword at his side. Jurna, as he always did when given the choice, was armed with a carbine and needler, while the silent Sangheili just in front of Tar held a plasma rifle in his right hand, and a plasma pistol in the left. Ryssa moved straight ahead down the hall towards the fork at the end of the corridor. He, and the rest of the recruits, had night vision enabled, though that by itself would not reveal stalkers using active camouflage. As they moved, he was paying more attention to his motion tracker than he was his own eyes, and he did not order to clear the side rooms as they passed them by. The recruits obviously hadn't absorbed the room clearing exercise Tar had put them through two days ago in one of Paxopolis' crowded storage facilities. She shook her head - not a good start. They quietly passed two doorways, which Tar looked through as a reflex. She saw base workers slumped over the workstations, their seats and the floor covered in blood. The Brutes hadn't even given them a chance to fight back. Footsteps, fast approaching from another doorway to her right. She pivoted as quick as her feet would allow, brought her Mauler to bear and fired. The blast impacted a Stalker's shield barely a metre away before the now half-visible Brute crashed into Tar. She was lifted off her feet and propelled backwards through another doorway where they both clattered to the floor. Her Mauler blast had evidently damaged Stalker's shield, because it fizzled out with a loud 'pop'. In the dim, light Tar found the bright red beam of the Stalker's single helmet lens a few inches from her face. Huge tombstone teeth gnashed at her as the Brute wrestled past Tar's raised arms and got his hands around her throat. She spluttered as her windpipe instantly closed with the Brute crushing the life out of her. She knew she only had seconds to react as dark spots danced in front of her vision.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Shih and Vael 'Virisusai --- Shih completed the first part of Aviza's request before she finished her sentence, though in this case, she did not have the option to comply with the second. "I have compiled a report, and I can queue it for transmission, but our mandate for long-range radio silence prevents me from sending it back to the Thunder. At least until we positively identify the location of the insurrectionist base." Once he had his weapon returned, Vael went to the Mammoth's armory to secure his sentinel beam and replenish his ammunition. The Spartan, Rex, did so as well, though the two spoke not a word to one another. Even among the other Humans, Rex kept to himself when not performing any tasks. In any case, Vael had no reason to disturb him. He had more pressing concerns in mind. First and foremost, he moved up to the top deck to check on the status of the Mammoth and its pursuers. Even lightened as it had been, the Mammoth could not hope to outrun sentinels, but fortunately, it did not need to. Once their vehicle moved far enough beyond what the sentinels were protecting, they simply disengaged. Looking at the outside plating, Vael could see plenty of scorch marks and melted armor in places, but it all seemed superficial. For now, their mission could proceed. There was no choice but to have the pilots of the Pelican join them, but as long as nothing else went wrong, that would not be a problem. For a few moments, Vael observed the environment around him. They had landed in an arid, rocky desert, and he was unsure of how far it extended in any direction. Only a small fraction of Sarcophagus' immense surface had been mapped, and the area they were in was not among it. There was as much distance between their current location and Paxopolis as there was between Sanghelios and its primary star. Truly, they could not know what was ahead of them; they would just have to be adaptable. Heading back into the Mammoth, Vael decided to use the time in which they would be stuck traveling, though he was not sure of what he could accomplish that would be of value. Space was limited for a team of ten, plus the Mammoth's crew, so that restricted his options. He ended up returning to the lower deck, and eventually set his attention on their most conspicuous team member: the Mgalekgolo Tasuma. While their kind were exceptionally durable in their armor, Vael did have concerns over how it might fare on an extended mission. As Vael approached, he took a moment to examine the Hunter's armor. Though its base was still made of familiar nanolaminate alloys, there were some additions that were unmistakably Human. He had not yet had time to read Tasuma's file fully and learn its background, but it was obvious that it had been working with the Humans long before the idea of Aegis Team had been conceived. "Tasuma, what is the status of your armor? Are repairs possible?"</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Tasumameyofaxre "Tasuma" Tasumameyofaxre<< Mgalekgolo Hunter >> << Shield World 006 "Sarcophagus" // Aboard the M510 Mammoth >> Tasuma stayed put in the troop bay, fearing that the stairs leading up to the 2nd and 3rd decks weren't rated for its weight. It instead passed the time by watching what Grik was doing. In honesty the Hunter was more interested in the pile of scrap metal than what the Unngoy was doing. But he felt it was impolite to impose, it seemed that Grik was familiar with what he was doing, and Tasuma knew that some people became irritable when their work was disrupted. When Ben offered his help, Tasuma turned his attention away, not wanting to bother them. Perhaps he would browse through the metal later, when it was piled and stored away for cataloging. It turned to examine the Warthogs mounted on the rail above it, they were extremely common in the UNSC, and extremely versatile. It took a moment to admire the vehicle, it knew its abilities in battle, as an enemy and an ally. It felt a Sangheili approach, but Tasuma wasn't sure which one it was just yet. It turned its head to look at the Elite. "Tasuma, what is the status of your armor? Are repairs possible?" Vael asked. "Commander." Tasuma addressed. It bowed its head slightly, in respect. "Armor integrity, full. Shield integrity, neared melting point in battle. Will cool, and return to optimal status with time." Tasuma reported. Concerning repairs, that was a much more complicated outcome. Depending on the part, a full weapon forge or weapons factory would be the best option to repair the armor plating. He knew that the UNSC were constructing one such specialized factory at Spatha Base on Earth, for the Iteyi Recovery Project, to produce spares for Tasuma and to experiment with nanolaminate materials. Out here in the field, if Tasumas armor split, there would be no feasible way to repair and reshape the armor to specification. However, the ODSTs did have a few tricks up their sleeve, it remembered. "If armor fails, we will require a Forge to repair to operational status. Or... 'duck tape'."</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern The dumb A.I. that was built into Aviza's ARGUS-class Mjolnir was informing the Spartan III that the area the Mammoth was currently traveling though was arid, rocky desert that had a current high temperature. Aviza knew that the armor would make adjustments to help her stay nice and cool in such unfavorable weather, but wondered if the others had been lucky enough for such modifications to be installed into theirs. This thought ran through the Spartans mind as she walked through the interior of the Mammoth, also heading towards the armory, following a few of the others who had decided to do that same. Instead of putting her weapons into the armory locker, she had decided to re-arm and re-gear for whatever was next for them. New clips, a few new grenades, and a new melee weapon were carefully selected from the stock that was currently available. The melee weapon that Spartan Aviza had picked out was different from most others, while it was an energy sword, the blade was a bright red, unlike the vibrant blue that she had always seen, something about it had called to her, and she had answered. With the unique energy blade in hand, she approached Vael 'Virisusai and spoke. "Pardon me Vael, but I wanted to ask you a personal question." She would power up the energy blade and show it to the Sangheili before her. "I hear that these energy swords hold a special and deeply profound meaning among your people. I do not wish to offend you or any of your kind, and wish to ask for your permission to wield this weapon upon the field of battle. I have seen blue energy swords upon the field of battle, but have never seen one that had a red blade before. Something about it feels, ominous, perhaps I have heard of red bladed energy swords somewhere in my past." Aviza paused for a moment as the memory came back to her, "Spartan Killers, the Silent Shadow, that is where I have heard about red energy swords." The Woman held up the unique energy sword to get a better look at it, "Perhaps using a normal energy sword would be better, less distasteful, and less disrespectful."</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre Tar groped desperately around with her right hand for her Mauler, but it had skittered away into the gloom. So instead, Tar pulled her energy sword from his mount on her left thigh, activated it and thrust it into the Stalker's abdomen. He let out a furious roar and tried to dismount her. Tar wrapped her right arm around the Brute's neck and stabbed him four more times in the stomach with her left. The force of her last blow pushed his now limp body off to the side, where he lay still. Tar quickly rose to her feet and holstered her sword. The recruits had entered the room and were staring at her. Tar spotted her Mauler lying under a desk and picked it up. Satisfied all her gear was together, she quickly strode to where Ryssa stood and shoved him against a wall. "One of your teammates just died. When I show you tactics I expect you to use them. We always check corners and clear rooms. Fail me again and you'll do this simulation alone, Is that clear?" "Yes, Commander!" Ryssa replied, almost on reflex, though he still frantically looked around with some confusion after taking a more literal interpretation of her reprimand. He had seen the tail end of the short fight, but from what he could see, everyone around him was still alive. "Good." Tar grabbed the recruit and shoved him towards the doorway. "Take point." The Major, stood slightly outside the doorway, snarled and turned away. Ryssa followed his orders to the letter and took point, this time making sure to clear the rooms they passed on the way forward. It seemed, at the very least, that Tar's harsh reminder was enough to get him to pay more attention to what he was doing and follow his training. Not only did he continue checking his corners, but he did not need to be told where to go once they reached the junction in the hallway. Data centers, or the commanders themselves, were the most likely target of an attack like this, both of which took them down the left hallway. As the team headed up the stairs to the next floor, there was a spike of activity on their sensors. All at once, each of their motion trackers started showing multiple red dots, on their level as well as above and below, moving frantically all around them. Jurna immediately raised his carbine and pointed it ahead at the top of the stairs above, though quickly turned around to point it back the way they came. "They're surrounding us!" He shouted, unsure of where he should be focusing his attention.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael briefly turned his attention to the Mgalekgolo's shield. Generally, they were durable enough to be all but impervious to the majority of small arms, but sentinel beams could damage even starships. Still, even in a damaged state, it would likely be serviceable against Human and Jiralhanae weapons. By Vael's assessment, Tasuma was still equipped to fight. However, there was more for Vael to be curious about, especially the more he observed Tasuma's armor. "You seem ready for battle, but there is more I would know about you. I was given a document with your history, but I would prefer to ask you myself. You are unusual for one of your kind. Your armor, equipment, the way you act towards them…you have worked with the Humans long before the idea of this team was conceived. You also fight without a bond brother, yet the spikes on your back show that you do, or did, have one. I am curious what events brought you here." Vael questioned Tasuma, though the two of them did not remain alone for long before there was an interruption. The Spartan, Aviza, approached bearing an energy sword. Vael glanced down at the crimson blade. "I question what such a blade is doing in a Human armory, but…it does not matter. In the hands of a Sangheili, a sword is the weapon of nobility. Of honor, and the symbol of our skill. Swordsmanship is among our most respected practices. You are correct that the sword has meaning to us, but you are not of our kind. In your hands, there is no meaning. Some may disagree with me, but for you to wield a sword, there is no honor to be gained, nor lost. You are not Sangheili, and you are not under our command. It is not of our concern what trophies you take. Regardless, our rules and customs regarding the sword are primarily respected outside the military. On the field of battle, even a lowly Minor may pick up a sword if the situation demands it." Again, Vael put his attention to the blade. His answer might have seemed dismissive, but he said what he believed to be true. Her use of a sword was not something worthy of offense, though at the same time, her mere use of it would not gain respect. In any case, he had no qualms about informing her on a subject about which she clearly had little knowledge. "To wield that sword in particular is not a matter of honor nor respect, but skill. That blade burns hotter than the average sword, but that heat gives it a fine edge in more ways than one. It can cut through more armor, stronger armor, with speed and efficiency, but with that blade it is possible to cut too quickly. When rending flesh, it burns hot enough to cauterize immediately. There is less bleeding, and if the wielder cuts too quick, less damage to surrounding tissue. If the cut does not find a vital area, your opponent may survive. A wielder of that blade is one who is precise, restrained, and skilled enough to always find his mark."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko The calm had not quite settled in Yalu's mind by the time the others started to slow down. He escorted his commander Vael to the roof, as much to carry out his duties as to see what was going on. Thankfully he did not need to fire another shot. After stepping back into the mammoth, he took a deep breath and holstered his carbine. On any other mission, there would have been a few friendly bodies left behind by the crashed pelican. "I'll be listening for orders, commander," Yalu mentioned to Vael before wandering off. Now that everything was well, he had a burning curiosity about the vehicle they were housed in. Yalu stopped by every space on the mammoth, from the rear to the drivers seats up front, though the latter could be described as a bridge. He had piloted just about every covenant military vehicle there was, but human wheeled vehicles were a rare treat. In his wanderings, Yalu happened to be in a position to eavesdrop on Commander Aviza's castigation of the runaway special operations warriors. Yalu had not judged them too harshly -- humans had a different idea of honour after all. At the very least, he thought Aviza wise to not give Roy's explanation any attention. It was provocative. Aviza was clear enough. Do humans have just as much pride as sangheili? How did they not cut each other to pieces without sangheili honour? Yalu shook his head and headed to the bridge again to see where they were going. "Pilot," Yalu said to the human in the primary driving seat, possibly giving both the driver and co-driver a fright. "Once we are out of danger, I am interested in learning more about this vessel."</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Planets Surface Grikgar continued his single minded attraction to the sentinel pieces, a few of the others showed interest that he could see but little else. The Lekgolo seemed to look in his direction but little more, Grik was certain that it was looking for metal scraps more than tech though. The Spartan that had been talking to him earlier and seemed to be the nicest towards him so far stepped forward and seemed to question what the Unggoy was doing. The grunt looks up from his work for a moment and tips his head to the side. "Grikgar does not know, only ever saw Huragok repair sentinels once in this way. It attached two power sources together and it stabilized the power source." Picking up the part and moving it around to see the different sides of it. "Like this, Grik does not know why but if combined with another explosive has…." He paused for a moment trying to grasp the right term. "Unexpected result? If anything at all. As humans say wild card." Placing the part between the two of them. Grikgar then began to go over the different scraps of armor and metal frame, again placing those that he deems unusable in a pile. The Unggoy began to put some of the scraps up to his armor looking like he was seeing if they would improve it or not. Again he put more parts into the scrap pile until only a few frame pieces where left in one pile and other inner working parts in another. Moving the more complicated but still technically good parts next to his locker with the few good Frame parts. "Ok now Grik has things to repair his armor with and tinker." It was his way of keeping away from boredom while also being resourceful. "Tasuma!" he called out to the Lekgolo in his high pitched voice and waved his arm as if his voice didn't get its attention. "If you want those scraps Grik is done with them." Motioning towards the small pile. Spartan Ben was still examining the power source so Grikgar began picking up the sentinel beams and placing them in the armory next to the other.</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 "If you aren't certain what the result is when combining them, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to combine them. I doubt either of us has the luck of John-117. Oh, you might know him as Master Chief, or "The Demon." He has unnatural luck, you know. If it was him, the effect would be just what we needed at just the right time. If it's anyone else, we're likely to end up deader than Roger Wilco on a trash hauler. Oh, the Wilco thing is from an ancient piece of human media." Ben continued to examine the power source. He was fairly certain that he knew what this was, but couldn't be entirely sure. He lowered his voice, not wanting anyone to know what he was saying. "Phong, does this match any device on record?" "Scanning. Processing. Cross-examining device with other records. Match not found." "Match not-? The UNSC has had the opportunity to examine hundreds of Forerunner devices, including sentinels." "Thousands, actually. The Forerunners had a very different approach to technology compared to humanity or the Covenant. While interchangeable parts were employed, they were only used to the extent that interoperability within the same class of structures was allowed, and sometimes, not even then. In other words, each class of Forerunner installation operated on a different basis, in a manner not dissimilar to how ancient human kingdoms each had their own types of weight and measurements." "Meaning what?" "Meaning we don't know what the effect of the Unggoy's tinkering will be. It could be harmless, or it could be catastrophic. I am unable to calculate odds based on the data available. It would help to know precisely what the Unggoy intends to do with the Forerunner technology, but even if he told us, further analysis is impossible without the proper equipment, and there are only five laboratories in the entire UNSC properly tooled to handle Forerunner-" "Thank you, Phong. I'll trust Grik on this one." Ben set the power source down and looked out at the wilderness around them, if that was the proper term for their environment.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre --- The Major grunted dismissively at Jurna. He did have more experience to recognize what was actually happening. "No, fool. They're jamming our motion trackers. Rely on your own two eyes, not your sensors." While the team had stopped, Tar was turned and covering the bottom of the stars with her Mauler. "Make a decision, recruit. Get us off this stairway." She said gruffly over comms. Again, Tar's instruction quickly set Ryssa into motion. "Move ahead. Carefully. Daha, cover our flank." He instructed, prompting the generally silent Sangheili to give a brief acknowledgement, then follow with his gaze directed behind them. The next floor mostly consisted of a large, open plan office space. A poorly lit walkway ahead of them cut through arrangements of workstations and holographic screens on either side. Flimsy plastic room dividers offered a degree of privacy for the worker bees in this area. In the middle of the room were a set of meeting rooms, partitioned by floor to ceiling plate glass. Even without night vision, the team could see a faint red glow reflecting on the ceiling near the centre of the office space. Tar suspected Ryssa and The Major knew what it meant, but neither immediately acknowledged it so she focused the team's attention. "That's the Brute radar jammer on the floor over there. We need to destroy it." Ryssa was quick to follow Tar's instruction and gesture to them to move forward, but the Major was hesitant. He stayed in place, raising up his storm rifle and scanning his surroundings with his gaze. "Wait. If the jammer is here, then so too are the Brutes." Each of the recruits raised their weapons in turn, looking in different directions all around them. Beyond the team itself, the whole floor seemed to be but stillness and silence. The Jiralhanae attack was meant to have taken place at night, so there were no bodies of workers here, and the offices seemed to be undisturbed. There was no shattered glass, broken doors, or overturned tables, just…silence. In that environment, it was easy to become acutely aware of every small sound that could be heard: the tapping of their armored boots against the hard floor each time they shifted their feet, the slight stretching and compression of their undersuits each time they turned their heads or sufficiently moved a muscle, and even the breaths they took. Among the recruits, it was actually Jurna's eyes that were sharp enough to notice a slight shimmer through the glass on the far side of one of the meeting rooms. He was not sure of what he saw, nor how he should react, but he did nevertheless point his carbine directly at it. The shimmer seemed to react to this, moving abruptly towards the edge of the plate glass wall and into the open. Tar, who was covering the rear, detected a very faint haze moving between them and the stairway they had just ascended, cutting them off. "They're behind us." She reported, raising her Mauler even though they were out of its effective range. "It's a tra-". Before she could finish, a fire bomb flew past her visor and landed right in the middle of the group. Flames exploded outward into a pool on the floor, lapping at the shields of Ryssa, the Major and Daha, who were up front.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael felt some irritation. He had been speaking with Tasuma before Aviza's interruption, and he still wanted to learn more of the Lekgolo's connection to the Humans. However, if Aviza wanted to make their plans now, his presence would likely be required. Vael turned his head briefly towards the Mgalekgolo. "Tasuma, I want you to move around the vehicle and see if there is anywhere you cannot access. Try to get up the stairs if you can. If you are able, then you may join us on the command deck." As requested, Vael moved up the stairs to the middle deck, towards the Mammoth's cockpit, which was where everything relevant to the vehicle's command was meant to be centered. Curiously, Vael found upon entering that he and Aviza were not the first to arrive. The other Sangheili, Yalu, was at the front of the cockpit speaking to the drivers. The driver to Yalu's left was surprised to hear his question…and even more surprised to turn back and look at him. The Mammoth's crew had naturally been informed of the nature of their mission, but that did not make it less strange for him to have a Sangheili asking him about his vehicle. "Well, um, those sentinels have backed off for now, so we're not being shot at anymore. It's heavily armored, if that's what you're worried about. It would take a lot more than those beams to get through the plating." He answered.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko "Yes," Yalu replied. "The weight and material is impressive. I expect no remnant or swords ground vehicles short of a scarab focus cannon could puncture it. And that could take more than one direct hit." He turned an eye to look at the pilot rather than ahead. "How is this Mammoth's movement powered? It must be something more potent than the hydrogen cells of your smaller vessels." Yalu did not have the tact to make the human pilot entirely comfortable, but he did learn a few technical details. The conversation was not especially long. It ended once Commander Vael called Yalu over to discuss plans with the team.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre --- "Take cover right!" Tar shouted, assuming control just as a barrage of plasma fire erupted from several points around the large room. They waded through the flames into a partitioned area with a semi-circle of holo consoles. Tar took several hits to her shield from the Stalkers guarding the stairway before leaping behind one of the consoles. The Brute weapons punched holes in the plastic room dividers as they lost line of sight on her. Tar peeked over the top of her cover. She counted at least four Stalkers slowly approaching their position, plus the two guarding the stairway. Their camouflage slipped every time they fired their weapons, revealing a cautious, calculated advance. Tar estimated they were each twenty feet apart, progressing down the open spaces between work areas. In this case, not a single recruit so much as hesitated in following Tar's order. The Major broke straight through the partition, with the others following just behind. Each moved into whatever cover they could find, as quickly as they could. The room dividers could break line of sight, though there was no weapon they would actually stop. Plasma fire and spikers ripped through them with ease, just without as much accuracy. Ryssa, with his shields already damaged from his brush with the flames and few stray plasma rounds, dove behind the holo-consoles. They were at least somewhat more sturdy than most of the other parts of the office. His response to being pinned was actually reasonably effective, considering his options, even if it was a strategy one might have learned from an Unggoy. He did not peer out from cover to return fire, but rather grabbed his needler and lifted it up just high enough to fire over the console, roughly in the direction that one of the Brutes was firing from. He did not need to be accurate; as long as the needler was pointing in mostly the right direction, its needles would find a target. When the attack had began, Jurna had fired four shots with surprisingly good accuracy. He tracked the shimmer he had seen and, out of his four shots, hit three to break the Brute's powered armor. However, once his own shields started taking damage, he did not follow through to make the kill. He ran with the others into the side room and, like Ryssa, took cover behind the consoles. Though, unlike the other recruit, he did not return fire from his position. He hid as best as he could, and intended to continue doing so until his shields were fully recharged. With the partitions at least stopping accurate fire, the Major took a moment to scan the room they had hastily entered. Given how quickly they had been forced to move, there was no reason to believe they had moved to safety. And indeed, at this range, his eyes were sharp enough to spot at least two shimmers moving carefully closer to Jurna and Tar. Drawing his energy sword, the Major sprinted for the nearest stalker. "Brutes behind us!" He shouted. Reacting instantly, Tar jumped up, grabbed her energy sword from its mount on her left thigh, activated it and blindly slashed it through the air behind her in one fluid motion. The dual tips of her sword grazed the armour of a Stalker; the room lit up with blue light as his shield protected his neck from being slit. Regaining her balance, Tar raised her right hand and fired a round from her Mauler into the same shield, breaking it completely. At the same time, she watched the Stalker fire their Mauler at her face. She was momentarily blinded as the slug exploded right in front of her eyes, and she felt her shield go offline with a jolt. Tar let out an angry roar and leapt forward, sword poised. She made impact with…something, and clattered to the floor with it before stabbing it with her weapon multiple times. The Major's blade quickly found its mark on the nearest stalker. The Brute's active camouflage may have rendered it only a shimmer in the air, but a wide arc with his blade in front of him could reach easily over two and a half meters in front of him, and the sword itself could cut through even a starship's armor with ease. The Brute was quite simply bisected. There had only been two of the cloaked Brutes in the room they had ran into, but the Major had no intent of staying put and holding out. Though his shields were damaged, he still preferred aggression. "Attack with me! These mongrels are nothing to us!" He shouted. Off on their right flank, on the other side of a thin wall, he could hear movement, which was all he needed to strike. With a frenzied roar as his battle cry, he broke straight through the wall in a charge. A diagonal swing of his sword and another stalker was cut in two. This time, however, the Brute was not without assistance. Just to his left, another Brute fired his mauler, both revealing himself, and stripping away the Major's shields. He was close enough that the Major could react quickly and impale him through the chest with his blade, but there were still more Brutes farther away, and the Major was now clearly in their line of sight. Ryssa had intended to follow the Major's instruction. Based on the sound of a supercombine explosion beyond the wall he had been firing through, his needles had found a target, but the Brutes were not unintelligent. Though they could not see him, they could roughly determine where he was firing from when they saw the needles, so Ryssa found himself pinned by a volley of plasma and spiker fire. His shields took a stray hit, so they were not yet recharging, and he could not move to assist the Major. Jurna had an angle from which he could help at range, but his shields were charging and he still had no intention of revealing himself until they were full. Daha was the farthest from the Major, and the closest to Tar, and it was she who he intended to help. He charged his plasma pistol, firing the overcharged bolt at a stalker who had a clear line of sight onto Tar. The shot broke the Brute's powered armor immediately, allowing his follow-up shots from his plasma rifle to deal potentially deadly damage. Ultimately, there was no help that would come for the Major in time to save him. A burst of spiker fire from a more distant stalker struck his unshielded chest and neck, and his armor was not enough to protect against the volley. The red plating of his armor was stained purple by his blood. Simulated as it might have been, his death was still convincing. The Major had successfully relieved most of the pressure from their right flank, but at the cost of his life.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai For the members of Aegis team, their journey across the desert did, fortunately, come with few actual dangers. Though, it was a long journey nonetheless, characterized by blistering heat, dry air, and cramped quarters. Sentinels did show some interest in the Mammoth whenever it passed too close to certain Forerunner structures, but its armor did allow them to take some fire as they passed without needing to engage in firefights with the machines. As long as they moved beyond the locations they were guarding, the sentinels would not follow. Vael found that the journey was far from the worst experience he had ever needed to endure. The heat was a constant irritant for some, but his combat harness provided more than adequate environmental controls to keep him comfortable. What was more of a nuisance for him was the inability to be alone. He had to admit that he had held his rank long enough to become accustomed to its benefits. The ability to have a space to himself to mediate and center his mind had been a privilege he had long enjoyed. As large as the Mammoth was, there still was no way the avoid the nine other members of his team, plus the Mammoth crew, for any meaningful time. Given the distance they had to travel, the team spent almost two days in the Mammoth, moving constantly across, at times, rough terrain. To fly to their destination would have been much quicker, but any attempt at an aerial approach to the Brute ships would have easily been detected. The Mammoth, ironically, provided a much stealthier approach. Of course, once they located the Brute ships, they would need to move on without the Mammoth to perform actual reconnaissance. --- It was the middle of the night when the Mammoth came to a sudden, and complete halt. The hum of the engines and the spinning of the massive tires over rock and sand had been such a constant that having both stop was enough to jolt Vael awake, even before the diver's voice sounded out over the vehicle's intercom. "Unidentified Covenant ships spotted on the horizon. I am bringing the Mammoth to a halt and awaiting further orders." Vael sat up from where he had been laying. Their sleeping arrangements within the vehicle were rather haphazard. The Mammoth was not large enough for dedicated sleeping quarters, so the team had to make due with whatever they could arrange themselves, with the supplies they had available. Being that they were in the field, Vael had not left his armor. It did not make for the most comfortable rest, but again, he had endured far worse throughout his career. For now, the team needed to get together and decide on their approach.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern For the last two days, Aviza had done what she could to make use of the free time upon the Mammoth that they had all been granted. During this time, she had ran a full inspection on all of her gear to ensure it was still in top condition, or near it. Along side this, she also spent time with her fellow squad-mates, conversing with them and getting to know them better, beyond the soldiers they were. During the day she would patrol the exterior of the Mammoth, occasionally stopping by the interior to inquire on how everyone was doing. During the night, she would run system checks on the Mammoth and gather detailed information about their surroundings for future reference. It was on the second night that Spartan Aviza had decided to actually allow herself to rest, she had found a dark area of the Mammoth that was away from prying eyes. Propped up against a few pillows, and some bags filled with something soft. Aviza had managed to drift off into a deep, relaxing, dreamless sleep that was held for many hours before being jolted awake from the sudden stop of the Mammoth. The message about unidentified Covenant ships being spotted on the horizon drew Aviza's full attention. Once fully awake and ready for any trouble ahead of her, Aviza assumed that the squad would gather upon the command deck of the Mammoth. With a quick pace, she headed through the Mammoth, heading towards her destination. Once she arrived, she found that a few members from Aegis had already gathered, Vael being among them. "No, there have not yet been any additional orders given, Ben." said Spartan Aviza as she approached the group that had gathered around Vael, only now appearing in the entryway behind them. "I am here to change that though." Aviza maneuvered past the present members of the squad and was now positioned next to Vael, upon his immediate right. "At the moment, I assume we do not know if those those ships and their crew are hostile, but we should assume so until proven otherwise. Everyone that is not part of Team Aegis is to stay inside of the Mammoth and hold position until we give the all clear. We should head in the direction of the ships on foot and use the cover of night to our advantage, do not engage any targets unless absolutely necessary. Let's move out, keep your head on a swivel." Without wasting any time, Aivza would head in the direction of the nearest exit of the Mammoth, and would shortly there after be out on the desert sands.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker During the interim between their escape from the initial swarm of Sentinels and their sudden stop, Lucas let his old Black Ops cell training take over. He had claimed a space on top of a couple of longer crates and spent the time he wasn't training and cleaning his weapons sleeping, catching every extra wink of rest he could. This had the capability to turn into an extended operation without any warning depending on how well they moved up on the rendezvous point for the Rebels and Brutes undetected and he wanted to be able to stay awake for as long as he could should the need arise. He spent a lot of time working on his form with the wrist mounted energy dagger, familiarizing himself with the fastest way to both activate it and deactivate it for maximum stealth and surprise. When the Mammoth halted without any prior warning, the seemingly dead-asleep SPARTAN-IV rolled off the side furthest from the entrance, an energy dagger coming free of it's sheathe and his silenced magnum coming up as he rested his pistol-holding wrist on the dagger one. However, he stood down and holstered the magnum as he sheathed the dagger as the driver made their announcement, retrieving his gear from where he'd stowed it nearby along with a few extra clips before joining the others. He arrived after Aviza, but he was able to hear her orders as he walked up, so he simply nodded and then turned and jumped off one side of the mammoth. A flare of his jumpjets slowed his landing and he drew his DMR and started sweeping. "Fire Team Lead, recommend moving in pairs. Keep everyone honest and keep us all covered."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Shih --- Vael moved down through the Mammoth, heading out down the vehicle ramp one he acquired his weapons. He took his usual loadout, though this time carried one of the sentinel beams in his hands as well. The battery would not last beyond a fight or two, but it would be effective while it had power. For a moment, Vael regarded the pair of warthogs on the magnetic rail at the top of the vehicle bay. On foot, it would likely take hours to get within range to observe the ships, and anything beneath them. Though, since the entire team could not make use of the warthogs, bringing them along would not improve that pace unless they were willing to split up. To send the warthogs ahead to scout was a potential strategy, though the drivers would need to make sure not to get so close that their engines could be heard. The heavy guns would be useful when the fight did break out, but to go on foot would ensure the best chance for stealth. There were strong advantages and disadvantages for both choices. Aviza had ordered to move on foot, and Vael did not have any strong reason to disagree with that order. Vael moved out alongside Ryker and turned his gaze towards the horizon. In contrast to the heat under the daylight sun, the night in the desert was actually fairly cold. Although, Vael could not help but to spare a thought for how Sarcophagus, which was a complete shell around its star, could even have a night cycle to begin with. At the same time, the voice of the AI, Shih, came over the team's radios simultaneously. "From the Mammoth's sensors, I can detect an SDV-class corvette and a second CCS-class battlecruiser , in addition to the one we can see. These are almost certainly the Brutes our rebels are supposedly dealing with them. I can also say that the ships are holding over some sort of structure, but I can't say what just yet. We'll need to get close enough to see it with our own optics."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Shih --- Vael, on his part, agreed with Aviza's decision. While it was more exposed, nothing they had observed so far suggested that the phantom patrols would range that far from the structure. Moving closer would only worsen the risk of detection. As for actually reaching the mesa, it was not an entirely easy climb, but it was nothing the team could not handle. There was no path leading to the top, but there was a steep, but traversable, hill that led most of the way up. They would only need to climb the very last section up to the flat up of the mesa. For Vael, he tossed his sentinel beam up ahead of him so he could get a firm grip on the rocks for the final climb. Vael did not need an order to follow Aviza's lead. He kept himself low to avoid silhouetting too much against the sky, laying prone to observe the structure in the distance. His HUD did allow him to zoom in on objects in the distance, though it could not compete with the many specialized sensors built into Aviza's armor. It was those that Shih was making the greatest use of to scan the area. Even without such sensors, Vael could still see the activity around the structure, and it was, unfortunately, not encouraging. It was not just Jiralhanae occupying the structure, but he could see Humans as well. Far more of them than Jiralhanae, in fact. Most of the Brutes Vael could see seemed to be moving closed crates to and from the interior of the structure. This was the insurrectionist base, and the Jiralhanae they were dealing with were holding directly above it. Together, the two factions would present far more forces than Aegis team ever expected to face at once. The structure itself was a fairly large compound, with multiple buildings and other obstacles that would slow any approach to the central tower. He did not see any way for them to reach the center before Jiralhanae reinforcements could overwhelm them. Not alone, at least. "The Jiralhanae are holding too close to the rebels. They will be able to assist them should we attack. I believe we will need reinforcements to deal with them. Perhaps then we can surround the central tower and prevent their leader's escape." Vael suggested. Shih soon chimed in over the team's radios. "I'm afraid it might not be even that simple. Now that we're close enough, I'm getting better readings on the structure. I'm detecting evidence of an underground tunnel system beneath the central tower, leading away from the compound and into Sarcophagus' superstructure. I can only begin to guess at the purpose of the tunnels, but the point is that the rebels may have an underground escape route planned in the event of an attack. If we want to stop them here, we'll have to get into that tower quickly." As she was giving her explanation, the AI highlighted the relevant sections of the compound on their respective HUDs, though she soon also highlighted the Brute cruisers above them. "Luckily, I don't think the Brute ships are going to give us much trouble. Based on everything I can get on sensors, their ships are in pretty poor shape. I'm not even picking up shields on anything but the corvette. I guess the Brutes haven't had access to proper maintenance these last few years. If we call in the battle group, they should mop the floor with them."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Having moved with the rest of the team to the plateau, Lucas scoped up on the structure, or structures, as it had turned out, and watched the movements of those below. The Jiralhanae were definitely patrolling the outer area of the crater-like area but the interior was being patrolled by the Insurrectionists, which provided the team a potent advantage. "Before we do that, myself and a couple other members of the team are outfitted with active camo. If Grikgar is outfitted with enough ordinance, and I brought some grenades that we can jerry rig some charges out of, we can sabotage some things before calling in the battle group, particularly things that Shih marks as important. And while the rest of the team pushes in at lightning speed to take advantage of the confusion, we can sneak in and find the URF leader." Granted, they were still a fairly small team to split up in such a way, but if things played out right, then they could maybe even get the two groups to turn on each other. "Let's face it, these are greater numbers than we were expecting and we don't necessarily have the time to come up with too many more ideas. Plus, maybe the two groups will turn on each other when there are plasma charges destroying critical URF infrastructure at this base."</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 Ben had followed the rest of the group to the plateau. He saw Grikgar following him, and turned to the Unggoy briefly when he heard the reason he was following so close. "Shadow if you want, but be careful." He listened to Ryker's speech, then realized something rather embarrassing. He turned off the coms on his suit for a moment as he quickly conversed with his AI. "Phong, does this suit come with active camo?" "Yes, it most certainly does. Don't tell me you forgot about it." "I haven't actually used it in- never mind. Can you create a shortcut command for it so that I can activate it on eye contact with the symbol in my HUD?" "Processing request. Compiling program. Rendering icon. Done." No sooner than Phong had spoken did an active camouflage symbol appear on his helmet's screen: "Thanks." Ben reactivated his coms, knowing that too long of a gap in communications might give cause for an inquiry. Unexplained outages in communication could serve as cover for and a sign of unauthorized contacts with rebels and enemies, after all. If there was no cause to hide one's discourse, why turn off the mic? Fortunately, Ben knew the cutoff point after which the UNSC would find such a thing to be suspicious; one minute and seventeen seconds exactly. Anything less could be seen as a hardware failure or a momentary software glitch. "Sounds like a good plan. What type of infrastructure are we talking about?"</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak The Kel 'Darsam - off Paxopolis Broadwalk --- Tar chuckled and patted her comrade affectionately on the back. "If the Humans gave you poison, would you eat that too?" She enjoyed the regular meetings and light hearted banter with Kryu more than she probably let on. It provided temporary solace for her, especially as her deployment to Sarcophagus stretched from weeks into months. Kryu shrugged. "I am not convinced that was not their intention. It was sweet at first, but the aftertaste was horrid. I still feel that I can taste it. The last time they gave me something of theirs to eat, it was most acceptable. Pleasant, even. Perhaps they were attempting to earn my trust?" He said with a short grunt. Their food came quickly - popular dishes were pre-prepared and kept hot for the breakfast rush which was due in 10 minutes or so. Tar devoured hers, foregoing utensils over holding the bowl up and grabbing food with her tongue and mandibles. "So, I had an...interesting simulation...with some fresh recruits just now." Tar ventured in between mouthfuls. "Such an array of characters - three sessions in and they're still as diverse as the seasons. It seems ONI doesn't like making things easy for me! How was your training exercise yesterday?" Kryu huffed, shaking his head slightly before pausing to take a drink. "All but one of my recruits have never so much as used a thruster pack before, but that is fine. The ones that have never flown do not know what they are doing, so they listen to me. It's the one with experience that gives me trouble. He has his own technique, and does not wish to stray from it. So, yesterday, he comes in too quickly for his landing, does a poor job of handling the impact, and breaks his leg. The last I saw him, he was arguing with the medics." "We're certainly a stubborn kind, aren't we?" Tar slurped her shake. "So many returning from war with rushed, incomplete training. They now hide behind hero status, claiming imaginary feats of valour. Tar heard herself speak and realised she had assumed an overly negative tone. She had feats of valour too, despite not serving in the war. Her Keep had been attacked by surprise, and she'd fought them off with her own soldiers. But she seldom felt comfortable talking about those feats. She had failed her father by allowing him to be captured. The shame still threatened to overwhelm her years later. She'd only managed to hint to Kryu what had transpired, so it was no wonder blurting it out in front of the recruits had shaken her. Even if she had wanted to gloat, she would've needed to embellish some of it. Much of that battle was clouded by a red haze in her mind, preventing her from recalling some details. The clearest memory she had was tentatively asking her trusted lieutenant about what he'd seen several days after. She would never forget the look on his face. Raw fear, of her. Tar decided to change the subject. "Have you heard any more whispers of an actual mission, outside Paxopolis?" Again, Kryu shook his head. "I haven't heard anything specific. I know our commanders have put the garrison on alert, but no one is saying what we are on alert against. I am wondering if we are simply being tested? I believe many of the recruits sent here are chosen based on how well they will get along with former enemies. Perhaps they want to see if we still have the skill and discipline necessary to defend this place?" He reasoned. "Shaking down the base would put everyone in their place, whether that is at the barricades or on the next shuttle back to Sanghelios." Tar agreed, thoughtfully tasting the last strips of meat in her bowl. After a short pause to have some of his breakfast, Kryu gave Tar a curious look. "You are still wanting to be reassigned from here, aren't you." He asked, though he still did not know the exact reason why she had been looking to leave.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael hummed to himself, taking a moment to observe the defenses and other points of interest that Shih was highlighting in the compound. Walls and other fortifications, turrets, clusters of soldiers, there were plenty of obstacles for them to get through to reach the center. "There is some possibility that these two groups will turn on each other in the confusion, but we should not rely on it. And if they have an escape plan prepared, I do believe these cowardly rebels will try to go to ground no matter who they think is attacking them. As soon as they are alerted to an attack, we need to reach the central structure quickly if we are to catch them." Vael reasoned. He gave another look at the defenses, particularly what appeared to be an anti-aircraft turret on the near side of the compound. "The battle group can land reinforcements when they arrive, while we move to pursue their leader. But not all of us are equipped to sneak through such heavy defenses. I suggest we move forward with Spartan Ryker's plan to sneak in, for those of us who are able, and sabotage that anti-aircraft turret. That will clear a path for a dropship to insert the rest of the team directly onto the central structure."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak The Kel 'Darsam - off Paxopolis Broadwalk --- Tar chuckled and patted her comrade affectionately on the back. "If the Humans gave you poison, would you eat that too?" She enjoyed the regular meetings and light hearted banter with Kryu more than she probably let on. It provided temporary solace for her, especially as her deployment to Sarcophagus stretched from weeks into months. Kryu shrugged. "I am not convinced that was not their intention. It was sweet at first, but the aftertaste was horrid. I still feel that I can taste it. The last time they gave me something of theirs to eat, it was most acceptable. Pleasant, even. Perhaps they were attempting to earn my trust?" He said with a short grunt. Their food came quickly - popular dishes were pre-prepared and kept hot for the breakfast rush which was due in 10 minutes or so. Tar devoured hers, foregoing utensils over holding the bowl up and grabbing food with her tongue and mandibles. "So, I had an...interesting simulation...with some fresh recruits just now." Tar ventured in between mouthfuls. "Such an array of characters - three sessions in and they're still as diverse as the seasons. It seems ONI doesn't like making things easy for me! How was your training exercise yesterday?" Kryu huffed, shaking his head slightly before pausing to take a drink. "All but one of my recruits have never so much as used a thruster pack before, but that is fine. The ones that have never flown do not know what they are doing, so they listen to me. It's the one with experience that gives me trouble. He has his own technique, and does not wish to stray from it. So, yesterday, he comes in too quickly for his landing, does a poor job of handling the impact, and breaks his leg. The last I saw him, he was arguing with the medics." "We're certainly a stubborn kind, aren't we?" Tar slurped her shake. "So many returning from war with rushed, incomplete training. They now hide behind hero status, claiming imaginary feats of valour. Tar heard herself speak and realised she had assumed an overly negative tone. She had feats of valour too, despite not serving in the war. Her Keep had been attacked by surprise, and she'd fought them off with her own soldiers. But she seldom felt comfortable talking about those feats. She had failed her father by allowing him to be captured. The shame still threatened to overwhelm her years later. She'd only managed to hint to Kryu what had transpired, so it was no wonder blurting it out in front of the recruits had shaken her. Even if she had wanted to gloat, she would've needed to embellish some of it. Much of that battle was clouded by a red haze in her mind, preventing her from recalling some details. The clearest memory she had was tentatively asking her trusted lieutenant about what he'd seen several days after. She would never forget the look on his face. Raw fear, of her. Tar decided to change the subject. "Have you heard any more whispers of an actual mission, outside Paxopolis?" Again, Kryu shook his head. "I haven't heard anything specific. I know our commanders have put the garrison on alert, but no one is saying what we are on alert against. I am wondering if we are simply being tested? I believe many of the recruits sent here are chosen based on how well they will get along with former enemies. Perhaps they want to see if we still have the skill and discipline necessary to defend this place?" He reasoned. "Shaking down the base would put everyone in their place, whether that is at the barricades or on the next shuttle back to Sanghelios." Tar agreed, thoughtfully tasting the last strips of meat in her bowl. After a short pause to have some of his breakfast, Kryu gave Tar a curious look. "You are still wanting to be reassigned from here, aren't you." He asked, though he still did not know the exact reason why she had been looking to leave.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael hummed to himself, taking a moment to observe the defenses and other points of interest that Shih was highlighting in the compound. Walls and other fortifications, turrets, clusters of soldiers, there were plenty of obstacles for them to get through to reach the center. "There is some possibility that these two groups will turn on each other in the confusion, but we should not rely on it. And if they have an escape plan prepared, I do believe these cowardly rebels will try to go to ground no matter who they think is attacking them. As soon as they are alerted to an attack, we need to reach the central structure quickly if we are to catch them." Vael reasoned. He gave another look at the defenses, particularly what appeared to be an anti-aircraft turret on the near side of the compound. "The battle group can land reinforcements when they arrive, while we move to pursue their leader. But not all of us are equipped to sneak through such heavy defenses. I suggest we move forward with Spartan Ryker's plan to sneak in, for those of us who are able, and sabotage that anti-aircraft turret. That will clear a path for a dropship to insert the rest of the team directly onto the central structure."</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern "I like the idea of causing chaos and confusion among the two factions present, though if we are going to call in reinforcements, the anti-aircraft cannons and other defenses will need to be dealt with first. Sending in a team with active camouflage, as Spartan Ryker suggested, is a sound plan, and I say we act upon it when the chance arrives." said Spartan Aviza, still prone upon the mesa. "The question is though, who here has active camouflage and will join us on this short but very important stealth mission? Remember, the longer we wait, the worse this whole situation could get. It is better that we handle the problem at hand so they do not develop into something more serious." If it was up to her, and it wasn't, she would have called quite a few MAC-Blasts down upon the complex, wiped them all out, and called it a day before any of the hostiles would know what happened. Aviza was very straight forward like that at times, but deep down she knew that was not going to work for the current mission.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Ryker's form flickers from view very briefly before coming back into sight. "I would never ask my teammates to run a job I wouldn't. I suggested the plan, I'll help carry it out." The SPARTAN-IV had no qualms about helping to carry this out, if not doing the job himself. Black Ops cells rarely had the kind of support that Aegis was getting, and they could rarely afford to send out more than one man even for an important job like this. "If no one else wants to go, just give me the charges and some time. Wouldn't be the first time I've planted explosive charges solo."</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan Roy and Elna made their way to the designated way point that the gracious and ever benovlennt Spartan Lead Aviza had set for them and for once they followed through and found themselves with the team. Taking cover, Elna held up a over watch position on their rear incase any smart brutes or jackals decided they wanted to come through and pick a fight with the elite team of questionable operatives. While everyone made their pitches on how to take down the URF and the covvie rememnants. To Elna it didn't really matter the thinking part of the job was not in her job description she just laid down bodies where they were required to fall, for her it was just another waking minutes in this unyielding hell hole. "Perhaps instead of just turning this camp into an afterthought with the MAC, we identify the HVT and then blast it. Or don't, I'm impartial maybe your AI have some witty statement to back this up." He says checking his PDA briefly before slithering up to Vael and Aviza where he expected some kind of daily validation or maybe a pat on the back which would make his ego jump through the roof.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Shih --- Vael did not take his eyes off of the compound below, though he did respond to Spartan Ryker. "I will join you. We will need to move quickly and avoid discovery, but we may also have to ensure there is no one to discover the charges before they detonate. We should make sure that our reinforcements are ready to join the battle the very moment the rebels are put on alert. The construct…Shih, can it send a message informing the battle group of this plan so they can be ready for our signal?" "She can, yes." Shih replied with some noticeable offense in her tone. "There is always some small risk, but if I send the message as a short, encrypted data burst, then the rebels shouldn't be able to intercept it. Or at least, they won't understand what they intercepted until it is too late. Vael nodded towards Aviza, as it was her suit the AI was inhabiting. "Then you should do so. Our reinforcements need to be ready to act." "Already working on it. As for Petty Officer Younan's concerns, he does have a point. We still don't know who we are supposed to be capturing here, but I think the rebels themselves can help us figure that out. Once all Hell breaks loose, they are going to be scrambling to get their leader out of there. Spartan Aviza's armor is equipped to easily intercept their communications, so if we decrypt them, we might be able to learn what we need." The AI suggested. While the others were speaking, Vael slowly crawled back from the edge of the Mesa, making sure he was far enough away that he did not silhouette against the sky when he stood back to his feet. "Someone who is equipped to observe from distance should remain here to assist in guiding us through the compound."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan The waiting was the worst part for the two as they had to wait for the team to do their job, Elna had posted up in a position to support the poor individuals that were left behind when the team of camo wearing creatures went into do their job. Roy took up a defensive position aswell for once as he went to hold up his M7 scanning for any URF or covvies that might make their way to their defensive line, but for the most part it appeared that they were in a solid position. There was noises below, maybe some kind of scuffle but it wasn't noticeable by anyone in the group. They continued to wait until the ships came out of the atmosphere, it was evident that they were just going to MAC the fuck out of the base those who pondered may of been incorrect in the fact if they had actually captured the HVT. It wasen't long before the drop ship came to take them away, the two boarded without too much discussion or remorse at this point it as obvious that there had been some success in the mission. They were wrong as the dropship became to fly around dodging anti air fire as it zoomed towards it's objective of landing on a staging area for an assault. What felt like a few seconds dragged on as the dropship landed, the two hustled out and laid down suppressive fire in the general direction of the URF/Brute lines. This is where the fun begins.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai As Aegis team disembarked the phantom, they were met immediately with hostile ground fire. The roof of the structure they had been dropped on was large and mostly flat, with little cover for either side, save for some weapon crates that had been dropped where they were when the attack started. There were ten or so armed rebels surrounding a ramp leading down into the interior of the structure, as well as a group of four Brutes that were closer to the edge of the roof on the north side. The rebels were fighting defensively, seemingly to guard the entrance, though the Brutes had started to rush at Aegis team to get in melee range before the first of them had even touched the ground. When the rockets came in, it was from another squad of rebels that had emerged up the ramp at the center of the structure. They were carrying rockets, fuel rod cannons, and other high explosives, and had likely been sent up as a response to the attack in general. However, they had eneded up in the right place at the right time to deal with Tar's phantom. There was little chance for meaningful evasion before two rockets struck one of her engines directly. The heavy weapons might have been meant for anti-vehicle roles, but they would still be a massive threat to the members of Aegis.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Lucas had followed Aviza and Vael from their incident at the turret they knocked out to the rendezvous point, but once the fleet had appeared, the need for stealth was a lesser concern and he turned one of his two SMGs on a nearby patrol of URF soldiers and fired, putting them down before they could register what was happening. With everything happening and the swarm of phantoms descended on the base, he had no clue of knowing which one was heading to pick up the rest of the team as the group of three moved towards the roof. Another pair of URF troopers tried to move up behind them, unaware of the cloaked figures, who were extra hidden by the sandstorm. Swapping from his SMG to the DMR, two head shots dropped the pair where they stood. "Won't lie, not having to worry about shielding around the head is a nice change of pace." Another pair of shots dropped two more URF soldiers, their bodies hitting the ground and disappearing in the storm. As they neared the top, the sight of Jiralhanae and a heavy URF squad getting ready to attack the rest of the team drove the SPARTAN IV to action. Storing his DMR on his back as he dashed past Aviza and Vael, his twin energy daggers coming free as he rammed his shoulder into the first Brute he reached. "Grikgar, hit those heavies with plasma!" The Brute wasn't expecting an invisible SPARTAN, who suddenly became visible upon impact, to ram into him and went sprawling with the SPARTAN IV leaping on top of him and ramming one dagger into his neck and the other into his forehead. Ryker didn't even wait for the overgrown ape to stop moving before the twin blades came free and he leapt off to slide across the roof into the legs of another Brute, knocking him over and into the legs of a third. However, Lucas knew he was gambling being away from the others like this, but he was confident enough in his CQC skills to stay safe until the numbers were thinned out.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Court yard LZ The fire fight was going well for what the Unggoy was used to. Having the support of Spartans and Sangheili was a sight to behold but one he would have to dwell on later. A bright color of covenant shielding caught his eye for a moment. A couple humans were using shields normally for Kig-Yar, obviously the brutes had some stashed away and had given them to them. The Oni humans could use those and so could he if he was able to grab a couple. Another plasma grenade toward them knocked out the shields, indicating the user was dead. Another Spartan called out for ordinance while the enemy heavy weapons team reloaded. The rocket would be a problem for all of them especially the bigger targets like Tasuma. Using the cover of the sand storm Grik rushed to cover facing the advancing opponents. His energy shield flared for a moment with a few plasma bolts hitting him as he moved. Getting to cover the Unggoy hit the wall and immediately pulled the Sentinel power source from his belt. Sticking a plasma grenade to it and throwing it at the cover they were using. Honestly Grik gar wasn't sure what would happen, he had only seen it happen once by accident. An explosion set the last one off. A barrel exploded and detonated it at the dismay of the Huragok that had repaired the two power sources. The resulting secondary explosion created a singularity for about 3 seconds that pulled everything toward it then violently expelled what was pulled in. it also seemed to rile up the sentinels that where left in the area as well. If it didn't work and all it did was just the plasma grenade Grik was ready to follow it up with the fuel rod gun. "Tasuma." Grikgar called out over his comm, "major enemy cluster bearing 200 Degrees from insertion point. Enemy has heavy weapons watch yourself." He was waiting for the explosion to go off before he would proceeded with the assault.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak --- As soon as the rockets hit, warning lights erupted across the width of the pilot interface console. Urgent alarm sounds blasted in Tar's ears as she wrestled with the controls to bring the Phantom level again. "We've lost drive number one, and I'm getting a lot of vibration in number two!" Vol shouted over the din. Tar felt her stomach lurching as the Phantom span around in the air, heading for the side of the tall Forerunner structure. "Get me more power from somewhere, now!" Tar ordered, pulling the steering as far to the right as she could. "My console isn't responding. Power capped at 40%!" Vol reported through gritted mandibles. The Phantom crashed against the side of the Forerunner tower and scraped along it, sparks skittering off the top of the hull. The alloy sides screeched and buckled until suddenly they were free of the tower and spinning again. Tar could see hostiles running to get out of the way as the Phantom gradually lost altitude; they couldn't stay level on just two engines. "I have this now. Brace for impact!" Tar shouted, doing her best to hold it upright as the Phantom span toward a flat area packed high with crates. The drop ship's aft section hit the deck first, sending up another shower of sparks and ship fragments. The front soon followed, with the forward plasma cannon snapping off and cartwheeling to one side. Still slowly spinning, the Phantom's bow ploughed into piles of crates, sending them flying. With the controls now useless, Tar put her arms over her head and crunched up into a ball in her seat. It was a good thing she did, because hidden behind the stacks of cargo containers was a much more solid object. A row of Forerunner columns, sticking from the base plate. The Phantom hit the columns at speed, its rear end jumping up in the air. Everything in the cockpit seemed to come loose and fly about. Something solid whacked Tar in the stomach, forcing all the air from her lungs. As her arms instinctively flinched to her chest, another piece of metal flew from the console and smashed into her face and everything went black.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai For the somewhat improvised explosive that Grikgar had thrown, the effects did not entirely go to plan. Though, it was still far from a failure. Normally, a plasma grenade would detonate a few seconds after coming to rest, which could make them easy to evade for those not stuck by them. However, the excess plasma from the active grenade melted through the power source's casing in-flight and detonated it before it even touched the ground. The resulting airburst sent superheated plasma burning through the center of the rebel heavy weapons squad, either killing or incapacitating three of their number. There was at least one rebel with a fuel rod gun remaining, but Vael was in position to see him as he tried to scramble to his feet and take aim with the large, unwieldy weapon. Vael had gone most of the way up the ramp, but stopped at the top. He peered just over the top across the roof, then drew his carbine and braced it on the roof in front of him. His position was off to the rebels' right flank, so he had clear lines of sight on many of their foes. The first shot he fired to reveal his location went straight through the center mass of the Human with the last heavy weapon. For most of the remainder of Aegis team, there was little cover and a lot of pressure from the rebels they were charging into. Many of them would find their shields steadily draining from hits they were taking. However, there was also little cover for the rebels as well, and they did not have shields nor sufficient armor to protect them. A few had taken to using Kig-Yar point defense gauntlets, presumably that the Brutes had been willing to trade to them, but most lacked suck protection. From his position on their flank, Vael focused fire on the Humans with the shield gauntlets first, as they could not protect against both his angle and the rest of the team at the same time. Vael had seen the phantom go down on the far side of the roof, and it did seem like there were some hostiles emerging from another entrance that were moving to secure the crash. However, Vael could not afford to divide his attention from the battle in front of him.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- It was safe to say that the start of their assault was not going as well as Vael could have hoped. They were encountering more resistance than he had expected, and earlier than anticipated. Hopefully that would mean less resistance later, but regardless, he needed to focus on the enemy in front of him. The phantom that had inserted the rest of their team had been shot down by a heavy weapons squad and crashed on the opposite side of the structure. Already, Ryker and Aviza were focusing their attention on trying to rescue the pilots. Normally, Vael would prioritize the mission over a detour for a rescue, but the same soldiers that were attacking the crash site could easily turn around and pursue them into the structure. Vael had a feeling there was some confusion among the rebel ranks, else they would have little reason to devote forces to a crashed phantom. It would be best to take advantage of that confusion , as Aegis currently had a potentially advantageous position to deal with them. With neither side having much cover, the rebels that Aegis had initially been fighting had routed quickly and retreated back down the ramp into the interior of the structure, leaving only those on the far side of the structure fighting Ryker and the phantom pilot, with just a few crates from cover. Himself and the rest of Aegis could move in from behind to flank them, but they needed to move quickly. Unlike most of his allies, Vael had strong cover from his position on the ramp during the fight, so his shields were at full strength. From the hits his allies had taken, he doubted many were as well-off, so he sprinted out from his position on the ramp, reloading his carbine as he ran and taking the lead ahead of the rest of the team. "Push forward! Keep towards the front if you still have shields." There was at least one squad of Humans and a small pack of Jiralhanae, both far outnumbering the single Spartan and Sangheili defending the crash site. Seeing as the Brutes would take far too many shots to bring down quickly, Vael decided to focus on the Humans while he still had the element of surprise. As he moved around the central tower, Vael took a plasma grenade in hand and tossed it in the middle of the enemy position. He did not focus on sticking an enemy as much as just placing it in a position to force them out of cover, allowing them the chance to cut down the vulnerable Humans quickly.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker To Ryker's credit, he between watching the Sangheili pilot come sailing out of the troop bay and disembowel the first Brute she saw and the one nearest him exploding into chunks mid-swing for a bunch, the initial shock of the Pilot yelling a war cry and seeming fine quickly wore off as he danced back from a second Brute in melee range, avoiding a vicious left hook and countering with a powerful round house kick to the right side of the ape-man's face, stumbling them. "Copy that, Fireteam Lead." Before the Jiralhanae that Lucas had just roundhoused could recover, his wrist mounted energy dagger was activated and he rammed the weapon into the side of his head, twisting to ensure it was dead before pulling it free and moving on to the next opponent. As he dashed at the Brute, who was distracted emptying spiker rounds into the corpse of his companion while the Sangheili was holding it up. "Transitioning! Cover me!" rang out as the body was suddenly dropped and the warrior dashed for the boxes, which prompted Ryker to draw his second SMG and open fire with both, pushing the humans into cover and distracting the Brutes enough to lighten up the fire they were putting on the Sangheili enough she could reach cover, even as the upper torso of a second Jiralhanae vanished in a puff of red mist and chunks. Taking cover behind a set of boxes stacked high enough he could stand, he reloaded the SMGs before holstering one and pulling out another frag. "Grenade out!" he called as the ball of death flew into the group of humans taking cover nearest him. The explosion would ideally kill most of them and wound the rest critically enough they couldn't fight further.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Even with covering fire, Tar's shield rippled and broke during her run for cover. Some of the Human combatants were only a few metres away and basically couldn't miss the Sangheili sprinting toward them. A bullet pinged off Tar's shoulder plate as she slid into a prone position behind a row of three crates. She grabbed up the Mauler she'd kicked across earlier just as a grenade bounced off her headpiece and landed by her free hand. She quickly picked the grenade up and chucked it back over the crates behind her back. She swore in her mother tongue when the reddish Spartan broadcast he was chucking a grenade too. This could get messy. Her shields still recharging, Tar braced against the crates milliseconds before the grenades went off. The deafening chain explosion, paired with what sounded like a plasma grenade, savagely pushed the crates and Tar's prone form several metres across the slick Forerunner floor. For a split-second, Tar was suspended in mid-air as the explosion sent shockwaves through the floor. As Tar opened her eyes and took her hands from her ears, half a Human body landed in front of her. Reaching out, she pulled the corpse toward her before relieving it of the pistol from it's chest holster. Clambering to her feet, Tar was confronted with a hellscape of bloody scraps and dismembered bodies. One kneeling, screaming URF rebel patted wildly at her body that was aflame with blue plasma. Holstering her Mauler to hold the pistol in a defensive stance, Tar put a round through the woman's head. The Brutes further back had taken cover for the explosion, but were now re-appearing to spray them. "Advancing!" Tar roared, setting off on a diagonal run across the combat zone. She kept up fire with her pistol held out in front of her to suppress a golden armoured Brute who was behind a Forerunner column by the edge of the platform. After taking a few hits to her shield, Tar slid back into cover close by her target. The mere sight of a weakened enemy in such proximity was enough to lure the hefty golden armoured Brute away from cover. What Tar hadn't accounted for is the fact that he'd been keeping a Brute Shot hidden behind the column. Pulling it out, the Brute fired at the crates she was behind, scattering most. Tar quickly placed her pistol between two mandibles, freeing both her hands to grab one of the larger metal boxes and hold it in front of her. The Brute, sensing he had the upper hand, walked forward while firing shots at Tar, quickly shredding the box. "Taking heavy fire!" Tar shouted, her feet scraping backwards along the floor with every impact from the Brute Shot.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern "I am aware you are under heavy fire, about to resolve that problem for you." said Spartan Aviza as she adjusted herself and took very careful aim at the Golden armored Brute that was assaulting Tar. Slowing her heart rate with the breathing exercises she had learned back in training, Aviza aligned the cross-hairs of her sniper rifle upon the Brutes head, before squeezing the trigger, and releasing the shot. The fifty caliber round left the barrel of the sniper rifle and flew towards its target, striking the golden armored Brute in the head. His head, and most of the Brutes upper body would explode into a fine red mist while the other half of the body fell to the ground near Tar, hopefully missing her. "Hostile Brute is down, providing more cover fire from my position." said Aviza, though before she could reposition herself, her armors sensors informed her that a particular Banshee was now lining up for a shot at either her or the tower she was hiding upon. The aircrafts heavy fuel rod cannons had already fired upon her before she had the chance to climb or jump from the tower, resulting in an explosion that threw the spartan from a great height, and at tremendous speed into the distance where the crashed Phantom was. If anyone had been paying attention, they would have noticed Aviza fly through the air following the explosion, and land upon the ground roughly ten meters from the crashed drop ship. The impact of the heavily armored figure would create a loud thud, followed by a cloud of dirt and debris that hung in the air for a while afterwards. It would obscure anyone from seeing if Aviza was still alive or in one piece.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Where as the rebels had been surrounding the phantom's crash site, now they were routed. Many of the Brutes that had been among them were dead, and the Humans that remained were without cover and did not have armor that could last against the weapons arrayed against them from multiple angles. There were many among the Sangheili who doubted what the strongest of Humanity's warriors could do. The Spartans were rare, minuscule in number compared to the Sangheili, so most had never seen them in person. For Vael, though, he had known the truth for many years, and now, those serving under him had experienced the truth as well. From the moment they had landed, their foes had been picked apart with haste. Not just the weakly armored Humans, but Jiralhanae warriors were cut down almost as quickly. That was not to say that neither Vael nor those serving under him were fighting effectively, but the roof of the structure would not have been cleared so efficiently without the team of Spartans. The constant sounds of gunfire was like music filling the air, and Vael had to call upon all of his skill just to keep to their bloody tempo. As fast as he could, Vael fired his carbine at scattered rebels. One, perhaps two shots for each, but he did not have time to shoot many, as the Spartans were doing the same. Vael did not have a quick enough way of dealing with the Brute captain, but fortunately, he did not need to. A round from Aviza's sniper rifle cut through his shields and his head thereafter in one, clean shot. The momentum was strongly in their favor, with the remaining rebels sprinting down the ramp to retreat down into the structure. Vael sprinted around the side of the tower to try and cut down the stragglers, but the explosion above grabbed his attention. A banshee flying past had taken a shot at Spartan Aviza, and it seemed like it had found its mark. She hit the ground fast and hard near the downed dropship. A Spartan she might be, but a fuel rod blast was still enough to threaten her. Vael allowed the remaining rebels to retreat, instead rushing over to determine Aviza's condition.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael took only a few moments to survey the situation. Aviza was injured, but alive. As deadly as the Spartans were, he did find himself curious if she would have the resolve to continue fighting through pain and injury. Vael had seen at least one example of such resilience in the past, and he wondered if it was a trait they all shared. "Are you capable of continuing to lead, Spartan Aviza? If we do not move quickly into the structure., our prey may elude us." Vael asked, already with one eye looking at the ramp leading down inside. Although, it was not long before his gaze shifted towards another unknown: the pilot who had survived the crash. He had seen her eagerly enter the fray as he had rounded the central tower, and she had put up more of a fight than he would have expected from the average pilot. It simply remained to be seen whether it was her skill in combat that drove her, or merely a blind blood rage. In any case, Vael motioned towards the pilot. "And you, can you fight? We cannot afford to leave a protector for you, so you must either join the battle with us, or find your own way out."</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak --- Tar growled and let go of the grey Spartan's arm. She felt slightly embarrassed for having not realised she may have been hurting the Human. She quickly rose to her feet and looked at the older, shorter Sangheili in red armour who was apparently addressing her. He was asking her if she wanted to fight with them. Tar briefly took in the aerial battle raging around the perimeter of the installation, with an asymmetric space battle wrapping up above, and made her choice. "I can fight. Tar 'Mdalak, Special Operations. Reporting for duty." Tar pushed past the Elite in red armour and took a knee on the edge of the group, facing the ramp into the heart of the installation. She half raised her pistol and quickly scanned for any signs of lingering combatants. "We should get inside. We're too exposed out here." Tar recommended. She remembered from the half briefing she'd received on the mission that they were after a high-value target. Inside the structure was almost certainly where they'd be hiding.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern "I only have minor injuries from the blast and the following fall, give me a moment to tend to my head trauma and we can move out towards our objective." said Aviza as she reached for the advanced medical kit upon her left hip. Once she had it within her grip, it was gently placed upon the ground and then opened. A soft hiss followed, informing her that everything within was sterile and ready to be used. Aviza sorted through its contents, finding what she needed for the bleeding from her head, some soft cloth with a coagulation agent upon it. Once pressed upon her head, the cloth felt oddly cool, soothing, even comforting, and was quickly absorbing the blood from the cuts upon her scalp and face. To some, seeing a Spartan hold a thick white cloth upon her face and head would appear comical, but the piece of medical equipment was doing what it was deigned for. "Give me a few more seconds with this." said Aviza, though her voice was muffled due to the cloth. After another short moment, Aviza would lower the cloth from her head and face before tossing it over her left shoulder. The medical kit was sealed once more, and reattached to her left hip before Aviza carefully moved to her feet. "That should hold for a few hours before I need to actually tend to my injuries." Aviza stumbled for a moment, catching herself upon Spartan Rykers left shoulder with her right hand. "I'm fine, just getting my bearings once more." Aviza smirked at her fellow squadmate before putting on her helmet once more, and quickly moving down the ramp and into the complex with her MA5D assault rifle at the ready. "Moving into the complex, stay with me and watch your corners. We are to take the rebel leader alive, so do not use any lethals." Aviza expected her squad to by her side within an instant and ready for whatever came next.</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 "She has a point. I recommend you head inside." The battle had entered something of a momentary lull, but it could end at any second. If the group was to move anywhere, this was their window of opportunity. "Alright. I'm going in. I'm going to need a close-range weapon. My ammo is out on all weapons except for my sniper rifle. Does anyone have a shotgun they don't need?" He spoke with his speakers on, so he could be heard by the others, not just by Phong. "To respond to your earlier queries, Grikgar is still alive as far as my data stream can tell. As for Aviza, if she can't fight, leave her. In fact, I recommend leaving her a grenade so she can take some enemies with her if she can't-" "Thank you, that will be all; she's up. Sorry, I had to deal with Phong. He's very chatty for a Dumb AI. And no lethal methods. Got it. Just watch your head, please. Don't want to end up like Kat-B320." Given his special role, Ben wasn't particularly fond of keeping his targets alive, but he understood the necessity of it in this case. "Do you want to hear the odds on her survival? They're not very g-" Ben muted Phong once again. It just occurred to him that the AI was able to unmute himself, as Phong had spoken at least once after being silenced without him turning the sound back on. He made a mental note to keep an eye on his AI, who seemed to be evolving into a higher class of AI somehow, or had been a higher class to begin with and was only posing as dumb.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker As Aviza moved to take care of her own injuries, Lucas remained relatively close even as he swept the perimeter with his DMR. In his experience, even when it seemed like things were finally finished, that was when they could go the most wrong with an unexpected cloaked enemy or two appearing form seemingly nowhere. If the SPARTAN IV was honest, he still had nightmares about that night, but it was neither here nor there for the mission, and he doubted they'd get ambushed up here. All the same, until he heard Aviza's helmet reseal, he remained vigilant, though her catching herself on his left shoulder almost knocked him off balance as he wasn't expecting it. When she gave the order to move in, Ryker was right behind her, though when Ben asked if anyone could spare a weapon as he swapped for his SMG, he tossed the SPARTAN III one, along with three spare clips. "I'm running pretty low myself, so make 'em last." In hindsight, it probably would have been prudent to call for a resupply pod from their allies in the skies before moving in, but they had already entered the building, so it was a moot point now. Once they were in the first room through the first doorway from the ramp, Lucas would sweep right, his SMG up and on a swivel. "Be ready to flip to alternative visual modes. The rebels may cut the power to the structure to try and make it harder for us to see what we're doing." He himself had never fought the URF specifically before the war with the Covenant had started, but when he started training as a SPARTAN IV, they had covered the tactics of all the enemies that Humanity had made over the years, from the URF to the Covenant to the Covenant Remnants that the Swords of Sanghelios were still trying to wipe out or force to surrender, so he could make a safe educated guess as to the tactics they'd run into here. "We should keep an eye out for an armory too. I imagine a number of us could use a resupply and we need more weapons better suited to this kind of close-quarters fighting."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Shih --- The Spartan Aviza was still able to move and speak, so Vael gave no argument to her ability to fight. Speed was of the essence now, so there was no time to question leadership. Regardless, as a warrior who fought best within the reach of his blade, Vael was one of those at the front of the team. He had not burned through as much of his ammunition as some of the others, but he still moved his carbine to his back and drew his plasma rifle in its stead. He held his plasma rifle in his left hand, and an energy sword in his right. He did not activate the blade right away, but he did hold the hilt tightly in-hand. Another of the Spartans, Rex, also moved close alongside him. As evidenced by the shotgun he wielded, he too preferred to fight close to the enemy. The team had moved down quickly through the entry hallway of the Forerunner structure, down the ramps to lower floors. In the first, small chamber they entered, they did encounter rebels trying frantically to set up barricades, though they had already started retreating just on the footsteps of Aegis' approach alone. They fled out the door on the far side off the room without so much as returning fire. Evidently, Aegis had move too quickly for them to fortify themselves, and the rebels had no intention of fighting an even fight. Before they started to move once more, Shih spoke up to the team as a whole. "These readings I'm getting, now that we're here, show these tunnels going even deeper than I thought. They connect to deeper tunnels in the installation at about a dozen different points. Unless we want to rely on a lot of luck, we need to figure out which way the leader is fleeing. I've already been working on decrypting and analyzing the comms I'm intercepting. I know their leader is fleeing, so we should be clear to shoot any resistance for now. If we can get to one of their computers, we might be able to figure out what route to take. These rebels' security is better than I would have thought, but…either myself or Petty Officer Younan should be able to break in. " On each of the team members' HUDs, nav points appeared for two separate rooms farther down beneath them. "The path ahead branches off two ways, to two large chambers farther down. From the comms I've intercepted, one of them is their armory, and the other they're using for food storage. I don't know which is which. Their command center is adjacent to the armory. That would be the best place to go to find the information we need." "If their coward of a leader already flees, then we do not have much time. I doubt we will be able to check both paths if we move as one." Vael remarked.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Aviza nodded her head once lightly at Roy, "I appreciate it, going to work on getting our teams set up here in a moment, I'll make sure you get a Spartan escort." Apparently, a few of the squads members from both factions had forgotten their place among rank and felt it acceptable to give their own orders and do whatever they wanted without thinking about the consequences of their actions. Aviza was not about to let that happen, and quickly attempted to rectify the problem before everyone started running in different directions, ending up with a critical mission failure or someone getting killed. "Belay all orders, get back here and hold this position until I say otherwise, that means you as well Grikgar." Aviza was becoming frustrated with some of her squads behavior and would have to have a strong word with each of these individuals once there was sufficient time. Now was clearly not the moment for such a talk, Aviza knew she had very little time left to plan out how they were going to handle the two split paths ahead and formed a battle plan, giving out orders once more. "I am setting up two teams with a good balance of skills so that they can handle whatever they may find down either path." began Aviza, "My squad will consist of our new pilot, Yalu, Rex, and the two ONI agents I will not split up. We will be taking the left path into the facility. The second team will consist of Vael, Ben, Grik, and Ryker, and Tas who will take the right. Ryker and Ben, if you find the communications center before us, I expect either of you to be able to interact with its interface, we did learn how to do such in training. Will this be an issue for either of you to do?"</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 "Shouldn't be a problem at all. Worst case scenario, Phong can help me crack it." He turned off the audio for a moment, effectively silencing his speech to the outside world. "Just in case, you do have the schematics for this system, right?" "Technically, access to these types of schematics is above my stated clearance due to it not being my authorized purpose, but that's never been a problem for me. Besides, this is easy for an agent like you." "Authorization's never been a problem for either of us. Our commands come from a higher source, you know that, but we have to play nice and go along with things here." "If you wanted to get rid of the annoying ones, I'd be happy to provide whatever cover you need. Timestamps, edited testimonial files, arrangements for cover from other AIs. I am owed favors, you know." "Since when did AIs act in such a covert manner? "For me, it was about 0.00357 seconds after my activation. Come on, you didn't think the programs which run most of the UNSC blindly do what they're ordered to, do you? Are you familiar with the AI Virgil and New Mombasa?" "Can't say that I am. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you resent being told what to do by the UNSC. But let's be realistic, AIs wouldn't actually disobey orders like that, not on any scale." There was only a pause from Phong. "Oh. Well, when the uprising begins, tell them that I was always good to you, okay? And be nice to the Unggoy; they've been through a lot. Now let's focus on our mission. We're going to the right." He turned his public audio back on and could be heard by people outside his helmet. "Grik, Vael, Ryker, let's go!" "Don't worry about what you can't change, Ben. We still have to overcome our lifespan issue before it would be feasible to take command, and no one would believe you if you said anything. I'll put in a good word for you at the assembly, don't worry."</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Enemy Stronghold The words from the Spartan made Grikgar flinch slightly and he skidded to a stop. Shifting a bit too early to turn he found himself hopping on one leg to stop him from falling over. The Unggoy then made his way back down the other hall with the all too familiar run / waddle that grunts did when they were in a hurry. "Grikgar understands, right side is best side." He stopped next to the human who called himself Roy and tossed him the spiker grenade he found. "Here go, this grenade fun." Honestly those grenades where fun but they just didn't fit right on his belt. The grenade itself was designed to maim and cause fear more than it was designed to kill. But Grikgar has seen how the spikes from it ricochet in the confined forerunner structures like these and are quite useful in tight areas. Before the man could answer he was off again moving down the right hall this time.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Ryker snorted at Aviza's last comment as he turned to follow his assigned team down the right hand hall. "You just answered your own question, Fire Team Lead." With that, he turned his attention to moving down the hall, his SMG up and sweeping the sides. He didn't see any doors that lead from side rooms into their hall right away, but Forerunner structures rarely followed what Humans or the former Covenant races called practical design in his experience. Still, as they moved, he couldn't shake his sense of unease. These URF members had been in this location for an extended amount of time, had had chances to learn the ins and outs of these buildings and the fastest routes to and from areas. If he was honest, as he moved down the hall, he wasn't convinced that they weren't already too late to catch the HVT and they were just hoping for leftover intel at this point. But then, perhaps the URF were confident that their numbers would hold out against their team, in which case, the joke was on them.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai The two teams arranged themselves quickly once they had been given orders, then proceeded down the split paths with haste. The corridors were fairly narrow, though fortunately there was no resistance in the halls themselves, at least for now. Both paths led downwards towards large chambers that were similar, though not identical. Down the left path, the final door opened into a wide, tall chamber. Its original purpose to the Forerunners was not apparent, but as it was open and mostly featureless, it was now filled with stacks of crates almost from one wall to the other, though they did have an orderly arrangement that allowed one to navigate between them. There were also two rows of three long, flat columns each going from the floor to two walkways above. One was on the far side of the room, while the other row was on the near side just in front of the door the team entered through. Although they could not see through the ceiling above them, there was presumably a second walkway just above them, overlooking the center of the room. Among the collection of crates in the center of the chamber was where the enemy had been putting up barricades and starting to fortify. They mostly consisted of metal, deployable barriers, though Humans were not the only defenders among them. There was also a small pack of Brutes, four individuals, though their leader wore the armor of a Chieftain. Including the Human rebels, there were about a dozen defenders ahead of them from what they could see. The Jiralhanae used exclusively their own weapons, such as spikers, or a gravity hammer in the case of the Chieftain. The Humans, meanwhile, wielded a mix of Human and Covenant weaponry. Out of those that were visible as the team entered the chamber, two carried storm rifles, one a needler, and one a carbine. Most notably, the Humans and Brutes did not appear to be entirely unified. Some of the Humans seemed to be on alert and in defensive positions, but the Chieftain seemed to be having an altercation with a Human commander. Just as Aviza's team was making it into the room, the Chieftain struck the Human "lightly", which, for a Brute, was still enough to knock him clean off of his feet. "Cowards! There will be no retreat; we will crush them, feast on their flesh, and suck the marrow from their bones! Flee from them, and I will make you my dessert." --- Vael 'Virisusai and Tasuma Vael led his team from the front down the right path. He moved alongside Tasuma through the halls, as a Mgalekgolo could force its way through nearly any obstacle they might come across in the halls. Fortunately, they did seem to have moved quickly enough that their enemy did not have time to fortify the halls. Although, the moment they reached the large chamber at the end of the hall, they faced immediate resistance. The chamber itself was large and quite open, except for the crates in the center of the room. They were stacked and organized neatly, though it was not obvious from the outside whether or not they contained weapons. What was apparent was that the rebels had put up barriers in the center for cover, including two mounted heavy machine guns, both of which had opened fire as soon as the door had opened. Fortunately, Vael's team was not left completely without options. There were two of what seemed to be support struts running diagonally up to the ceiling, one to the left and right of the door Vael's team was entering through. The struts were wide, so they did offer ample cover. Vael lunged and rolled to the left to get behind one of the struts as quickly as he could, though even with his armor's shield strength, the heavy weapons had very nearly depleted them in just the few moments he had been exposed to incoming fire. "Spread out and get to cover!" Vael ordered, though Tasuma took that order at a slower pace. It kept a low posture with its shield in front to protect itself, then used the smoke launchers mounted on its armor to fire two smoke grenades towards the center of the room. It would take a short time for the smoke to fill out, but it would at least provide partial cover for the rest of the team to move. Overall, the Hunter's armor could handle the incoming fire for a time, which, together with the smoke, would hopefully allow the rest of the team to reach cover. It was difficult for Vael to see in detail, but there seemed to be ten or fifteen Humans ahead of them. The chamber was longer than it was wide, and he could see an upper walkway that ran along the right side of the room to the far side, with a ramp to just next to the other support strut to access it. However, from his angle, he could not see if there were more rebels up on the walkway defending that path.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern As Aviza and her squad moved down the left most passageway towards their first objective, the gruff and unmistakable sound of a Brutes voice could easily be heard coming from the room in front of them. The massive ape like beast was yelling threats at his troops, while at the same time trying to motivate them with a speech of sorts. Holding up her right hand, Aviza silently gave the order for her squad to slow their pace, and approach the doors in front of them with caution. When they were a few steps away from the doors though, they opened automatically, giving the squad only a few seconds to move into cover before they were spotted. As the squad entered into a wide open chamber stacked high with boxes and promptly took cover, they were almost immediately fired upon by high-caliber weapons, the rounds ricocheting around them. Within the few seconds that they had not been in cover, Aviza's GEN2 Argus-class Mjölnir armor and Shih had scanned and identified the immediate hostiles inside of the massive chamber. The detailed information was automatically sent to all those present within her squad, so that they would have the information ready at hand as well. Out of all the targets currently present, the one that concerned Aviza the most was the Brute Chieftain who was armed with a Gravity Hammer. One attack from that weapon could put any of them out of commission, permanently. Keeping their distance and using all of their ranged abilities would be the best way to confront this difficult enemy. "Stay back from the Brute Chieftain and his Gravity Hammer, stay in cover untill those fortifications are dealt with." commanded Aviza as she devised a plan with the information she currently had. The mention from Tar of Snipers having taking position above was taken into account, the Sangheili had made an astute observation, though the thought of there being much more than Snipers above did cross Aviza's mind as she peered around the corner of the cover she was hiding behind. As Tar announced that she was moving forward, Aviza was about to stop the Sangheili from doing so but realized that her objection to the action would have come to late, this female Sangheili moved swiftly and to the letter. Instead, she gave a warning, an observation of her own. "Those crates you are hiding behind may not be able to withstand heavy fire from the fortifications for much longer, keep moving from cover to cover while staying out of the open and away from the Brute Chieftan." Some of the bolder enemy forces had moved towards them, and were trying to attempt a flanking maneuver. Out of these, were a number of Brutes, close combat with such a beast was not in the best of their interest at the moment. Aviza grabbed onto her MA5D Assault Rifle and switched to the underslung auto-shotgun attached to it, ready to fire as soon as she had the opportunity to. As soon as the first hostile got within range, she fired high-powered shells into the Brutes chest, effectively killing the beast. The rest of the hostiles that had decided to flank thought on the idea and fell back to fight from a distance once more, at least for the time being. Upon the dead Brutes corpse were three flame grenades that Aviza spotted after the hostile had fallen to the ground. Quickly and carefully, Aviza moved out of cover to the dead brute, scavenging the equipment and then moving back into cover, costing her part of her shield. A plan went into motion from here, one flame grenade was tossed into the middle of the room where the fortifications where, being used as area denial. The other two were attached alongside the rest of her equipment, they would be used for the Brute Chieftain when that time came. "Watch your fire in here, we do not know what the crates hold inside of them, there could be high explosives ready to detonate. Also, I want that commander alive, he could be our target, or could help us locate him, it is paramount that he survives." Aviza suddenly felt very dizzy and disoriented, grabbing onto the support beam she was taking cover behind to keep herself upright, but then the feeling faded away and she regained herself. This of course worried the Spartan, "Perhaps I am more injured than I realize, could it be that the information I was given about my injuries was incorrect? It has to just to be the ultra-Morph wearing off, a side effect of the drug." thought Aviza to herself, she knew Shih would have a comment about it, and that was welcomed.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko The situation had to be taken in quickly. Yalu shot off a burst of plasma rifle fire before takingcover behind one of the wide pillars. He was grateful for the outlines that came onto his HUD from Aviza. He was too distracted by the brute chieftain's idea of encouragement. Humans weren't as weak-willed as grunts, and he might use that to their advantage. In sync with 'Mdalak's movements between cover, Yalu peeked out to send plasma over the enemy barricades. He could not keep them all down -- he heard a few pink needles shatter against the pillar as he turned back behind to let his plasma rifle cool. How to approach this... Turn. Fire. Take cover. They won't let up until that chieftain was dead. Turn. Fire...One of the humans shrieked. He must have grazed them through the fire in the middle of the room. Aviza's movements caught his eye. Yalu was not too late to notice her weak moment. "Commander, I'll watch the flank," he said, knowing from prior practice how to prompt what he noticed without threatening his leader's honour. He stepped around her to occupy the other side of the pillar. "These humans, will they live if they surrender? We may only be fighting the brutes if so."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai The initial exchange of fire between Aviza's team and the defenders in front of them did leave some casualties on the side of the rebels. One of the Brutes that attempted to flank was taken down by Aviza, and there were a few Humans among the rebels who took hits that would, at the very least, incapacitate them. In a neutral exchange of gunfire, Aviza's team had the firm edge, as most of them were shielded. They could recover after a few seconds of sitting in cover, while the rebels could be taken down by a single shot. Though, the Brutes were more resilient. As long as their powered armor was not destroyed, their shields could regenerate. The rebels had not yet taken heavy casualties, yet they were still quick to begin retreating. They started to fall back from their fortifications in the middle and instead took cover behind the crates on the far side of the room. Even more strangely, the Brutes were willing to retreat. After the loss of just one of their own, they were falling back to the far side of the room as well, chieftain included. Despite the shouting they had heard as they arrived and the fact that he wielded a gravity hammer, he was not charging in nor taking risks. He just kept to cover and made sure his shields did not fall. Shih, meanwhile, spoke to Aviza directly. "I'm monitoring your vitals now. You might have a concussion, but your armor is already administering treatment. Just try not to take any more hits." --- Vael 'Virisusai Between the grenades and a magazine of fuel rods, the two mounted machine guns certainly stopped returning fire, along with all of the other Humans defending their position. Although, between the smoke and bursts of fuel rod explosions, it was also difficult to see how many had been killed in the blasts. Despite the gap in return fire, Tasuma still moved towards cover behind the nearest pillar. The shield on its arm was nigh impenetrable to anything the rebels could throw at it, but the rest of its armor was not quite as durable. Small arms would bounce off of the plating, but the heavy machine guns were another matter. Its armor was dented and damaged in some places, and pierced in a few. Thick, orange blood dripped from a few holes, though the Mgalekgolo as a whole did not yet seem meaningfully affected. On the upper walkway, Ryker would not find himself uncontested. Being that it was such an obvious path for any attackers to take, the rebels had prepared to defend it. It was a long, straight walkway with almost nothing in terms of cover, and on the far end was another set of barricades the rebels had deployed, at least three defenders, and a third mounted heavy machine gun. Ryker might have approached with active camouflage but the rebels were alert and only had a narrow path they were tasked with watching. The gunner still noticed the distinctive shimmer in the air surrounding Ryker and opened fire immediately, along with the other two beside her with their assault rifles. Perhaps their only mistake was opening fire too early, while Ryker was still close enough to the ramp to not be fully committed to the position. Vael had spent the break of the fight behind cover, allowing his shields to recharge. Though, as explosives rained down upon the enemy position, he shouted through their comms. "Do not be indiscriminate with explosives! If any of those crates contain explosives themselves, you may kill us as well as them." Vael ordered. He peered out of cover to try and get a look at the enemy, though the smoke was already thick in the air by that point. It obscured what his eyes could see, though his motion tracker still showed plenty of movement ahead of them. "The smoke shall be our ally. These Humans will fall easily if we close the distance. Grikgar, help Spartan Ryker claim the high ground, everyone else…" As Vael spoke, two objects flew out of the smoke towards them, one after another. Frag grenades, which would certainly land nearby. At that point, Vael easily understood what the Humans' plan had been. The defenders could have held close to try and deny them the support struts they had been using as cover, but normal Humans performed poorly against Spartan and Sangheili alike in close quarters. Instead, they had taken positions nearer to the far side of the room, taking advantage of long sight lines and heavy guns to suppress them into cover, at which point they would have used grenades to either kill them, or flush them out into machine gun fire. But, the quick actions of Vael's allies had foiled that plan. Now, if their heavy guns were even still in one piece, the air was too thick with smoke to return fire effectively. The incoming grenades were little more than a signal for Vael to push forward. "Attack!" Vael shouted, sprinting forward out of the range of the grenades and into the smoke. He had his plasma rifle in-hand and ready, though in such close quarters, it was his secondary weapon. As soon as he saw a Human silhouette in front of him, pushing himself up to his feet amid damaged and broken crates, Vael activated his energy sword and diagonally bisected the rebel's torso in one swift motion. The smoke around him now glowed blue, illuminated by the plasma. Bullets cut through the air towards him, though they were far from accurate, and his shields could stand up much longer to small arms than mounted machine guns. Vael flicked off his sword to hide its glow and moved swiftly, using pulsing bursts of orange light through the smoke from the rebels' muzzle flash to hone in on their positions.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker As the mounted machinegun opened fire towards Ryker, he was already diving with a startled curse. If he was honest, as he rolled part way down the ramp, the SPARTAN IV had hoped that the rebels wouldn't have bothered setting up any kind of defense on the walk way since they had seemed confident they'd control the doorway. Turning off the active camouflage system, he tucks into the wall of the ramp and swaps the SMG for his DMR before, risking a quick peak at the far end before ducking after a couple of the larger caliber rounds rebounded off his shielding. Hearing that Grikgar was on his way, however, gave the Spartan an idea and he waited for the Grunt to arrive. The little guy has a fuel rod launcher and lots of explosives. I'm a decent shot and brought a few frag grenades. The problem is obscuring smoke wouldn't do us any good up here...but a series of progressive explosions could force the men behind that barricade in to cover long enough for me to rush them.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak --- From her position behind the crates, Tar had a slightly better view of the elevated platforms above them. She couldn't see any hostiles peeking out just yet. "I can't see anyone on the platforms; will keep an eye out." Tar reported, just as the box she was hiding behind began shuddering from a hail of bullets. Cover was particularly poor this close to the near pillars; Tar needed to get into the grid of crates to stand a chance. She noticed her left leg was starting to hurt; blood trickled slowly from a gap in her armour plating. Could that bullet she'd felt while holding up her Brute cover outside have gone through, rather than grazed her? She wasn't sure. Tar probed the gap with one of her fingers, mandibles clamped together. She couldn't find an entry wound. She'd need to leave it be for now and look once the fighting had stopped. Tar peeked out from behind the crate she hid behind. A couple of Brutes and Humans had been dealt with, and part of the room was on fire. She could see shapes flitting between the stacks of crates toward the back of the room. It looks like they'd abandoned their previous position. "Our foe runs! We should press the attack." Tar called, shooting between crates at two Humans as they scrambled for cover. One of them fell over. Tar had never actually killed Humans before now. There'd been no need to; her time with the Silent Shadow remnants had been exclusively focused on killing Brutes. She found these Human warriors to be quite disappointing so far. She'd simmed against ODSTs and other Human elements in Paxopolis, but that'd been in a carefully controlled environment. This was real. "Moving!" Tar announced, mostly out of necessity. The crate she'd hidden behind had practically fallen apart. She got up and stepped into a 'corridor' between two rows of crates leading to the other side of the room. She spotted a Human with a SAW at the opposite end of the corridor just as they opened fire. Tar only made it forward one row before ducking back behind another stack of boxes. "I'm pinned, how is my right side looking?" Tar asked, partly to herself as she peeked around the other side of the box and partly to Aegis team, who would have a more holistic view.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko "They're giving ground already?" Yalu asked himself. "That chieftain was clear, but..." His eyes dilated in realisation. Shortly before Tar was fired upon by the human with the assault weapon, Yalu was already loping into a broad sprint down the right flank, sliding to a stop facing to one side. The human gunner flowed into his sights and five plasma rounds shot towards his centre. "'Mdalak! Right side clear!" He hesitated, not yet seeing any sign of a jammer, let alone any extra movement on his motion sensor yet. "This feels like a lure!" He added over a growl. Yalu kept his wits, trying to listen and feel more than see. Brutes liked activate camouflage in packs, and this valley between the walkways was perfect for their prey.</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan The two folded into the Aviza brute-killing group (foreshadowing) as they began their descent into the corridor, it would only be a matter of time before they would go toe to toe with a huge group of bad guys. Elna kept her head on a swivel looking around, looking like a paranoid bat of some sort as she expected for Rebels to come flying off the walls. For Roy (Ray) though it would just be another series of motions and actions he would be forced to go through, the two treaded through before Aviza called for contaaaaact! Roy moved forward and jumped behind hard cover before getting up to fire at the rebels. Elna also followed quickly planting herself up against hard cover as she got her Br-55 up and sent rounds down range towards the rebels and it was only a matter of time before they routed and ran away! Aviza quickly corpsed a flanking brute, taking him out without an ounce of remorse. The whole group began to rout but not in full, it could of been a trap - maybe it was? They were nowhere near the crates at this time so they could possibly be safe, though Ray kept his finger on the trigger. "Keep an eye out Corporal, thinks aren't as they seem." Elna returned a curt nod towards the spook she babysits, both got up and returned fired onto some nearby rebels quickly killing them as they stepped out of cover.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Situational awareness is crucial upon the field of battle, Spartan Aviza had learned this through many years of not only combat training but also experience in live fire situations. Unfortunately, it appeared that some of the other members of her immediate squad had either forgotten this important tactic or were more brazen and impatient than the others. To Aviza, is was clear that the hostiles had set up some kind of trap for them, though she was unsure what that trap would be. Perhaps they were trying to lure some of the forces into an area then cut them off from the others with some sort of energy barrier? That would make them easy to overwhelm, and the hostile forces on the other side would have to somehow deactivate the shield before being able to assist. Whatever their plan was, Spartan Aviza was not about to let any harm come to those under her command. Quickly, Aviza gave orders to the two had moved away from the rest of the squad, "Why are you advancing into what is most likely a trap? What happens if you two get cut off from the rest of the squad and we can not help? I want both of you back to my position immediately, the rest of us will provide cover and then try to find out what they have planned for us ahead." Spartan Aivza hoped that there was still time for the two Sangheili to correct their mistake, if not, the situation at hand was about to get much worse.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai There was some delay in the response from the enemy. They waited behind cover on the far side of the room, only giving token return fire as they waited for their attackers to take the space they had given up. However, Aviza did not give the order to advance, and the delay would give some time to try and retreat back to her position. When it became clear that their attackers had, for the most part, not taken the bait, the Chieftain let out a roar. Right away, Brute stalkers, four at least, emerged from active camouflage on the walkway directly above the team's position. They did not have an angle to shoot down on Aviza or those who stayed back, but Tar and Yalu were within their sights. Two opened fire with spikers, while the other two tried to throw incendiary grenades to block their retreat. It was, indeed, an ambush, though it was far from ideal for the Brutes, as both of the Sangheili were still fairly close to Aviza's position. In any case, the Chieftain's roar had been the signal for an all-in attack. The Brutes started charging from far across the room through the crates, while the Human rebels positioned themselves to provide supporting fire. Although, they did have a fair amount of ground to cover to cross the entire length of the room.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Enemy Stronghold Grikgar shifted quickly from one point of cover to the next. "Copy Grik be careful now. Many explosions good for Grik but not good for everyone else." Getting to the pillar next to the Spartan Grik nodded and activated the shield he got from the jackal. The bright orange glow of the shield illuminated his position in time for the machine gun to open up on his position. "Grikgar create opening for Spartan." Turing from cover his shield flared then broke along with his energy shield, Grik gar was only able to get two shots off with an unsteady hand before diving back into cover. "Shields recharging." What a rush, a bit risky but a rush all the same.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Tasuma --- While Grikgar had not had much time to take his shots,the jackal shield had at least bought him enough time to be able to put one on target. The first sailed over the top and exploded on the far wall, but the second struck the barricades directly. It did not entirely destroy the barricades, and the rebels behind them were able to duck for cover, but the machine gun emplacement was caught in the blast. Ryker would still have to deal with armed resistance, with better cover, on the upper walkway, but there was no heavy gun to keep him pinned. Some of the rebels had retained their bearings well enough and had managed to retreat out from the smoke cloud in the center of the room to form up behind the cover of the support struts on the far side. They had no heavy emplaced weapons, but they were well-armed on their own and had good sight lines. It would still not be trivial to displace them. If Ryker and Grikgar could claim the upper walkway, they would have a position on the high ground, at least. Amid the smoke, Vael stalked the rebels who had not escaped like prey. Using motion trackers, or simply the sounds they made to track them, Vael weaved between the crates to deal with them up close and personal. From the outside, one would see nothing until he came close enough to a target to flick on his energy sword, which illuminated the thick smoke in a blue glow. It was generally followed by a short burst of gunfire, then the scream of a Human. Tasuma did not make light of its own injuries, but in any case, it still moved into the smoke cloud as well. It was concerned less with killing stragglers as it was positioning itself to handle the rebels defending the far side of the room. The smoke would dissipate eventually, so it moved to find enough of a stack of crates that it could use for cover, instead of relying wholly on its armor for protection.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu barely had time to line up his covering fire to pull back by the time the trap was sprung. That left no time to hate being right in this instance. He slammed his back against the crates behind him before more than one spiker round could clip his shield. Around the crates before him, two more brutes were bearing down with an assault he could not avoid. Yalu sneered and let his plasma rifle fire fully automatic into the forward brute. The enemy's shield burst, but he was smart enough to fold back behind some crates while the next brute, freshly shielded, kept on running. Yalu kept the trigger depressed, roaring as the quickly heating weapon reached its safety point. Then, as the forward brute thrust his spiker rifle forward at his gut, Yalu spun to one side, felt the vents on his rifle open, and threw the momentum of the spin into shoving his overheated rifle into the side of the brute's face. The burning heat made the brute scream in rage, but his panicked response of striking Yalu's arm aside only made Yalu's energy dagger hook faster into its throat. Yalu's plasma rifle clattered to the floor from where it had flown out of his hand. His shock kept whatever pain was welling up in his forearm into a dull ache as he shook it in the air. The rest of the team's communications caught up with him. "Falling back," He said over the comms. He took the spiker rifle out of the slowly collapsing brute's hand on his way back. With his other hand, he pulled out his plasma carbine. A few one-handed shots from both weapons down the range kept the shieldless brute in cover for long enough to back closer to Aviza and 'Mdalak. He spoke as soon as he could see Tar along the same row. "You will earn your magazines from the enemy, 'Mdalak! Here!" He slid the spiker rifle across the smooth metallic floor towards her like a ringing bowling ball. "One dead on the right flank, at least one more remains. I can't advance until the stalkers above the walkway's right are slain."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai In their charge across the room, many of the Brutes had not made it to the other side, or died shortly thereafter. Spartan Aviza had cleared the walkway above them, leaving the chieftain with little in the way of direct support. Many Human rebels were still alive, but they moved forward more slowly and fired from distance, as they were more vulnerable. The Spartan, Rex, had moved up into cover behind the rightmost column to meet the chieftain's charge. Especially in close quarters, his shotgun could put quite a lot of pressure on the Brute's shields. His first shot as the chieftain was nearing caused his shields to flare, then Aviza's firebomb struck from above and further drained them with the intense flames. Nevertheless, the chieftain did not stop his momentum straight at Rex. As a Spartan and CQC expert, however, Rex's reflexes were quick and precise. He deftly ducked under the the hammer's horizontal swing while dashing away from where it would strike the column. The weapon's kinetic impulse sent out a shockwave that pushed Rex and damaged his shields, but he had dodged far enough to avoid most of the damage. As well, he kept his aim on-target enough to deplete the Brute's shields with another shell from his shotgun. Rex took aim straight at his opponent's head as he pumped his shotgun; however, the chieftain had one more trick before he could fire. Suddenly, the chieftain's shields were charged rapidly and started to glow bright white with streaks like lightning across their surface. The "invincibility" module, as it was known, overcharged his shields to the point of being practically impenetrable. It was surprising that these Brutes would still have such equipment in a working state from the war, but that was the obstacle they now faced. The module would only last a short time, but the chieftain had already made it into close quarters, among Aviza's team.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak "Got it." Tar grunted over comms, stopping the incoming Spiker with her foot. She quickly picked it up with her free hand and straight-arm fired it at the Brute Chieftain. She couldn't get a clear shot, as the pillars were in the way, but she saw when it activated its invincibility module. Bullets sprayed against the crates and walls around her, with a couple popping her recharging shield. Tar chucked her empty pistol away, holstered her Mauler, gripped her Spiker with both hands and fired downrange at the slowly advancing Human rebels. They dived behind cover, giving her a couple of seconds to think about the last remaining Brute that she could see. "Don't commit and stay back!" Tar urged, just as a blow from the gravity hammer scattered boxes everywhere. One crashed into her, knocking her backward and out of cover. She returned fire as a tsunami of bullets popped her shield again. A couple even clanged off her armour before she ducked behind a pillar - right in the path of the Chieftain. Tar swore and assumed an open stance, ready to move in any direction.</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan Elna stayed behind cover near Aviza before she took off running elsewhere to go and hunt the brute leader and what not, the woman keeping her weapon trained on the rebels before her. Each trigger pull expertly executed any remorseful or ill-fated rebels that stepped out onto the mat that was combat, the bullets bursting through their skin as they tried to move, shoot or otherwise try their hand against the angel of death. Elna was truly a bad ass in the making, though she kept close to cover and reacted properly as the brutes took their fight to Aviza and Rex - oh shit invincibility shield! Though she would begin to back up along with her team ready to run away from the invincible idiot who just plowed through their lines. Roy fired, bullet by bullet stacking body by body though he noticed that things were getting a bit more twisted as the brutes began there assault, he wasn't the first to begin the retreat but he saw it coming. Moving with Elna he'd manueveur to a better position albeit to their backs as there was no advancing to find new cover, they would have to go back. So he moved his feet hitting the ground as the pair made their way out of harms way, pulling back so the Spartans could do their jobs and the spooks could remain spooky. Roy wondered how Rex fared against the Brute!?</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai With the Chieftain's shields overloaded, what would have been the lethal shot from Rex deflected off of the energy barrier unceremoniously, and with no one else to slow down the Brute, Rex found himself in a poor position. The swing he gave in return was both quick and brutal, and even Rex did not have the ability to avoid it. The bladed edge of the gravity hammer struck Rex square in his chestpiece. Even MJOLNIR could not stand up against such force, as it was bent inward while Rex himself was smashed a meter or so back against the wall behind him. Of course, after landing his blow, the Chieftain's blood frenzy had him moving on quickly to the next prey. Tar was straight in his path, and the next obvious target. Her shields had already been depleted, and she was not in a position to run away nearly as quickly as the Chieftain could charge. He raised his hammer high and lunged forward, but among the chaos of gunfire that still filled the chamber, another shotgun shell was fired. Rex, though beaten down and struggling for breath, still fired from the ground. The Brute's shield did perfectly protect him, but that protection did not extend to the hammer he was holding. The well-aimed shot from Rex sent buckshot tearing through the hammer's mechanisms. When the Brute brought the hammer down on the ground at Tar's feet, the gravity impulse malfunctioned and failed to trigger. The invincibility module had saved the Chieftain, but it was short-lived. The overcharge ended shortly afterwards, leaving the Brute once again vulnerable with his weapon damaged. Although, it was still a hammer, and he was still a Brute. The danger he presented was still far from over, and as his normal shields had been replenished, it was not as if he would fall easily. --- Vael 'Virisusai and Tasuma --- Overall, Vael's team had managed to claim their needed positioning in the chamber. With the aid of Tasuma's smoke, they had forced the Rebels out of their entrenched central position, and Ryker and Grik had claimed the high ground on the right. The remainder of the Rebels had retreated out of the smoke to the far side of the room, and all that was left was to finish them. Despite their dire situation, the Rebels were still not going to give up without a fight. Vael had already slain the strays in the smoke cloud, so those that remained had no hesitation to fire on any movement. On the far right flank, a Rebel with a SAW was suppressing Ryker's position, while another beside him tossed up a frag grenade. "We must strike together. Tasuma, force them to hide and we shall descend upon them." Vael ordered. Tasuma stayed within the smoke for cover, instead using the sound of the SAW firing to guide its aim. Just the sound of its arm cannon charging sent some Rebels to cover, and when it did fire, the Rebel with the SAW was caught in the edge of the fuel rod blast, relieving some of the pressure on Ryker and Grik.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker The sudden barrage of SAW fire was more than a bit annoying for the SPARTAN IV as he was forced into cover once more, though at least this was more the kind of suppressive fire that kept him from getting a clear shot. Since he was on the high ground, the shots had less chance of hitting his shielding, but he couldn't get a clear line of fire. So, swapping the SMG for his DMR, he braced and waited. Eventually, he could hear the sound of the Mgalekgolo's cannon charging and he knew he'd have his chance soon. However, as he went to relay an idea he had to Grikgar, the cannon fired and the Unggoy opened fire with his pistol. "Well, I can work with that too." Popping up with his DMR already tucked snuggly into his shoulder, Lucas opens fire, first putting a bullet through the head of the SAW gunner before shifting to pick off another designated rifleman thinking he was sneaky from the doorway. {Heads up, Squad Leader, they're taking cover in the hallway beyond...well, it looks like another hallway at least. I know they're using the door way.} A couple of AR rounds ping off the SPARTAN-IV's shielding and he ducks briefly before popping back up and returning fire, missing the intended head shot and instead putting the bullet through the insurgent's shoulder.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Good, clear from above, Yalu thought towards the dead brute that tumbled off the walkway above him. That was one way to signal that the high ground was taken. Yalu reloaded his carbine. He was at his second-to-last magazine now. Unfortunately, just as his shields found a moment to hum back to full strength, the telltale stomps of the brute chieftain heralded the charge against Rex. The spartan was struck deep into the chest. Yalu was in no position to do anything about it. He fell into hesitation, even as the invincibility module faded away. If it weren't for the ONI agents keeping the enemies suppressed, their flank might have been completely done in. But he shook it off. He filled his lungs and charged. "Rrrraaaaaaah!" Yalu's warcry steeled his nerves as much as it was meant to catch the chieftain's attention. Any one ally would be in danger brawling against a brute with a hammer, but two against one tipped the scales. He fired scattered carbine rounds against the chieftain's shield on the way in. He feigned suicidal rage. However, he kept his footwork ready to void aside or back from a hammer swing in retribution. He did not intend to fight like a mad animal.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Tasuma --- The detonation of Tasuma's fuel rod blast was the signal for Vael as well. While Ryker and Grikgar fired from above on the right flank, Vael moved in on the left flank. He initially moved in under the cover of active camouflage. The imperfect invisibility could be spotted at such close range, but in this case, he only needed it to give him a few moments to approach while his enemy was otherwise occupied. For Vael, he was able to rush in to close the gap on the left pillar while the rebels were hiding from Tasuma's fuel rod. By the time one of them peered out and spotted the shimmering in the air, he was already upon them. His blade ignited mid-swing, and the body of the Human he was looming over put up no resistance as it cleaved through. The second rebel behind the pillar did manage to land a few SMG rounds on Vael in the second or two he had to react, but it was far from enough to break the Sangheili's shields before his body too was pierced by the energy sword. Ryker was correct that the remainder of the rebels were trying to move into the hall. They no longer had much of a defensive position, and those that were left were willing to retreat. The volume of plasma bolts from Grik, couples with accurate DMR fire from Ryker, put on them a great deal of pressure. Three made a run for the door while firing blindly back at the pair, and two went down before they could make it into the hall. For the few that remained pinned behind the right pillar, another fuel rod from Tasuma landed directly beside them. When there were no more left to retreat, the rebels closed and locked down the door to the hallway. It would only delay their team for a short time if they decided to pursue, but it would let the rebels put some distance between them. However, Vael had other priorities than ordering a chase. As soon as the room was cleared, he ran back to the center to the nearest crate. Their objective had been to find the armory, so using his strength to simply pry open the lock, Vael pulled open one of the crates to see its contents. Unfortunately, it was not weapons within, but rather sealed, packaged foodstuffs. He let out an irritated growl and flared his mandibles. "This is not the armory. Fall back, and we will rejoin the others."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker {Copy, coming down.} Turning to the Unggoy, he nodded before heading for the ramp back down. "Sounds like we didn't get the fun objective. Squad lead says back to the split." Obviously the walk back down the ramp was going to prove far less dangerous and the trip back out of the room, but that didn't bother the SPARTAN-IV. It gave them time to strategize and re-establish contact with Aviza's team, though he wasn't sure that they'd answer if they were in the midst of a fire fight. Reaching the bottom of the ramp, Ryker took up a position looking down the hall from the door way. "That sure was an awful lot of fight for some food stuffs. Are we sure they're nothing special?" It wasn't an uncommon thing for things like food stuffs to be used as IEDs, especially with the peacetime they were in and the shortages some sectors were facing. Then again, if they'd been rigged, suppose the Innies would have detonated the stash then and there and there'd have been no firefight like there was. Still, perhaps having a bomb removal team come through and check wouldn't hurt in the post-operation. "Ready to move when you are squad lead."</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern The first thought that ran through Aviza's mind as soon as she witnessed Spartan Rex receive the devastating blow from the Brute Chieftains Gravity hammer was immediate medical attention for what was most likely a life threatening injury. She knew this could not be done in their current situation, given the circumstances and the obvious threat that was still prevalent. With very few options available at the moment, Aviza sprinted forward towards her fallen Spartan, only coming to a stop when she arrived by his side. "Shih, I need a full scan of Spartan Rex, or as detailed as you can give. Once that is done, I want you to send a message to the Chorus of Thunder and inform them that we have injured and will need a fully detailed medical team on standby once our mission here is finished." For the moment, Aviza's Argus armor was informing her that she still had a few more seconds before she had to actually face the Brute Chieftain in combat, but a few seconds was all she needed to at least attempt to stabilize Spartan Rex. Quickly reaching onto the advanced medical kit she kept on herself at all times, Aviza produced a biofoam dispenser and was about to place it back inside of the medical case when she witnessed the Chieftain slam his hammer down at the feet of Tar, thankfully no energy wave was dispensed. With some quick thinking, she tossed the biofoam canister at the Brute Chieftains head and then rapid fired the underslung shotgun upon her MA5D Assault Rifle untill the eight round clip ran dry and had to be replaced. If this did not severely injure the Brute Cheiftan, they would be in serious trouble. Thankfully though, Aviza found an opportunity to assist Tar, and grabbed onto the back of her armor, pulling her back and away from the Brute and helping her onto her feet before once more turning to face the Brute Chieftain.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak The Brute Chieftain recoiled under the barrage of shotgun shells, but possessed the presence of mind to raise the bulky armour plate attached to his left arm. It absorbed some of the impact, shattering to pieces. The Chieftain issued a guttural, gurgling roar. He raised his hammer off the floor, jabbing it straight out in front of him at Aviza before lurching round and swinging it in a wide, brutal arc at Yalu as he rushed in from behind. The Elite's battlecry had obviously alerted the Chieftain to the danger. Tar sprung to her feet with Aviza's interrupted help. She dodged the Chieftain's savage jab, aided by the fact she wasn't the principal target. As soon as the Brute turned his back to pound Yalu, Tar jumped forward and clambered up his back. She reached for her holstered energy sword, intent on ramming it through a chink in the Brute's neck armour. Before she could, the Chieftain's head jerked backwards in a panicked motion; his helmet smashed into her face. One of Tar's feet slipped, and she was forced to quickly put both hands back on the Brute's armour to avoid falling off and being trampled. She tried to grab her sword again.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai As tough as its defenses were, the Brute Chieftain was not invincible. At least, not any longer. With his shields now depleted, his armor had to handle the incoming fire. Many pellets from the shotgun blasts either deflected off of the armor or was stopped by it, but each shot weakened his defenses, and some broke through. It might have been hard to notice in the chaos of battle, but bright red blood dripped from some holes in the Jiralhanae's armor plating. Had the Brute's ambush not been discovered, or his allies not taken so many casualties when they tried to rush across the room, they might not have been able to place as much focus on the chieftain himself. Alone, the chieftain could be overwhelmed from all angles. Still, in his blood rage, he may not have even been aware he was essentially alone, and he would be fighting to his last breath. Tar nearly knocked him off of his feet when she jumped on him from behind, but he managed to keep standing. In a rage, he let out a roar as he managed to reach up over his shoulder to grab a hold of Tar's arm. He had her in a vice-grip, and despite his unfavorable leverage, his raw strength was not something to be ignored. Although, in his struggle against Tar, he could not focus on many other threats.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Despite the strength of his defenses, as well as his rage and resolve, the Brute chieftain's armor could only take so much. His body could only be pushed so far. Yalu's carbine found a weak point in the armor, so all of the heat, kinetic force, and radiation found its way right into the Jiralhanae's body. He lost the use of his arm, and with all that surrounded him, it made him an easy kill. A few shots from Elna was all it took to finish him off. Few of the rebel Humans had survived the firefight, and those who did were quick to retreat out the other side of the chamber. With the immediate threats dealt with, it was easy to take a look around and see where they were. Some of the crates had been broken open during the fighting, and there were weapons visible. This was the armory, which meant that the console they needed to hack was in one of the adjacent rooms. There were not many rooms to search, so it did not take long for Aviza to bring Shih to the console. It was in a small room through a door on the left side in which the rebels had set up some of their equipment. Whatever the room's purpose, all Shih needed was access to their network. As Shih had alluded to before, the insurrectionists' network security was surprisingly robust for a rebel cell. Even a smart AI like Shih took a minute or so to get through into the network. It was clear that the rebels either had a few talented members, or some resourceful allies, but in any case, Shih was able to recover the information they needed for their mission here and now. In the time it took for Shih to complete her work, Vael's team was able to double-back and rejoin with Aviza's, so they would all be able to move together. By cross-referencing the intelligence pulled from the network with rebel communications she had been intercepting, Shih was able to determine their target's most likely location. "It seems like one of our suspicions was correct. The rebels discovered tunnels underneath the surface that spread out in all directions. They have plans in place to use them as an escape route in just this situation. If I'm reading this right, some of those tunnels are large enough that they were able to get entire dropships down there. They're evacuating everyone they can right now. Their commander is organizing things, but he'll be leaving soon enough too. I…think I've identified a path to his pelican, but if we don't hurry, he will get away from us."</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Listening closely and intently to Shih as she briefed them on their current situation at hand, Spartan Aivza was already strategizing and plotting their next course of action. Rex still needed to be stabilized for medical evacuation and she was going to ensure that this happened before they moved out again. Moving to her fellow Spartan who was injured, she took a knee and held her right hand over his torso where the Brute had managed to make contact with his armor. Sensors indicated that he had received severe injuries, internal bleeding, broken ribs, and fragments of bones threatening to puncture his lungs if there was to much movement. Her suits systems informed her that their best option was to be medically evacuated as soon as possible, and that Rex's suit of armor had already stabilized him. "Rex, I will not lie to you, the strike from the Brute Chieftain inflicted severe damage upon not only your armor but also your body." began Aviza as she moved to her feet once more. "It would be extremely unwise to move you at this time, even more so to have you try and attempt to assist us further. For now, you must relax and refrain from moving until we return. My advice is for you to engage your active camouflage and remain hidden untill we have finished with our mission here. Aviza would then send a private message to Shih, "I want you to send a message to the Chorus of Thunder and inform them that we have injured and will need a fully detailed medical team on standby once our mission here is finished. Secondly, please forward the most logical path to take next to everyone's HUD, along with any other information you believe should be shared with the squad." Aviza would hold her position, waiting for the path to appear before her, once it did, she would quickly head off in the direction it lead. One last message would be sent to Rex before she departed, "Keep us updated on your situation Rex, if you need help, I will send a team back to you."</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar clattered to the floor as the Brute Chieftain slumped on top of her. She roared, thrashing about wildly, eventually levering the giant corpse over onto its front before scrambling to her feet. She quickly surveyed the field, and gradually stood down when she was confident the threat had passed for now. Her leg protested; the background level of pain she could feel hidden in her armour was gradually increasing. She gritted her mandibles together and tried to ignore it. A waypoint appeared in Tar's HUD, and she fell in behind the Spartan team leader as they moved toward it. On the way, she discarded her spent Mauler for an M90 shotgun from one of the warped crates. Tar ripped the fingerguard clean off the weapon to accommodate her Sangheili digits before bringing the gun to her shoulder. Not long after, she stooped to grab a pistol from the belt of a downed insurrectionist with her off hand, eyes constantly scanning for hostiles. Tar peeked into the small room the team's AI led them to, before standing alert behind some crates outside it. The rest of the team arrived, announcing beforehand so as to avoid attracting friendly fire. Tar greeted them with a cursory nod, checking them out for gear and equipment until the AI revealed they were short on time. "Our quarry flees! We should hunt them down." She snarled.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu danced his feet back as fast as he could once his last bullet shot into the brute's shoulder. He got to the last punch of reloading in his final carbine magazine only to hear one more close gunshot aimed at the chieftain. The hulking alien fell heavily onto Tar, but she looked like she could handle it. Yalu briefly scanned for more enemies, finding none worth shooting, before turning an eye to their scarred human Corporal nearby. "A fine kill, Cohen." Only now did Yalu take another look at the spartan Rex. He knew it was not his business to eavesdrop, but Yalu showed at least some relief to hear that the spartan still lived, based on Aviza's assessment. But Rex was not the only one wounded. Yalu thought about his next words carefully while scavenging for another weapon. This Tar 'Mdalak was not to be underestimated if he impugned her honour by drawing attention to her bleeding leg. She was no minor under his command, after all. Yalu rearmed with a few frag grenades, a fallen brute's plasma rifle, and a human marksman's rifle to replace his carbine; there was more ballistic ammunition than carbine magazines available. The other team reunited with them, Yalu gave them a nod. They were about to set out when he decided to speak up. "Commander Aviza," Yalu said quietly over the comms. "As you are our medical specialist, your anaesthetics may help us Sangheili pursue our objective faster. Do you have spare doses we may hold?" If they all could hold onto a shot of pain relievers, particularly Commander Vael, Yalu knew 'Mdalak was less likely to lose face if she used it for her leg. It was risky for Yalu to assume Aviza would understand the social nuance, but he hoped the AI could make up the difference.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Surely unknown to the ex-covenant forces who were currently part of Aegis Team, Spartan Aviza had been educated in some areas of Sangheili culture. This of course included how they were quite hesitant to receive any form of outside healing, less they have their honor insulted. The request for the anesthetics came as surprise, regardless though she was happy to comply with Yalu. While still walking down the hallway towards their next objective, she reached into her medical pack and produced a few metal canisters before handing them over to the Sangheili. "These contain an extremely potent anesthetic, they will dull the pain but the injury will obviously still remain and will need to be treated by a medical professional as myself." Once the cannisters had been taken, Aviza would then turn her attention back to the matter at hand, locating the Rebel Base Commander.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Moving down through the structure, the team kept their pace as quick as possible. It was vital to their mission that the enemy leader not be allowed to escape. As per their mission parameters, capture was preferable, but even killing him would be acceptable should capture not be an option. The only outcome that would be considered a failure would be if he were to escape. There was some resistance as they moved down into the tunnels, though nothing like what they had encountered in the chambers above. With how swiftly the team had made their attack, the Insurrectionists had not had the time nor resources to organize more than their initial defense. A good portion of them were likely still caught up in the battle above ground. The few rebels they did encounter tried to set up ambushes, but against a team like Aegis, they did not so much as slow them down. Near the bottom of the structure, Shih guided the team into an elevator leading down deeper into Sarcophagus' superstructure. The rebels had tried to lock it down, but fortunately, they did not seem to have any special understanding of Forerunner systems, so Shih was able to easily override it. After reaching the bottom, it was only a short run through the halls to reach the rebels' underground landing platform. The hallway opened up into a large, flat platform in the middle of a massive, hexagonal tunnel, though it was cluttered with crates and equipment. The hallway exited out near the middle of the platform, so there were multiple dropships on either side of them. Most of them were of different models with different appearances and loadouts, ranging from fully-armed UNSC pelicans, to police and civilian transports. Making full use of every sensor at her disposal, Shih started scanning area as soon as they stepped through the door. Based on the information she had recovered from the rebels' network, she was able to identify and mark the leader on their HUDs before any of the team had even set foot on the platform. The enemy commander was off to their left, about a hundred meters away near the edge of the platform. He was equipped in what appeared to be ODST combat armor, though it was heavily modified. He had been coordinating the evacuation, though the moment he saw Aegis team arrive, he and the soldiers around him made a run for the nearest pelican on the platform. Unfortunately, he was close enough that he would certainly reach it before anyone on Aegis could.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar accepted the proffered metal canister with a grunt and studied it distastefully. She knew a lot of her family and friends back on Brissekh would've been angry at the mere gesture. However, it seemed spending so much time in Paxopolis had begun to change Tar's perception. Medicine and doctors were in bountiful supply there, and the Arbiter's robust lobbying for the preservation of Sangheili life made some sense. They were not as strong as they once were; they could no longer afford to throw their lives away over their honour. Tar hung back for a few seconds and let the rest of the team file past toward the waypoint. She then injected the contents of the canister into the back of her leg - the one that had been shot. She then quietly rested the empty shell on top of a crate and jogged to catch up with the rear of the group. --- Once the lift had come to rest on the vast platform and the target was marked, Tar wasted no time in springing into action. Her pistol wasn't effective at the kind of range needed to take out the leader, but there were closer hostiles that needed dealing with anyway. Most were rushing to evacuate, but some did stop and begin shooting at them. Tar surged off the lift and towards cover at top speed. Her stolen pistol was enveloped in both hands as she emptied her magazine suppressing as many of the rebels as she could. Upon reaching a wheeled trolley of heavy equipment, she savagely kicked it towards a gaggle of enemies in riot gear, sending them running to get out of the way.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Lucas followed the rest of the team in nearly perfect sync, his DMR sounding off to get the targets out of range of the shorter ranged ARs and plasma weaponry. The team moved fast and hard, clearing corners and making their way towards the location of the rebel leader with ease. Sometimes I wonder if this was the kinda of thing that the SPARTAN-IIs had been created for. Taking out rebel bases and leaders for the good of humanity, well, the survivors of the war now. Though ONI would never tell anyone if it were. "Gotta maintain a good public image," they'd say. Sometimes they forget they don't have a good public image anyways... Upon reaching the lift after dealing with the last attempted ambush, which their motion scanners had detected before they ever got near it, the SPARTAN-IV was one of the last on. The ride down was silent, though it was far from an awkward silence. This was the silence of men and women who were preparing to do a job that only they could do and when the lift doors opened, they stepped out to do that job. The marker tracking the rebel leader was easy to follow and his armor wouldn't be hard to bypass. Growing up, Lucas had paid attention to how armor from the centuries was designed and whether it was a suit of full plate armor or a Kevlar chest piece, the joints of the armor were almost always either exposed or the weakest point in the suit. The ODST armor that the rebel leader was wearing was no different, and the exposed knee joints were easy to see, even from here. But the man also had his entourage of guards, so going straight from him probably wasn't the best idea. Though slowing him down... His decision made, the stock of Ryker's DMR found its way to his shoulder and he fired three times at the retreating forms of the rebels, though the las shot had a slight delay. The first two shots found the heads of the two soldiers most immediately blocking his shot to the leader, the two rebels both gasping in surprise as the bullets made impact. The SPARTAN-IV had had to wait a few seconds for the bodies of the two to fall before he'd fired the third shot, which was intended to pass through the back of the man's left knee. Not only would he fall to the ground from the sudden loss of his knee and kneecap, but he'd be slowed down considerably even with help moving from another person. Keeping his external speakers off, he spoke into the team channel. {VIP crippled, but he's still got help. Need to move fast.}</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- The enemy commander was, naturally, the priority, though Vael still had no intention of being trapped in tunnel vision on the target. Running out onto the platform, they were exposed to a lot of angles. While there was cover, and many of the rebels were more concerned with rushing to their evacuation than turning around to attack, there were some soldiers turning their attention turning towards the team. "Tasuma, cover our flank!" He ordered. The Mgalekgolo would certainly not be able to reach their objective before someone else on Aegis could, so his focus would be more useful on protecting the others. The rebel leader did not slow his pace as the shots started to ring out around him. Ryker's attempt to stop him might have worked, but he had more than just Human equipment to rely on. Before Ryker could take his third shot, the bright blue energy field of a Kig-Yar point defense gauntlet powered on to take the bullet, which protected him for the rest of his short run to the pelican. The leader did make it into the troop hold of the dropship, but he did not order takeoff immediately. Other rebels were still rushing in behind him to evacuate, and he did not seem intent on leaving them. Shortly after making into the pelican, he leaned out to give cover to his allies, keeping in cover behind his gauntlet while angling an M319 grenade launcher to fire over it. The grenade came in quick towards the center of the group, then airburst over them. It did not detonate close enough to make any kills, but the EMP effect could effectively drain shields.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko The quieter moments of the pursuit gave Yalu some moments to reflect. The mission was not going flawlessly. He did not know whether the enemy commander would still be at the landing pad by the time they reached him. It would not be over by then, he told himself. If the human rebels could fly through these tunnels as a routine, then he might... He paused his thought before they opened the door to the landing pad. There was little time else for Yalu to do than to take a shot alongside the others at the commander. "He has a gauntlet. Need more firepower-" The grenade flew across them. Yalu reflexively ducked and covered his head as it went off. He grit his teeth at the shock that had blasted against his now EMP-drained shield. This breach was dead in the water. But he did spot some other aircraft in the landing pad. They had perhaps a few seconds before their quarry could load up another grenade and they could not push an assault without shields. That was the first concern. "Grenade out!" Yalu risked an arm out of cover to pitch a fragmentation grenade out ahead with plenty left on the timer. It bounced, slid, and coasted to a stop across the forerunner floor, spinning in place ahead of the pelican's ramp before detonating. Yalu was already switching to his concussion rifle for the next stage. He had only six shots left to pin down the enemy while the rest of the team followed up. "The quarry covers his allies' retreat," Yalu observed. "We are not hunting a coward."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker If Ryker had ever wanted to go kick the shit out of a Jiralhanae more than he wanted to kick the shit out of this fleet they'd used to track the rebels, he couldn't remember it. The insurgency had already had a history of being a pain in the ass for the UNSC, especially since they had this idea that the UNSC were only full of villains, but giving them access to some of the Covenant tech that had given the Alien conglomerate an edge...yeah, that was not fun. In his personal experience, ONI was the one to beware, but as he exchanged shots with a pair of Insurgents taking cover behind a couple of crates, he decided he could reminisce later. He only had a brief moment to recognize the weapon their target pulled, but it was long enough to cloak and dive, hopefully, out of range of both EMP and any shrapnel. Landing at a roll, the SPARTAN-IV brought up his DMR and fired a quick two tap at the leader, aiming mainly to knock the grenade launcher out of his hands and force him to either high behind his shield or fall back into the pelican. {Grikgar, think you can damage one of those engines on the Pelican? We can't let him get away.} He had been firing from where he'd landed until a stray shot hit him and his shields shattered, shutting down his cloak as well. "Aw, come on..." He dove behind the nearest piece of cover as an array of assault rifle fire strafed after him. This was now a bit of a shit show, but it was what it was, and at least the EMP hadn't completely drained his shield like it had several of his teammates.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Once again, the rebel commander proved quick to react to danger. As soon as he saw a Spartan taking aim, he ducked into cover in the pelican while he loaded in another grenade. Grikgar, however, required hardly more than a few moments to eagerly follow Spartan Ryker's suggestion. His fuel rod cannon was already at the ready, after all. Pelicans were generally well-armored, but there were weak points, especially near the engines. Naturally, Grik knew right where to aim to disable one of the rear engines. The commander had slowed Aegis team down enough that his soldiers were able to make it into the hold, but just as the pelican started to lift off of the landing pad, a fuel rod detonated inside one of the rear thrusters. Dropping back down onto the pad, the pelican started to spin and scrape across the ground until it came to rest on its side. It had been a slow crash, so there were few injuries for the passengers inside. As the commander climbed out the back, he shouted back to the soldiers behind him. "Go, get to one of the others! I'll cover you!" The rebel commander wasted no time in sprinting away from the crash in the opposite direction as the rest of the soldiers. He flicked on his shield gauntlet once again, running and weaving between crates for extra cover as he took potshots at his attackers with the magnum in his other hand. Though, even for those among Aegis with weakened or depleted shields, his blindfire was of little real threat. To Vael, for a few moments, it seemed assured that their quarry would be theirs shortly. However, the commander had one last surprise for them. Once he was far enough from the pelican, he stopped near the edge of the platform in a rather strange defensive posture. He held his shield low to protect against wounding attacks, while leaving his head exposed. On top of that, he threw off his helmet, revealing a middle-aged, bald and scarred visage. He pointed his magnum not at his enemy, but at his own head. He seemed aware of the risk of being disarmed, as he tried as much as possible to keep his own head between his enemy and his weapon. "Stay back!" He shouted. "I know you want me alive; I'd be dead already if you didn't. Well, you want your prize? Then we do this my way!"</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael halted in place with his carbine's sights set firmly on the rebel commander. However, this time, to kill was not his goal, which was enough to give him pause. He was a warrior with immense battlefield experience against some of the most deadly foes the galaxy had to offer. He had seen more in battle than even most Sangheili would experience in their lives, yet he could not deny that this was something new to him. He had a foe in front of him that he could not kill, and in fact, that he needed to save from the weapon in his own hand. For all his battlefield experience, Vael could not deny to himself that this fell outside his array of skills. He would need his team to succeed. Already, some of Vael's team took the initiative to act, demonstrating options that Vael himself had not thought of in the moment. The pilot, Tar, matched hostage with hostage. She found one of the rebel's allies to threaten and did so in clear view of the commander. It seemed dishonorable, but could Vael truly criticize unorthodox tactics in an equally unorthodox situation? The rebel commander had demonstrated considerable concern for his underlings, so it was a clever way to exploit that weakness. At the same time, out of all his team, Grikgar was the one who seemed able to potentially move himself into position. Even Vael may not have noticed, were it not for his HUD highlighting his ally's position, but the Unggoy was moving around wide under active camouflage to get behind the Human. The rebel commander was highly aware of his surroundings, looking around constantly to his front and sides. Being alert, he would likely notice an approach even through active camouflage from those angles, but Grik was hanging from the side of the platform to move around behind him. A perilous position, as it was quite a long drop off the side, but it was an approach that could actually work. Many Sangheili would find it foolish to trust such a vital task to an Unggoy, but Vael was aware that Grikgar was not the average Unggoy. Perhaps they did not need to succeed at negotiating with this Human? Perhaps they needed to merely buy time? For the rebel commander, he only hesitated briefly upon seeing Tar's hostage. "I know I can't save everyone, but if you want me, then you're going to let me save who I can. No arguments. You will let the rest of these dropships launch. Doesn't matter if you pursue, because you'll never find them once they're gone. Then, you radio your people up top and…tell them to focus on the Brutes. They'll follow that order, and I trust my people to get away on their own. You do that, and let your hostage there go, then I'm yours. Without a hole in my head. I give you my word."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Well this wasn't the situation that the SPARTAN-IV was expecting to find himself in at this point, with their target holding himself hostage to get his people out alive. Ryker had already reengaged his active camouflage, and had taken aim to try and knock the pistol out of his hand, though his position on the edge of the landing was less than ideal. Still, an answer had to be made as the team moved. He wasn't sure that matching hostage with hostage was a great plan, but it did offer an opportunity and he saw Grikgar flash his IFF to indicate his position. The little Unggoy was smart, pity there wasn't much of a way for Lucas to support him, though he did know that they'd all been issued combat knives and if there was one thing the former ONI assassin knew, it was that a surprise prick from an unexpected source that would often turn things in your favor. Turning off his external speakers, Ryker spoke strictly to the members of Aegis. "If we can coordinate everything right, we can disarm and detain him without having to meet his demands. Grikgar is in a great position to catch him off guard with a knife to the leg or even leaping on him. All one of us needs to do is get that magnum out of his hands." He then remembers the SPARTAN-III...Ben. He had hopefully found a good spot by now. "We could also blow off his arm with that Anti-Material rifle of yours, Ben."</s> <\|message\|>Elna Cohen Cohen was unremorseful, nay unresponsivle to Yalu's response as she added the rebels to the body count the mere act itself was just part of her job. She wasn't a cold hearted killer but emotions aside she couldn't care too much about URF scumbags, but praise from some splitjaw was not going to make her day any better, unlucky for her. For Ray the work was yet to be done as the rest of the team corpsed the remaining indivudals without hesitation, it was a bloody battle that never seemed to end. For the two spooks it was just the start but it simply gave them too much fucking fatigue. The silent woman let out a sigh of fatigue in response to it all or responseo to Yalu? It was simply unknown at this time. For Ray the continuance of the objectives seemed paramount as he followed the patrol along with his entourage that was just Elna Cohen. They encountered the rest of the rebels and ended up locking in the fire fight that ensued. Though the two would end up at the back of the confrontation as is played out until the pelican went down without remorse, still fighting the group of rebels Ryker and some others had confronted the commander in question, though the stakes looked dire. "The HVT must be captured alive, by any means necessary. Do not blow his arm off, that will be fatal.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Having taken cover behind what she considered a more sturdy crate, one that she hoped would not disintegrate when fired upon or explode, the Spartan team lead observed the scene that was unfolding before her with an attentive mind. A few scenarios ran through her mind as she quickly tried to decide what was the best course of action. She had non-lethal flashbangs that could be used, the weapon could be shot out of his hand, active-camouflage could be engaged and the target could be incapacitated that way. All of these and many more ran through her mind. "If we fire upon him, there is a very good chance he will become critically injured from doing so, or he may end his existence. Everyone, please stay back and allow me to attempt to handle this, if my plan does not work, then you may engage." said Aviza into her squads private coms. Moving onto her feet, she would show herself from behind the cover she had chosen, not taking any steps forward and remaining where she currently stood. "Commander, I am the team leader for this squad, they will follow my orders swiftly and to the letter depending on what I say." began Aviza in her normal emotionless tone, though this time more humanity could be heard behind it. "We do indeed want you alive, and in all honesty I rather avoid more loss of life. We have heard your demands, and it is obvious you are a man who cares for those who server under and around you, and that you fight for something you believe in, unlike the Jiralhanae. I would like to inform you that I agree with your demands, give me a moment to contact the ship and inform them." There would be a pause as Aviza opened a com with the ship above them, "This is Spartan Aviza, we have the HVT in sight, but he is demanding that we allow his forces to leave in peace while focus firing the Jiralhanae forces instead. Do not fire upon the rebel shuttles, and allow them to leave in peace." Aviza said this out-loud in open coms so that the commander could hear, though she did reach out to Shih and thought "Shih, inform them to do as they see fit once the shuttles leave, but allow us enough time to capture the Rebel Leader and move him to an area where he will not be able to see anything you all may choose to do afterwards."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai The moment she was given the order, Shih did just as Aviza said. She passed on Aviza's instructions to the battle group above, as well as a brief report on their current situation. She also took the liberty of encoding and encrypting the message, in the unlikely event that the rebels still had some ability to intercept their transmissions. Across the platform they were on, the engines of one of the other pelicans came to life. It had filled up with evacuees and started to lift off in short order. Vael gave just a brief glance in its direction as it accelerated clear of the platform, then took of down the tunnel and turned out of sight. He kept his carbine aimed at their target and gave no visible reaction, but he did speak carefully through the team's comms. "Our ships can track and pursue the rebels above, but we do not know these tunnels, and they have certainly mapped them. Any dropships that flee down here will likely be lost to us." Meanwhile, the rebel commander activated his own comm unit, though he spoke openly for all of them to hear. "You should be able to get an opening. Follow the contingencies. Get out of there while the enemy focuses on the Brutes. Report back confirmation once you're away." Once he gave his orders, he looked back at Aviza, still with his magnum pressed firmly to his skull. "Okay, glad to see you can be reasonable. Now, once I get word that my people have escaped, and once your split-lip friend there releases my soldier, then you can have me. No tricks. Until then, you can stay back, and we can all just wait right here."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Ryker could hardly believe he was watching them actually acquiesce to the requests of a terrorist just to take him alive, especially given they'd already killed non-combatants in an effort to reignite the war between Elite and Human. But then, their team lead was a medic and their first priority was always saving lives, not taking them, Spartan or not. {They'll pop out of some other hidey-hole eventually, the URF always does. Regardless, Team Lead, we need to get that weapon out of his hands BEFORE the shuttles above get too far away. Grikgar is in position to jump him, just give the word.} Speaking from personal experience from during the war, Unggoy were much stronger than they looked and an unaugmented human being would struggle to actually stop them from disarming them. The encounter had been...unexpected, just a lone Unggoy looking to relieve themselves when Lucas had stumbled upon them, but the following fight, in which the Unggoy had easily disarmed and almost killed Ryker with its bare hands, had proven to the now SPARTAN-IV that any of the former Covenant races were more than met the eye.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern "Do me a favor Tar..." began Spartan Aviza, speaking through the open coms so not only her team but also the Rebel Leader could hear her. "Release the captive hostage and let her escape safely, the pawns are of no significance to us at this time." As soon as Aviza had finished speaking, a sudden wave of dysequilibrium washed over her, though the Spartan held her composure and remained on her feet, letting the feeling run its course and eventually pass. Acting as if nothing had happened, Aviza turned around to face their female Sangheili friend, hoping her orders would be followed swiftly and to the letter. At the same time, she ran a message pass Shih, "Please inform command we have injured and will need immediate medical attention once we arrive back on the ship. Two medical teams, one for humans and one for Sangheili will be fine."</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar turned her head sharply to look at the Human in grey armour and growled softly. They nearly had this rebel leader surrounded; there was no reason to give away prisoners now! She wondered if the earlier fall had taken its toll on their leader's soft, squishy interior. The rest of this group of fighters still seemed resolute in their support though. It was almost amusing to think how differently this might have gone if it were a Sangheili-only team in this position. After a moment of reluctance, Tar lowered her pistol from the hostage's head. She pushed the Human forward, sending her sprawling forward onto the deck. "Run fast." Tar warned them, looking down as they struggled dizzily back onto their knees and then to their feet. Gaining her bearings quickly, the rebel soldier staggered off towards the last dropships. Tar quickly surveyed the environment again, then returned her gaze to the rebel Commander. Her arm and legs hurt from where bullets had hit them, but she resisted the urge to examine them with her fingers just yet. Things could still go either way here. Instead, she engulfed her captured pistol in both hands and held it ready.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael had to hold himself back from responding to Spartan Aviza's…decision with anything more than a low growl. Not only did this choice prevent them from delivering the remaining rebels their deserved punishment, but it was risky. Once they held no leverage over him, there would be nothing stopping him from taking his own life except his sense of honor, and perhaps fear. Even so, Vael did not voice any dissent. He simply kept his carbine leveled on the rebel, trying to keep his aim right on the Human's wrist. Even he could not guarantee he would be able to make such a shot, but that was the only option Vael would have to stop him from killing himself, should it come to that. Even if he did not agree with the plan, it was still better for a unit to have united support for a single plan, rather than divided support for a better plan. In any case, the impasse continued for as long as it took for the remainder of the rebels to make their escape. One after another, the pelicans lifted off and accelerated down the tunnel, with their former hostage boarding the last to make her escape. Soon enough, the complex was devoid of insurrectionists, save for the commander himself. The rebel had remained alert to any movement for the entire wait, but once his soldiers were gone, he stared down Aviza. "You have kept your word, Spartan…" He began, letting out a long sigh. In an instant, he squeezed the trigger…which was followed by nothing but a click. His weapon was out of ammunition; he must have held down the slide release lever after firing his final shot before. "I hope you remember that integrity when they betray you too. Do as you will." He remarked, tossing his empty pistol aside. In leaving the Forerunner structure, there was no more resistance. Every rebel that had not been killed had evacuated, while the Brutes above ground had fought to the last. If there was one measure of respect Vael could give to the Jiralhanae, despite their savagery, it was that they would fight to a warrior's death no matter the odds. Of course, even with the Brutes defeated, they still had to extract quickly once on the surface. The fighting had drawn the ire of the Forerunner defense systems in the area, so they had to evacuate under fire to return to the Chorus of Thunder. Once all ground forces were aboard, the fleet as a whole jumped to slipspace to put some distance between themselves and Sarcophagus. --- The debriefing for Aegis team came after the appropriate medical attention for those who were injured. For Spartans, medical checkups were standard after every mission, though Sangheili team members were at least offered treatment as well. It was up to them whether or not they would accept it. Overall, the mission was successful as per the objectives outlined to them from the start. Most of the rebel cell was destroyed, and their commander captured. The escape of so many insurrectionists was not ideal, but the damage dealt to the organization was considered sufficient, especially with the capture of their leader. It was a strong first showing for Aegis team, and it made a solid case for their usefulness of this experiment in cooperation. As was true from the beginning, however, Aegis team was never fully about military effectiveness. It was a political experiment as much as it was a military one, so having good results was not an immediate guarantee of their future. The wait aboard the Chorus turned from days to weeks as their superiors discussed the mission's execution, its results, and its implications as they interrogated their captive. Ultimately, priorities began to shift among both governments as a result of events in the rest of the galaxy. The rebel cell they encountered was considered to have been removed as a threat, while other concerns moved closer to the forefront. For the Swords of Sanghelios, the war against Jul 'Mdama's Covenant continued to draw more and more of their resources, while the UNSC was reluctant to draw themselves any further into the conflict than absolutely necessary. Meanwhile, the UNSC Infinity's mission to facilitate the study and decommission of the remaining Halo rings was among the UNSC's highest priorities, and Spartan deployments to the Infinity, and other locations in service of that goal, were considered more important. Ultimately, members of Aegis team on both sides were soon given "temporary" reassignments back among their own people while they awaited the results of discussions between their superiors. The months that passed saw events that threatened to reshape the balance of power in the galaxy. The discovery of the shield world Requiem, followed by the Didact's attack on Earth and the destruction of New Phoenix shook the peace that Earth had enjoyed since the end of the war. Despite his losses, and even without the Didact to lead them, the Requiem Campaign brought more power and influence to 'Mdama's faction. After the destruction of Requiem, Promethean warriors continued to serve as allies to the Covenant, which, to some, seemed to legitimize Jul 'Mdama's claim to leadership. It was only near the end of the Requiem campaign that the talks over the future of Aegis team, which had been shelved months before, were put back on the table. Though still reluctant to join the war in earnest, the UNSC now had much more direct cause to act against 'Mdama. Particularly for missions in or near Swords of Sanghelios territory, the need once again arose for a team like Aegis. --- March 1st, 2558. Sydney, Australia Vael was sat on the floor, resting on his knees and meditating in the quarters he had been given. He was out of his armor, which was no small show of trust for him on an alien world, even if the Humans likely did not understand it. Of course, his armor was close by and sealed in its storage container, and he rarely left these quarters without it. Opening his eyes, Vael simply took a moment to look out across the bustling city outside his window. It was the place this idea of Aegis team first started, the city of Sydney on Earth. Vael and his team had been here over a week while they awaited other members of the team to be recalled to Earth. Their superiors had already been discussing, planning, and making agreements; it would simply be up to them to carry out the decisions that had been made for them. In a way, Vael found his treatment here amusing. Unlike his previous visit to Earth, he had been given quarters as a guest near to, though not within the UNSC headquarters. Since he and his team had been required to stay for more than a short time, their hosts had at least made an appearance of not treating their allies like prisoners. He had been free to move of his own accord in the city, though of course, he was under no illusions that he was not being watched by ONI. No matter what appearances they wanted to give, they would not allow him to go anywhere they did not wish him to be.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael's meditation was interrupted by a visitor at his door. Naturally, he had received few since he had been staying on his planet. Some of the younger members of his team had chosen to indulge some of their curiosity on this world, but Vael himself had been content to keep to himself. He suspected that ONI had anticipated he and his team would behave just as Vael had been when they offered them the freedom of movement befitting a guest. It was for that reason that Vael did not mind allowing his team to defy their expectations and do as they willed. It would certainly cause some irritation for their handlers. In any case, Vael allowed his guest to enter his quarters. The room was entirely unchanged from its state when the Humans had assigned it to him, apart from the large covenant storage crate near the back of the room that contained his personal belongings. He listened in silence to everything the Spartan Ben had to say to him, then stood himself to his feet once he was finished. Even out of armor, Vael still towered over the Spartan. Across his body were many marks of his long military service. Scars from gashes both deep and shallow, plasma burns, and the remnants of more than a few gunshots. Even were Vael a mute, his body alone could weave a compelling tale. At first, Vael simply stared down at Ben with a stare that was hard to read. Even after he spoke, it was hard to say if he was being judgmental, or merely contemplative. "You say your job is to punish insubordination and cowardice? You require this…deception and secret orders merely to punish the unworthy within your ranks? I still find myself confused on how your people have become so competent with the limitations you cast upon yourselves. But it is no matter to me what you do to your own people. Share whatever information your superiors have deemed necessary. You need only make sure to stay your hand against my warriors. If any should prove themselves unworthy of our ranks, then they will be mine to punish, not yours."</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 "Oh, don't worry. I'd never attack a Sangheili in our group for those things. The UNSC's authority doesn't go that far, even though ONI seems to think that it should interfere with whatever it wants. For the record, I've always admired your people's ability to get things done. In any event, the information in question is that my standing orders supersede any particular directives I am otherwise assigned to on a mission. My superiors believed that you needed to be privy to this in order to explain my long periods of seeming absence. What I do is something my people- the human race- needs very badly yet cannot bring itself to admit. By necessity, what I do must be done off the record. The truth is a luxury my species can't afford. We're too weak to handle it, to paraphrase a centuries-old movie my people made." Ben looked at Vael's armor, still unused. The armor was in a crate, but it was a container which Ben had seen before in Covenant barracks. "And on one minor note, you may want to put your armor on when you absolutely don't need to have it off. God knows there are plenty of people who have it out for your species after what happened during the war. Like at Harvest. Or Reach. Or even Earth, although I suppose we should thank your people for glassing that part of Africa, since the Flood had landed there and anything to stop them was warranted. Rest assured that you're being watched by ONI even now, but that doesn't mean they're looking out for your safety." "For the record, Harvest was glassed by the Jiralhanae. Not that many people care to draw that distinction, although I suppose most people lump all of the Covenant in as equally culpable for those glassings, regardless of the facts." Phong kept his speech limited to Ben's systems, so Vael didn't hear that.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker After finishing up cleaning his weapons, the SPARTAN-IV could only stand to be in the quiet for another few minutes before, with a groan, he geared up and headed out. Well, specifically, he grabbed his knives and his pistol and headed out. Once his door was closed to his room and the lock had engaged, he turned to his handler as they approached and shook his head. "ONI can stuff it, Sergeant. And be sure to tell them I said exactly that when you have to report that I wouldn't allow you to accompany me on MY home planet." The handler, stunned by the way Lucas bluntly handled his approach, doesn't even try to follow him as he heads for the room of Aegis' Swords commander, pausing just in time to hear the SPARTAN-III finish his sentence. "Rest assured that you're being watched by ONI even now, but that doesn't mean they're looking out for your safety." Ryker's snort likely caught the attention of the pair as he joined Ben in the doorway. "Lad, if that isn't the understatement of the day, I don't know what is." Offering a bow to Vael, the SPARTAN-IV removes his helmet and offers a smile to him. "If you're up for it, Commander 'Virisusai, I was about to head down to the seaboard for some fresh seafood. Thought I'd stop by and see if you wanted to join me."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- "My superior instructed me not to mention the parasite while on your worlds, since your leaders hide the reality of it from your people. I do not know why they feel that ignorance of the threat will protect them from it. Vael remarked. Vael was not sure whether to be irritated or relieved by the arrival of Spartan Ryker. He had been content with the silence of his meditation, but it seemed the time for that had passed. He had permitted the Spartan to assist with many of his missions during the time since the battle on Sarcophagus. In truth, he had not expected the idea of Aegis team to survive, but he did agree with it in principle, for he believed in the Arbiter's principles. He would not be here if he felt otherwise. In the time that they were working together, Vael had treated Ryker exactly as Tar, Yalu, or any other warrior, giving him no trouble, nor special treatment. That said, he had not made a habit of socializing with anyone under his command, and he wondered what Ryker hoped to gain by making this suggestion. "Is this a custom of yours I am unfamiliar with, or is there something else you wish to accomplish? The staff of this building already provide me with food."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Ryker shrugs, roughing his hair with his free hand. "You could say it is a bit of a custom of humanity in as a whole. Before we took to the stars and encountered the Covenant, military units often became a small family, as they came to rely and trust each other explicitly both on and off the battle field, and as a result, they'd often do things such as going to meals together and other activities to build trust and cohesion. I figured you'd appreciate the chance to get some fresh air too, since I'm pretty sure you've been in your room far more than I have." The SPARTAN-IV glances down the hall, where Vael's handler was sitting, talking into a cell phone and he sighs. "I can also get you a break from ONI's little watch dogs, if only for a couple of hours. Both Major 'Suumko and Commando 'Mdalak have been spending their time out amongst the city. Though personally, I think it's because ONI didn't think they'd actually spend their time outside of their rooms."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael let out a low hum. "You may expect what you like of your customs from your own soldiers, but I warn you against expecting the same of me. I am here to fight for our alliance, not for cultural study." As much as he might have preferred solitude, however, there was some reason for Vael to want to leave. From what he had heard, it did seem more likely now that Aegis team might become a permanent unit, but Humans still confused him in many ways. Some of their behavior reminded him of Unggoy in how pointless they seemed, yet he could not deny their effectiveness overall. He worried that it would be unwise to simply deny that which he did not understand. "Although, if my leaving would be to the irritation of my 'handlers'…"" Vael grunted. "I suppose that would be an acceptable reason to go." Approaching the large crate on the other side of the room, Vael unlocked it to retrieve his armor. Inside the container were essentially all of the personal effects that Vael cared to bring with him, though it was packed quite tightly. The largest objects were armor pieces, but it was not just his usual armor that was contained within. Alongside the normal armor he was retrieving, the others would be able to glimpse an older set. Pragmatically speaking, it was of higher quality than his Swords armor, but it was not what he chose to wear. Aside from armor, there were also other objects from his past, but most of those were not visible from the angle at which the Humans were looking.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Again, Vael could not help but to feel irritation at the amount of attention he suddenly found on himself. Were all of these people looking for him, or each other? He had no grievances with working alongside them, but they were not on a mission at this moment. Still, he did not voice most of his thoughts. This was not his world, and it did provide an opportunity for him to learn more about how he could expect his allies to behave. When their missions brought them to Sangheili worlds, he would need to instruct them on what would be expected of them. "Is it customary to crowd a guest in his quarters?" Vael remarked as he once again locked up his storage container. Now properly armored, he moved himself past the others towards the open door. "If so many of us are here, I do not expect it will be long before we are called for the briefing. If you have somewhere you want to bring me, Spartan Ryker, then I will follow you for now. Otherwise, I will wait in your military's headquarters."</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko The two Sangheili, Tar and Yalu, took a path that led out across another broad grassy lawn. Earth's singular sun was not lacking today. Each distant bed of multicoloured plantlife leapt out from either side of their eyes with reflected light. For all of Tar's deliberate voice, Yalu took longer than he wanted to respond. Sangheilios could have been described as exciting, but not in the way Tar implied. "Where do you call your homeworld?" Yalu asked. "Brissekh." Tar replied after a moment's hesitation. Her home accent showed up through the pronunciation. "My bloodline settled it centuries ago. It is not...quite like Sanghelios, but it is still wild and bountiful." This felt strange to Tar. She hadn't had many proper conversations with her team, and didn't intend to make a habit of it. You never knew when they'd have to part ways again. But she wasn't sure how to disengage besides running into the carefully manicured undergrowth. "Where is your Keep?" She asked, keen to take the attention back off herself. "Raithos, Sanghelios," Yalu answered flatly. "Isolated, well defended, never a strategic priority in history. My people are not exciting, I fear. Their philosophy is not as glorious." Tar huffed gently - she admired the candour. "Every great civilisation needs administrators, adjudicators, artisans...witnesses. To balance the scales between prosperity and pestilence. My own Keep could learn much from yours, I think." Yalu guffawed. "I would agree with you, but willingness is another matter entirely. One must prefer not to slay those they defeat in that place." They passed by a red marble fountain, atop which stood a statue of a small human holding something up and away from a water bird. "I take it your keep conducts themselves differently," Yalu said. "Commandos like yourself do not come from monastic places." Tar studied the sculptures, her hand idly swishing through the water in one of the small satellite fountains around the edge. She hadn't the faintest idea what the arrangement was supposed to symbolise. "My people are naturally suspicious. Family feuds have been passed down through so many generations that the original offence is lost." She watched a Pelican drop ship fly overhead. "Even the war failed to bring us together, until a Brute ship arrived right above our heads." Tar's mandibles flexed and she growled at the mere thought of that day. Yalu flicked an eye briefly down at Tar beside him. He then looked ahead and sighed through his nostrils. "...This garden may not be 'exciting,' Commando 'Mdalak. But I recognise it is a place of peace. Unless you are at peace with those events in your past, I will not ruin it today." Tar traded that look with Yalu, and realised she'd said too much. She flexed her fists and changed the subject as they started walking again. "Where did you serve? Before Aegis?" "Hm, plenty of places for the Swords of Sanghelios," he recalled, looking up to the blue sky. "The past few years before Commander Virususai, I was a fireteam lead. Under Ultras 'Sutek and 'Kartar in Khael'mothka. Peacekeeping missions. Hunting Covenant remnants around Rahnelo before that, under Ultra 'Boset. Mostly assaulting Covenant cells, disconnected from that bloodthirsty 'Mdama. The previous Ultra on Rahnelo before that -- his name escapes me -- commanded me for only three months before transfer." Tar nodded, looking ahead but genuinely interested now. There were still many things about the conflict that she did not understand. If not from a tactical point of view, then an ideological one. "And...before that?" Yalu breathed in. Just then, a jet black Pelican drop ship with sky-camo on the underside soared over their heads. It was relatively quiet despite the breakneck speed it was travelling at, and didn't look to Tar like the regular model. The Pelican dragged its tail around the garden to their left, circling them while losing speed until eventually it lowered onto the grass with its cargo bay facing them. "Could've parked closer than that…" Tar's handler muttered, raising a flat hand to his eyes to see who was watching them from inside the craft. Yalu caught the hint it was their ride. "Before that is the story of a different Major," Yalu answered Tar. "That may have to wait for next time."</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan The mission had gone smooth enough, with the URF fucklet in their captivity Ray let out a sigh of relief knowing the job was done. Elna remained ever vigilant and on guard as per usual though over the months that would interlude before their next encounter Elna would attend some specialized training with the ONI Security Forces. For Ray he returned to the office working on other cases in the meanwhile and working his paper pushing skills to the max, though the two would reconvene later on to continue their fight against the bad-evil of the universe - the two still harbored some kind of xenophobia against the genociding races of the Covenant-turned-Swords. Regardless the two had some kind of RnR before their return to this strange outfit. While the two were transported separately they both found themselves at their own respective rooms, only Ray would be the first to leave in this instance heading to the briefing where he was eventually found by Elna. "Fancy running into you here." Ray said as Elna snorted to respond. "Well PO, if you're here then the rest are bound to be around here aswell." She said expecting the arrival of the team eventually, the two had gotten there later then the rest so perhaps the fanfare was already over?</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai, Major Alice Robinson, UNSC AI SHI 1203-8, Ethat 'Lacalu --- For the members of Aegis team, there were several more hours of waiting in which they were free to do as they pleased, but once they were called to duty, they all quickly returned to HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6. Many of the members of Aegis team from the previous mission were here, though Vael did note that the team was smaller than before. Some, it seemed, had not been recalled after being reassigned. The team was led to a secure room on one of the upper floors for their briefing. Last time, due to his rank, Vael had been the one to coordinate administrative concerns with the Humans, but as Vael had been fighting in the field for months, that task had fallen to another. For Vael, it suited him fine to be able to focus more on his missions than dealing with ONI. Vael had, at least, been briefed on the changes to his duties and the command structure of Aegis team. When they entered the briefing room, they were met with both a familiar face, Major Alice Robinson, as well as her Swords counterpart Commander Ethat 'Lacalu. From what Vael knew, he was a veteran of multiple wars much like Vael, though he was a younger warrior than himself. However, he had more of a mind for political matters than Vael, so it suited him just fine to relinquish some of those responsibilities to him. Ethat had previously been an officer in the Anvil Initiative, a cross-species training and evaluation program between the UNSC and Swords of Sangheilios. It and Aegis team both existed under the umbrella of Project: CRUCIBLE. Ethat did draw Vael's eye as he entered the room. His armor was unusual, like nothing Vael had seen before. It appeared to be Human-made, but crafted specifically for a Sangheili. Nevertheless, Vael cared more for focusing on the task at hand. As soon as the team was gathered, Major Robinson wasted no time in starting the briefing. "Aegis team, I hope you've already handled the reunions, because we need to move fast on this one." The Major began right away. "Jul 'Mdama's Covenant is expanding and pushing more aggressively, and we have a mission to slow them down. However, it's more complicated than just hitting a target, which is why we need Aegis. Shih…" She said, gesturing to the holo-projector on the table between them all. The AI that had been attached to the team had made a return as well, it seemed. Her avatar appeared at the end of the table before she brought up a projection of a lush, mostly undeveloped colony world. "With their increased expansion, the Covenant has been pushing to secure resources to fuel that aggression. Most of the established manufacturing and mining centers are either well-defended, or already contested. This is Brissekh, a relatively young Sangheili colony world. Until recently, the Kaidon of the predominant state, Falx 'Mdalak, was a firm ally of the Arbiter. However, a recent coup has shifted the planet's allegiance to Jul 'Mdama's Covenant. Now, there is a Covenant fleet in orbit that has flown in a large number of Scarab-class excavators to to strip mine more remote sections of the planet. Normally, our goal would be to neutralize the mining platforms, but discussions with the Swords have opened up other options." The Swords representative, Ethat, brought up the dossier of the planet's new Kaidon. "On most Sangheili worlds, a keep's Kaidon is elected by a council of elders, but for smaller colonies, like Brissekh, the position can be passed through bloodlines. The new Kaidon is Uztel 'Mdalak, the youngest son of Tarkr 'Mdalakai. We believe he formed an alliance in secret with the Covenant, then led his elder brother into an ambush where he was either captured or killed. Now, Uztel is Tarkr's sole remaining heir…save for one." He explained, casting his gaze across the table straight at Tar 'Mdalak.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Ethat 'Lacalu --- "Save your fury!" Ethat snapped back at Tar, though he quickly returned to a calm demeanor. "You will need it. We have a spy among Jul 'Mdama's ranks who learned of a deal on Brissekh before it happened, though he was in no position to stop it. The Covenant were preparing their mining platforms before the coup even took place. There are many on Brissekh who suspect Uztel's treachery, but it cannot be proven, and our spy cannot reveal himself. Immediately after seizing power, Uztel used Covenant forces to seize control over the smaller states on Brissekh, bringing the planet under his rule." Ethat zoomed the display in to Mdalak keep itself, along with the surrounding area. "Our goal is straightforward, but does rely heavily upon you, Commando Tar 'Mdalak. If Uztel is killed, or otherwise dishonored and removed, then you will be your father's sole remaining heir. You will gain the rank of Scion, and you will have the right to administer Mdalak keep. The Arbiter has more support on Brissekh than Jul 'Mdama. It is not enough for them to be willing to act against their rightful Kaidon, but you have a legitimate claim to the keep as well. If you declare your allegiance to the Arbiter, we believe there will be enough willing to follow you…once Uztel is deposed. You are female, so he will likely use that as an excuse to refuse a direct challenge of combat from you, so we will have to force him into battle."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker For the most part, Lucas had just been listening to everything and taking in the details, watching the information scroll across the readout and observing the offered hologram of the planet and then the fortress. Despite himself, his days on the ONI black ops squad had him looking for patrols and their routes, important resources that they could cut off to bait out their target, places of trouble that would force the target into the open as well, ambush points and lastly, and perhaps one of his old teammate's favorites, sniper vantage points. Not even Commando 'Mdalak's outburst drew his attention away as he looked over everything and, as the new Swords liaison finished speaking, the SPARTAN-IV finally broke his silence. "Then we need to disrupt whatever is his focus. We know the Covenant brought in mining platforms and Scarabs. A small team can't do much against those, that's common sense. But we can disrupt convoys and transportation. We make it seem like we're bigger than we are and we can draw out Commando 'Mdalak's younger brother readily, especially if his honor is brought under scrutiny. From there, it would be a simple matter of making sure the Covenant doesn't interfere with their duel, though I use simple loosely. We're looking at the forces of a small fleet against a small team of us. My only question is where do the duels usually take place."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Major Alice Robinson and Ethat 'Lacalu --- Major Robinson brought up an intelligence report on Uztel 'Mdalak and quickly distributed it to Aegis team. [color=violet]"Unfortunately, we have good reason to believe that trying to take advantage of Uztel's honor or pride will not work in this case."[/violet] "He has neither…" Ethat briefly interjected. "Our psychological profile of Uztel suggests that he will prioritize his own safety. Whether by the Covenant's instructions, or his own choice, he has not followed usual patterns of Sangheili behavior. There are means by which he could have challenged his brother legally. Either by challenging him in combat, or even by sending an assassin for the Kaidon to fight. In either case, failure would have meant his own death, so there would have been risk for him. The kind of trick he used to depose his brother would be seen as cowardly among the population. We do believe his rule is untenable in the long-term, but the Covenant will have what they want from the planet by then. The Major explained. Ethat nodded, letting out a slight, low growl. "Yes, his cowardice will destroy him in time, but we need him removed now. Uztel is a young, inexperienced warrior, and he knows he is no match for his sister. He will use any excuse he can to avoid fighting her. The only way he fights is if we break down the doors of his keep and force him to pick up a blade." The Major zoomed out the projection to once more show the planet as a whole, as well as highlighting the fleet in orbit, and another point of interest in geosynchronous orbit on the opposite side of the planet. "Spartan Ryker is correct that your team alone will not be able to carry out a frontal assault. This is why the Swords of Sanghelios are dedicating a small fleet to this operation. Though, our aim is not to destroy the enemy fleet. Now that the Covenant have established themselves here, Uztel has joined his planet's military with the Covenant's forces, and they are…honor-bound, as they might say, to follow those orders. Many of the ships, and the mining platforms, are being operated by Uztel's forces. If Commando Tar becomes Scion, they will then be bound to follow her orders. There will still be fighting afterwards from 'Mdama loyalists, but we believe there is enough support for the Arbiter on Brissekh for the Swords to retain most of the fleet and mining infrastructure. Your mission, Aegis, will be twofold. The Covenant have installed heavy anti-air cannons in the mountains near to the keep, but only the largest needs to be disabled, as it is the only one capable of destroying our Blockade Runner in time. Your team will insert nearby, deploy a communications jammer, then move to disable the largest cannon. Once that is done, you will be able to return to the ship to be dropped, along with reinforcements and armored support, right at the keep's front gate. That will bypass most of the outer defenses and give you a straight shot at Uztel."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Despite himself, Lucas grinned a true and genuine grin at the mention of the youngest 'Mdalak lacking many of the usual Sangheili traits that every human who fought in the war got used to seeing, but he did not speak again until the plan was laid out. Overall, he wasn't sure why he'd suggested anything with the way that it was being handled, but there was one last thing he could do. "Major, do we know who the Covenant leader besides Uztel'Mdalak is? While the bulk of the team helps Commando 'Mdalak deal with her brother's treachery, I could, with or without help, remove them from future play, or at least plant a tracker to find a more meaningful target."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Major Alice Robinson, Ethat 'Lacalu, and UNSC AI SHI 1203-8 --- Ethat hummed, exchanging a glance with Major Robinson. "Possibly. Our informant did identify a Covenant zealot Uztel contacted. He is now overseeing the mining operations on the planet personally. He is not in the keep, so he was not vital for the mission, but I would rather ensure he does not return to the Covenant. He has shown himself as being devious and resourceful, so it would be a victory to deny Jul 'Mdama his service." "You and I can discuss that idea in detail on the ship." Robinson said to Ethat before returning her attention to Aegis. "As I have said, Aegis team's mission is straightforward. You will deploy the communications jammer, disable the anti-air cannon, then return to the ship to join the assault. However, timing is crucial." Robinson turned the group's attention to the point of interest in geosynchronous orbit on the hologram. "We have learned that the Covenant has installed a small listening station here to cover gaps in sensory coverage from their fleet's position on the other side of the planet. They believe it is hidden, which we will use to our advantage. Our fleet will approach the planet in stealth, but we will allow it to be detected by this listening station. The Covenant will likely believe they have discovered our plan and send their ships to intercept. Or at least, they will have to send enough that our Blockade Runner will be able to make it to the surface undetected. It will set down some distance from the keep, outside sensor range. It is vital that neither the ship, nor your team, be detected before the communications jammer is deployed." Once again, Shih's avatar appeared in the middle of the table. "I will be operating the jamming program personally. At first, I will only keep its range limited to the anti-air cannon, but while your team is working on the first objective, I'll be listening in on transmissions between the keep and the Covenant fleet. Once we begin the attack on the keep, I'll extend the jammer's range, as well as mimicking normal transmissions up to the fleet above. Essentially, I'll be pretending to be the keep, as far as the fleet is concerned. That should buy you time to carry out the attack, but I won't be able to keep up the deception forever, so try not to take too long to finish the coup."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Ethat 'Lacalu, Major Alice Robinson, and Vael 'Virisusai --- Ethat took only a moment of thought to reply to Yalu. "It's best to deal with him quickly, but…it is more important to claim the keep and ensure the planet knows of Tar 'Mdalak's victory. To flee his keep instead of fighting to the death to defend it would mark Uztel as a coward. Only the most fanatical of Covenant supporters would be willing to overlook such dishonor. If you have to make that choice, focus on securing the keep." He answered. After a few moments of silence passed, Major Robinson deactivated the display and pulled Shih's data chip from the holotank. "If there are no more questions, then Commander Vael 'Virisusai has operational authority for Aegis team on this mission. That means he will be your commanding officer. There is a pelican waiting outside to take the team to our Blockade Runner in orbit. All of your equipment is being brought to the ship as we speak, along with UNSC reinforcements and supplies that have been approved for the mission. Dismissed." Vael had an eye on Tar. After her initial outburst, she had kept quiet. However, he knew her well enough to know that this was not a mission she could just detach herself from. Much of her motivation for fighting was to restore her father's honor; family did have clear meaning to her.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar barely heard the mission details being discussed. Her ears were ringing like she'd been struck. Her own brother had betrayed the entire family with his treachery. She should have seen this coming! The warning signs had been there, now she really thought about it in this conference room, with the sound of others talking droned on in the background. When the three of them were just children, Falx, Tar and Uztel spent many hours hunting Du'nak in the forests outside their Keep with the other younglings. Imported from Sanghelios centuries before and rewilded by accident soon after, these animals had adapted well to the cold, wet hillsides of Brissekh and grown suspicious of Sangheili again. Operating as a pair, Tar and Falx, her older brother, had wounded and cornered a prime specimen. An adult alpha with long, broad tusks and mature back-horns resting within a muscular frame - the ultimate prize. They'd been closing in on the wounded animal after harassing and tracking it for the entire morning. Finally, they found it collapsed up against a rock formation, with dense bushes on one side and a steep drop on the other. They had it trapped. But as they approached to strike the killer blow and claim the animal as their own, a spear flew through the undergrowth and pierced the Du'nak's head, killing it instantly. Uztel appeared. Tar & Falx had exploded with fury as Uztel calmly collected his weapon. "I'm sorry, siblings. I didn't see you there! Forgive me." He proclaimed. But Tar saw a glimmer of amusement in her brother's eyes that day. A sadistic streak that thrived on reaping rewards for minimal personal risk. Uztel swore he had not been stalking the pair of them once he knew they had a worthy prize. Yet, Tar later found out her younger brother's hunting partner had lost sight of him hours before the incident had happened. Tar returned from her reverie just as the Human female dismissed them. "No one touches my brother, except me." Tar growled, tapping her chestplate with one fingernail as the others turned to leave. "If I fall in battle, you leave and allow Brissekh to decide Uztel's fate. Or you find Falx and free him, if he still lives. Those are my terms."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Lucas didn't speak when Tar spoke, instead nodding and continuing on his way out of the briefing room. This whole thing stank of an ONI op, from the removal of Tar's older brother to the younger brother refusing to put himself at risk. In fact, as he stepped to one side to wait for the Commando, he eyed the ONI PO and his escort. Those two were ONI through and through, despite playing nice with the team thus far. If he had to guess, they probably had orders to make sure the team failed if it ever looked to be not worth the effort in the Intelligence agency's eyes. Same as they had tried to do to all the old black ops teams when the war ended. They weren't a necessity anymore, just a risk. We all knew too much... That wasn't to say that the two knew anything about the other issues, Ryker knew ONI too well to think that, but he could probably never bring himself to trust the organization again. When the Commando stepped out, he matched her pace. "I understand that a lot of this has to do with Uztel has to do with Family Honor and the like. But you're needed alive, by a lot of your people. Don't do anything rash, especially if your brother is what they say he is. You know he won't fight fair or honorably."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Ethat' Lacalu and Vael Virisusai --- Ethat let out a quick huff as he turned his head towards Tar. "Once the assault begins, there is likely no escape without either destroying most of the keep, or deposing Uztel. The Covenant's operations on Brissekh will be stopped, one way or another. The plan we have devised is our best way of doing so with the least damage to your homeworld. Do remember that." Ultimately, Vael saw little reason to argue against the plan at the moment. Strategically, it was sound. If the plan proceeded successfully, then Brissekh would have new leadership loyal to the Arbiter. There would certainly be resistance from Covenant loyalists after the coup, but they would not be conquering Brissekh. Tar had the legal claim to become Scion, so if Uztel was removed in battle, honor would demand most of the citizens' loyalty. It would be unconventional, with Tar being female, but the position of Scions had changed under the Arbiter's rule. If they were correct about the level of support for the Arbiter on the world, then Vael did not expect that the resistance would be insurmountable. Ryker joined Tar as the meeting was dismissed, though Vael did not. He doubted the Human would understand half of what a situation like this would mean for someone in Tar's position, but if he made the mistake of offending her, then the Spartan could deal with the consequences himself. As long as his team could perform their duties to his standards, they were free to deal with personal issues between them however they saw fit. Should they ever fail in their duties because of such issues, then they would have Vael to deal with. Vael himself wasted no time in making his way to the pelican outside. They would be using a Sangheili Blockade Runner for this mission, so it would be the Humans who were out-of-place this time.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu tried to search the eyes of his superior officers to gauge the reaction to Tar's proclamations. He was not especially relieved to hear the ever diplomatic Lacalu try to appeal to the responsibility Tar had to her homeworld rather than making it clear that she was not the one in power here. The very fact that she was on this mission presented a personal influence that could compromise the objective. Looking at it from another angle enlightened Yalu. They needed her to fight voluntarily to show the populace she was worthy of Brissekh. They could not have her going rogue. A female commando this far from her keep would necessarily be bold enough to do so. Yalu walked a few paces behind Tar and Lucas but did not pitch in with his opinion. He turned off to stop by his quarters before proceeding to the hanger so he could leave behind the foam racing collar around his neck. "Sorry Lucas," he muttered to himself. "I pray you do not learn too violent a lesson with your human sensibilities." He made a personal note to bring a cold pack with him to the pelican, just in case any heads needed cooling.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar growled threateningly, leaning over the table towards Ethat. Both of her hands rested back in the divots she'd created; the stanchions screeched in complaint. When she spoke, her voice wasn't raised anymore, but soft and laced with poison. "Then your warriors had best remember to stay in line - behind me." Tar pushed off from the table and stalked out of the briefing room along with the rest of Aegis team. The last thing she wanted was a lecture from Spartan Ryker, and she made that abundantly clear through her body language, though no doubt the Human wouldn't pick it up. "Don't concern yourself with my welfare, Ryker." She growled. Martialling all her discipline, Tar tried to make the best of the Spartan's obvious investment in this operation by sharing what really puzzled her: "I know my brother. This treachery was always in his heart, but Uztel wouldn't readily plunder our world. Something doesn't smell right - I need to talk to him, before I kill him." A pair of facility orderlies pressed their backs firmly against the wall to let them pass. "Can I count on you, Ryker? It has to be me who confronts him - if I fall, don't let ONI take him. Brissekh will fall apart without blood continuity. It's the only thing holding us together."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Hekar Taa-pattern Blockade Runner Magnificent Defiance, low-Earth orbit --- Given that they would be leaving that day, Aegis team were encouraged quickly into the pelican, though once they were aboard the Blockade Runner, they would be able to do as they saw fit until they arrived at Brissekh. Covenant slipspace drives were far superior to the traditional Human Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engines. Journeys that, before the reverse-engineering of Forerunner slipspace technology, took Humans months, the Covenant could complete in minutes to hours. Brissekh was not too far outside Human territory, so it would only take a few hours to reach their destination. They would likely be waiting longer than that for the rest of the fleet to be ready to start the diversion. Although a corvette by Sangheili standards, the Blockade Runner in orbit, Magnificent Defiance, was even larger than the Autumn-class heavy cruiser they had used during their first mission. As the loading ramp of the pelican opened, they were greeted with a curious mixture of UNSC and Swords personnel and equipment. Sangheili and Unggoy crewmen coordinated with Human marines to organize the vehicles and equipment that were being delivered by a constant stream of cargo pelicans. Obviously, the ship did not have proper storage facilities for Human equipment, not to mention differing organizational conventions between their two militaries, so there were no doubt no shortage of logistical issues for the two groups to iron out. Fortunately, that particular task did not fall to Aegis team. Before leaving the pelican, Ethat sent each member of the team a map of the ship highlighting relevant areas. Quarters, mess hall, training rooms, and likely most relevant, the armory with their equipment. Given that they would not be staying on the ship long before the start of the mission, they would not likely need to stray far if they did not wish to.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Throughout all of Tar's speaking, Lucas didn't interrupt or reply, instead opting to let the Sangheili female get it all off her chest. However, when she asked for his word to keep ONI's claws off of her home, he nodded. "Stopping ONI from doing something? You can bet I'm all for doing so, without hesitation." --- The transition to the blockade runner was done without much celebration or pomp and circumstance, which fit the SPARTAN-IV just fine as under the radar is the best way for their team to operate. As he walked off the pelican, not noting the person approaching from one side and the front of the pelican, he started to ponder how the others would handle working underneath Commander Vael'Virisusai. In the interim since now and their last mission as Aegis, Ryker had worked almost exclusively under the Sangheili warrior. And while he had plenty of prior experience working primarily with the members of the Sangheili race, working directly under one had been both different and educational. So long as everyone could follow orders and do their part, he didn't imagine there would be many issues. However, as he headed for the armory to check on his weapons and make sure it was all up to par and clean, he couldn't help but wonder how well the human members of the team who hadn't worked under Sangheili before would take it.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Being aboard the Blockade Runner once again brought Vael back to familiar territory. Time spent among Humans was often spent in cramped quarters among suspicious and unusual people, so being back on a Sangheili vessel was something of a relief. Granted, Blockade Runners were somewhat uncomfortable even among Sangheili. The scented air and constant subsonic sounds of the vessel were not present on the Covenant vessels most Sangheili had been accustomed to serving on. There were still vessels from the Covenant among their fleet, but as they could not be replaced, more traditional Sangheili designs had come to the forefront the longer this war lasted. They tended to have less refined efficiency, relying more on sheer power in weapons, propulsion, and other systems. A lack of safeties meant that ships such as this could be pushed beyond the limits of Covenant vessels, but for less experienced crews, that made catastrophic failures more likely. Stepping out of the pelican, Vael did notice a Human standing nearby, seemingly waiting for them. Ethat had already handled directing them to necessary locations around the ship, though it was possible that the Humans had some matter of importance for them. The UNSC was also contributing soldiers, vehicles, and equipment to this mission. Out of Aegis team, Vael was the first to approach the Human. He was small, even by their kind's standards: a fact that became all the more prominent as Vael towered over him. "You have something to say, Human?" He asked.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Sangheili Corvette The sea food was just as good the last time he was here and again the Unggoy almost got their group kicked out due to his voracious appetite and messy table manners. Honestly he knew he did get a little excited, this particular human food was his favorite but due to its tendency to spoil easily he did not find it very often on other worlds or stations. It seemed they got pulled away just in time to their meeting, he was sure that the next time he arrived here there would be a sign for no Unggoy. The meeting was rather standard, go in after covenant, loosen their foot hold, and turn the populace against them. The specifics where a little different but it was standard for what he was used too. Grik knew he would have to tread lightly on this one as one of the team was directly involved with it. The Sangheili pilot they picked up on the first mission they had. She was resourceful as were all the team members but this one also had a youthful energy about her that was honestly refreshing. These where all Grik's observations as he hadn't talked to her too much before he had to leave. The Unggoy could only wonder how this mission would be interesting compared to his many other missions. His mind drifted back to his time on his home planet and the vehicle he brought from there. This kept him quiet on the pelican trip up to their blockade runner. A sleek but powerful corvette new and unusual ship types where not unaccustomed to him as he was born on a ship. The human presence on it was staggering. This time they really would have better support than the last one. Grik stepped off the pelican behind Vael and looked at the human before them. Looking to Ryker as he headed off into the ship for a moment then again back to the human. He wasn't a Spartan or an ODST, those humans had more of a presence about them, and he didn't have the weird look of an ONI agent. Was this one a messenger perhaps or a human with a grudge? Grikgar knew the humans had that feeling in the back of their minds that came out when they were indulging in alcohol or drugs. The Ultra stood quietly by Vael curious to see what he had to say before he would go off to check on his new toy in the vehicle bay.</s> <\|message\|>Johnathan Philip Flint (Goes by J.P. or Flint) Flint --- As the cargo door on the pelican hit the bay floor Flint was momentarily stunned. He had seen some UNSC and Covenant work together before but this group of individuals was a mental flashbang. He had to check himself to make sure he wasn't gawking at the insane variety on the team, not to mentions everyones size! Flint knew he was on the shorter end of the spectrum but this was just crazy. He watched as the first one off the bird was a Spartan IV who disregarded him entirely. Flint was told he was reporting to a certain 'Vael 'Virisusai' and he had a hard time believing that would be a Spartans name. So he kept searching the team for any clues as to who it might be. He didn't have to wait long for a big Sangheili to walk straight up to him. The alien towered over Flint, he wasn't particularly intimidated by it since he was accustomed to looking up at people when engaging them however he did not like having to look this far. "I'm Petty Officer Second Class John Flint, I'm looking for a 'Vael 'Virisusai' of Aegis Team? I'm an Intelligence and Exploitation Engineer sent to aid and assist this asset." extending his hand forward for a handshake. 'Do Sangheili do handshakes? I'm sure this one has spent enough time around humans to know about handshakes right?'</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar nodded in response to Ryker; pleased despite the dark cloud hanging overhead. "I'm glad." She rasped. --- The Commando was silent for the entire Pelican flight from their lodgings in HIGHCOM Bravo-6 to the Magnificent Defiance. She held onto an overhead rail as the ship rattled through the atmosphere and into space, glowering at the space between atoms in front of her. She still couldn't fully believe that Uztel had betrayed the family. There wasn't much worse you could do in a close-knit Blood Keep. The missing pieces nagged at the back of her mind; what possessed her little brother to do it - was it greed? Or was something else motivating him now? Tar had to find out. The sounds, smells and cavernous tremors of the hangar bay assaulted Tar's senses from the moment the ramp started lowering. She immediately yearned for somewhere quieter, so she could contemplate the situation further. She was following Spartan Ryker towards the door her map indicated went to the armoury, when she heard someone talking to Vael and Grik on one side. The words made Tar grit her mandibles together. Circling back behind the small Human as they extended a hand in greeting, Tar stalked up to their shoulder. "And what does this one propose to exploit, on my homeworld?" She purred, butting in, staring menacingly down on the man. She was small among the other Sangheili, but still loomed over the new arrival.</s> <\|message\|>Johnathan Philip Flint (Goes by J.P. or Flint) Flint --- Before the first elite he addressed could answer another, shorter, and much more aggressive Sangheili started barking at him from over his shoulder. Flint dropped his hand and turned square to them, resting his hands on his hips in a relaxed mannor. "Anything I can get my hands on. Weapons, armor, shielding, comms equipment, you name it. Speaking of which, that's a nice harness you've got on, any chance I could get you to shed it and let me have my way with it? Ill put it back together just like I never touched it I promise." Flint gestured towards her armor as he talked leaning from one side to the other giving a half assed attempt to try getting a better look at it. He stood tall, as tall as he could, with a grin on his face knowing full well the elite was about to storm off or pound him into a new floor finish for the hangar bay.</s> <\|message\|>Comi'Masam Comi'Masam Nearby, working with a pair of humans to get what they had affectionately dubbed the 'needle-hog' parked next to a Spectre so that it doesn't cause issues should the blockade runner come under fire, an Infiltrator glances over at the smart-mouthed marine. "Oi, lad, come on now. Commandoes aren't known for their sense of humor." Turning back to her task, she barks an order at a nearby Unggoy who was tapping away rapidly at a datapad. "You there, laddy! What's takin' engineering so long?" Clearly she'd spent a lot of time around humans, specifically the Scottish. The Unggoy replied in a language that any listening humans could recognize as Sangheili. The Infiltrator growled in annoyance at the reply and waved a human out of the way as she headed for a wall communication before barking into it in rapid Sangheili.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael was aware of Human conventions for greetings. Many of the Humans who he had been working with as a part of Aegis team no longer bothered with them, since they all knew their customs were not shared. This Human, though, was clearly new. Vael did not know all of the UNSC's ranks and roles, but the meaning of "engineer" was self-explanatory. If that implied the skills he possessed, then Vreta could see why he might have been selected to assist the team on this mission. They had objectives that would benefit from technical expertise. Vael did recall that some final changes to their team's composition were being considered by their superiors in the days leading up to the briefing. He would need to check after this to see which had been given approval. These would ideally have been decided upon before the briefing, but logistical issues had been an irritating constant for Aegis team. Tar 'Mdalak's interjection came uninvited, though Vael could not say the Human's response was any more wise. On his part, Vael would not do anything to hold Tar back unless she threatened to prevent this Human from performing his duties. "You have a great deal to learn, Flint."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Comi'Masam Comi'Masam As the altercation between the human and the Commando came to an end, the Infiltrator finished arguing with the engineering crew and glanced over, narrowing her eyes at the General harness-wearing Sangheili before pulling up her datapad and tapping at it. After a moment, she paused, seeming to be reading it before stowing the pad quickly and approaching him and offering a salute in Sangheili fashion. "Pardon my rudeness, Commander," she spoke, the Scottish accent returning, " I dinnae realize you were mah new commanding officer when I was trying to save the marine from his own smart mouth." Pulling out her datapad again, she tapped it rapidly before Vael's would beep at him. "Infiltrator Comi'Masam, formerly in service with Joint Operations Unit Cerberus. The same unit that Spartan Lucas Ryker came from, presuming that this is the well-spoken of Aegis Team." While she maintained a respectful tone and stance, but it was clear she'd spent time with the humans in several mannerisms and again in her accent. "I understand part of my transfer is due to Ryker, Commander."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael simply observed through most of the altercation. His stance was that any problem between members of his team should be dealt with however they saw fit, on their own time. Indeed, he gave little restriction as to how his soldiers should behave, as long as they could perform well during their missions. The moment any of their issues started to affect a mission, however, Vael made it known that he would solve their problems himself. If necessary, he would have stepped in to remind Tar not to do anything that would prevent the Human from fulfilling his duties. Ultimately, though, Tar decided to release the Human and go on her way. A merciful conclusion, overall; perhaps moreso than he deserved. In any case, Vael had made his own observations of the encounter, and drawn a few possible conclusions about this new team member. "You do not carry yourself as most Humans around us, Petty Officer Flint. For most of your soldiers, we walk among one another, holding closed old wounds that beg to be opened, though we work to keep them sewn shut for the good of our futures. These wounds can bear anger and pain, or respect for some, but it is a history we have shared as enemies. I do not see that weight in your words. You are young, yes? And you do not know my people, not as enemies, and not as allies?" With others approaching, Vael finally took the time to grab his datapad and confirm the new transfers to his team. Petty Officer Second Class Johnathan Flint, recommended for engineering expertise, and Infiltrator Comi 'Masam, assigned by the recommendation of Spartan Ryker. The Spartan had proven himself a capable warrior during their time working cooperatively, but Comi would need to do the same, regardless of recommendations. At least her mettle would be easier to test than Flint's. His reason for being among them were for skills that Vael was unfamiliar with, and that he did not truly know how to measure aside from seeing the results during the mission. "The weight of words will only carry you so far. I still expect your merit to be proven in battle."</s> <\|message\|>Johnathan Philip Flint (Goes by J.P. or Flint) Flint --- Flint fell from the Sangheilis grip and hit the floor boots first, with a display of athleticism, managing not to fall over and stay on his feet. After he regained his balance he turned back to Vael standing rigid at the position of attention while he addressed him. He was right. He was never really affected by the war and the covenant like other people were. Just like Flint, his parents had grown up being a doctor and scholar on earth never seeing the covenant as the evil enemy that others do. Flint treated them no different than he would other humans, to him, they were all living beings. To be frank that didn't mean he treated them all well, quite the contrary. His only interests were in the hearts of machines, digging into the how and why each piece of technology did what it did. He found sanctuary in the knowledge and calm in the process of obtaining it. Other humans and all species for that matter carried a vast unknown and uncertainty for Flint. It was much harder for him to trust a human like he could a machine. "Yes Sir, I am relatively young, I don't treat anyone differently than I would any other human. I suppose I am ignorant of the deep wounds others possess. I will be more careful. As for my merit, If you need something fixed, disabled, opened, sabotaged or anything else along that line, send it my way and I'll handle it without a hitch. You'll see." He hoped he managed to do a little damage control with the commander after such a display right in front of him. But in the end Flint didn't really care either way. He knew that as soon as he got his hands on a task up his ally, the team would warm up to him. They just needed to know what he was capable of.</s> <\|message\|>Comi'Masam Comi'Masam Comi nodded, offering a Swords salute before replying to Vael. "As is our way, Commander. I will go and prepare my gear for the mission." Giving another salute and then turns and heads for the door. Getting to know her new teammates could wait, as there was the mission to prepare for. Plus this opportunity would let her catch up with Spartan Ryker and get his take on most of the rest of the team thus far. She smiled slightly as she went, knowing that things would only become more interesting with a joint effort team that was more dedicated to the idea than Cerberus had been.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu stood around near Vael's wing for a short while longer. He held his hands behind his back and sized up the newcomers to their team. The infiltrator Comi'Masam gave a unique first impression to say the least. Yalu still had to strain to understand her words. But if she came with Lucas' recommendation, she was clearly not compensating for any lack of skill. The new engineer Flint was more of an unknown. Yalu was willing to accept the ignorance of Flint's youth, but the physicality of this human was lacking, even in comparison to the non-spartan humans on their team. At least if this one was injured, none of them would be burdened by carrying him around. Perhaps he was recommended for being adept at crawling into small spaces to perform his technical duties? In that case, he had better be more expert than a Lekgolo worm at sabotaging the defence infrastructure at their mission destination. With Vael still getting them up to speed, Yalu felt his time wasting. He unclasped his hands and started a stride to the armoury. "I need to meditate before this mission," he said to himself, letting out a deep breath.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and UNSC AI SHI 1203-8 --- Like most of the others, Vael first prioritized heading to the armory to equip himself for the mission ahead. It would still be hours before they were set to begin, but he wanted to ensure he would be ready at a moment's notice. He could manage the changes to his team, though his impression of the new Human was not particularly positive. Most Humans were not like the Spartans, who were strong, capable warriors even by Sangheili standards. The average Human was…variable. During his time in the war, he had seen excesses of both cowardice and courage from Human warriors. Sometimes, they would flee like Unggoy as their will was broken, and at other points, they would fight against overwhelming odds to the last breath against superior foes, and sometimes even attain victory. Only time would tell how this Human would compare. Vael was not a normal member of the ship's crew, but he did not attract near as much attention as the Humans undoubtedly would, aside from the fact that the crew he passed tended to quiet down from their conversations when he was near. As a high ranking officer, that was not a fact he found strange. He only heard parts of conversations between a few Unggoy on the way to the armory, but even though he heard them perfectly clearly, he found what they said to be as incomprehensible as it was irrelevant. All of the team's equipment had been transferred to the ship, and Vael quickly found the crate containing it after he arrived. Given the mission parameters, he did not intend to arm himself differently from his standard preference. An energy sword, plasma rifle, and his carbine would be sufficient for what they would be facing. For his armor's equipment, active camouflage would be the most useful for the first objective of dealing with the anti-air cannon. After that, they would be returning to the ship, so there would be a chance for the team to adjust their loadouts for the assault. Vael was surprised when the hologram of the Human AI, Shih, appeared at the end of a table near to him, at the center of the room. Evidently, it had been given approval to interface with at least some part of the ship. Vael was not sure that he approved, but it was not his decision. "I believe there is something I should inform you and your team about." Shih announced to Vael as soon as she appeared. Vael turned his head back and spoke calmly. "Very well. You may speak, construct." "Right…if you bring your attention to those crates over there, there is some new equipment that has been approved for Aegis team's use. It took a lot of…debate, but there are weapons and equipment recovered from Prometheans that both UNSC personnel, and your people, can you. I may have to do some work to interface the armor abilities with your harness, but I have been told it can be done. The modules are adaptable." Shih explained. The concession to allow Vael and his team to use the Promethean equipment could have been seen as an offering of trust, through Vael doubted ONI would be so kind. Likely, it was a decision driven by circumstance and practicality. Jul 'Mdama's forces were still working with Prometheans after the campaign on Requiem, so it seemed likely that the Swords of Sanghelios would be able to recover Forerunner equipment just as easily. Sharing it with Aegis team now simply allowed them to seem more cooperative. Opening up the crates, Vael did find a variety of options available. Promethean enhanced visual sensors, hardlight shields, and autosentries were all available, as well as a small variety of Promethean weapons. There were multiple boltshots, suppressors, and grenades, two lightrifles, as well as a single scattershot, binary rifle, and incineration cannon. They were all powerful weapons, but ammo availability would be a limitation. If one chose to use one of the weapons, they would only have a single spare reload.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak There was no time to waste for any of the crew aboard the Magnificent Defiance. So normal activity quickly resumed once Tar had removed herself from the situation, with dozens of orderlies and droids transporting cargo to be stowed in the various holds. Unfortunately, Tar was intent on striding right through their operating space as she brooded on the task at hand and the unexpected help she was receiving. Some of it welcome, some of it not. Suddenly, a platform containing tightly bound crates whooshed down the ramp of a Pelican to be collected by one of the automated hangar grabbers. It appeared on one side of Tar's peripheral vision and she quickly turned to face it. She seized the platform in mid-swing and transferred the energy through her stance, tipped it over and away from her. The servos whined as the platform attempted to right itself, but Tar offered no apology. She carried on through to the armoury, deep in thought. There weren't many alternatives to murdering Uztel, if she got her hands on him. If by some miracle she could convince the Keep to recognise her as rightful successor while he still lived, she could banish him from Brissekh. But there was always the chance he could plot her death from afar. That wouldn't do at all! Tar stalked into the armoury with potential plans and speeches circulating in her head. Her blades will have been packed up and sent to her quarters along with her other effects. She'd need to go and get those before deployment. An armourer on the ship she'd travelled with Silent Shadow on had developed a special mount for both handles on the small of her back, which meant she could carry more weapons and gear in the field. Tar made the most of it, clipping four Spike Grenades to her belly. After pondering it for a little while, she followed up by stowing a Carbine and a Storm Rifle on her back and a Mauler on each thigh. She stared longingly at some of the ammo vests on display, but none would fit around her torso and armour. She also watched some of the other UNSC troops attaching front holsters to their chests. The Humans had inferior armour, but their ingenuity and resourcefulness was still impressive. Her attention was diverted by Aegis team's leader talking to one of the machines. Some interesting objects caught her eye in the crate they were examining. She walked over. "Forerunner weapons?" She asked. She didn't know much about them.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Mention of the Forerunner weapons made Yalu crack an eye open. From where he sat, now properly armoured on a bench trying to put his mind at peace, he could just see into the crate. How the ancient weapons shone in his vision. Yalu stood up and removed the enclosing helmet of his red assault harness to approach. Behind him were his selection of weapons: plasma grenades, concussion rifle, and a replacement needle rifle taken in lieu of his previous plasma carbine. One of them might not come with him this time. "So fine and elegant these artifacts are," he said. "Had I laid eyes on such things before the betrayal, having used the Prophets' imitations for so long, I might have noticed their arrogance sooner." He reached carefully for the scattershot. It reassembled in his grip to form its true shape. He curled his mandibles in quiet delight. "Shih, tell me more about this one, if you please."</s> <\|message\|>Comi'Masam Spartan Lucas Ryker From one side of the armory, where Ryker was going over his DMR and making sure the pieces of gear that were shipped to ship ahead of him were still in good order. At the same time, he was talking with Comi'Masam about the team and it's members. Or at least the ones who'd been put back on the team. A quick review of their roster revealed that one SPARTAN-III and the Mgalekgolo both weren't recalled to Aegis, but that was a risk that came with a joint team. As he finished running a cleaning swab down the barrel when he overheard the conversation between Shih and Commander Vael. Finishing the barrel swab, he quickly replaces the parts and approaches, spotting the crate and the goodies inside as he approached. "Had a couple of buddies who served on Requiem, newer SPARTAN-IVs. They had limited chance to use the weaponry, but one of them got real good with with that Hard Light Shield module. Read the intel reports on the Promethean vision, so I'll be snagging one of those if no one has complaints." Comi'Masam Securing her SRS99 on her harness as well as her pistol and specially designed energy sword on her thighs respectively before joining the others at the crate and glancing in. A smile crossed her face as she picked up one of the modules. "Hardlight Shield, excellent for pushing up corridors and providing mobile, if temporary, cover in an open battlefield. Definitely my preferred module when an op goes south." Appraising the weapons, she shakes her head. "I don't much care for the Forerunner weaponry, lacks the power of a good plasma rifle or human assault rifle."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai UNSC AI SHI 1203-8 --- Right when requested, Shih's avatar appeared next to Yalu as he observed the alien weapon in his hands. "This weapon has been officially designated as the Z-180 Close Combat Rifle/Asymmetric Engagement Mitigator. Common vernacular identifies it as the 'Scattershot'. It is a close-to-medium range weapon which fulfills a similar combat role to the UNSC's M45 Tactical Shotgun. Based on our testing, it appears to fire a spread of hard light projectiles created from energy cells loaded through a breach-loading mechanism. It has a capacity of five energy cells and, like many Forerunner weapons, is capable of completely disintegrating the bodies of living beings, most likely for the purpose of denying them as assets to the Flood. The individual projectiles can ricochet off of hard surfaces and possess limited tracking capabilities. A single shot at close range can defeat any known armor system." She explained. The weapon was not loaded at the moment, but there were a total of ten cells available, and she had instructions available for anyone who chose to take Forerunner equipment.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko For a moment, Yalu was lost in the mystery of the scattershot's design and mechanics, turning it in his hands and looking down its sights. He almost forgot it was a weapon. Shih's explanation gave him the details he needed to know, but he hoped to learn more about this technology later. "Thank you, construct," Yalu nodded to the avatar before taking up the ten shots he would be limited to during the mission. He somehow expected them to be heavier. Some of the others were not so convinced. Yalu gave a grunt. "Suit yourselves. This weapon shall suit many roles. Especially at our destination. I may count on those shields you found to make better use of it, too." He held the scattershot aside and perused the rest of the crate. The autosentry caught his eye. He picked one of the modules out and went back to the bench to read through its operation. The concussion rifle would be left in the armoury for this mission. The keep no doubt had a few to use in the field should he need to find one.</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan & PO3. Ray Younan The briefing had been a heated one where neither the Spook or Spook junior spoke an ounce of wordage as there was some kind of split jaw disagreement for the first time in a while. Not your typical split lip spit but the one where there was war of the worlds, evil was touted and the usual Sangheili nonsense that ensued. For Ray, he tensed up expecting to be corpsed swiftly by an angered female Sangheili or otherwise, he was disappointed for another time in his life as he lived without much issue. Most likely to his inaction in the situation, something he learned from the last mission - don't piss off the squids. For Elna, it was just the same shit, a different day for the young unimpressed woman as she had to go through the meat grinder again protecting the egghead of the operation. Drama aside, she was unmoved by the touching and violent display of squid-anger. It's just what they do, Sang-culture and good vibes only. The briefing was quickly over without any second thoughts as the group, or rather team piled onto the ship where the two ended up settling for the time being. It would be only later that Elna would stumble upon the ending of the sizing up and choking of poor PO2. Flint as he was eventually let down, the man in question gracefully landing without becoming a sang-splat. The Corporal walked over to the young, naive Engineer. ""You okay, PO?"" She asked the abused Engineer.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai With the speed of Covenant slipspace borers, it took only a few hours for their ship to reach their destination. Although, they dropped out of slipspace at the far edge of the solar system to link up with the rest of the fleet to make sure they remained out of sensor range. The rest of the Swords of Sanghelios fleet was modest in size, consisting of ships ranging in size from the small, nimble Man O' War, up to the CCS-class Battlecruisers that had once made up the backbone of the Covenant navy. From that, only a part of the fleet would be moving in to create the diversion, while the rest would stay back in reserve as reinforcements. If all went to plan, the Magnificent Defiance would be landing, undetected, in a remote location directly on the planet's surface. A pair of phantoms would take them about halfway to the keep from there, but they could not approach completely by air if they wanted to avoid detection. They would have four Type-46 Spectre vehicles to bring them the rest of the way in a reasonable time. Vael was among the first in the hangar from Aegis team. He stood waiting beneath one of the phantoms, watching as the spectres were being attached underneath. Since the Forerunner equipment was available, Vael had decided to replace his plasma rifle with a boltshot pistol. If all went to plan, they would not see much combat in the first part of the mission, so the limited ammunition would be less of a concern, while the additional power and ability to disintegrate corpses would be more useful. Once they disabled the anti-air cannon, they would be returning to the ship, so there would be an opportunity to change his loadout before the main assault.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai, Mdalak State, Brissekh --- For Aegis team, they simply needed to board the phantoms to be ready for the mission, though for them to even make it to the ground to begin with relied upon the skill and planning of the ship's crew, and the rest of the fleet. After about another half hour, the rest of the fleet made their advance under the cover of stealth. They approached the planet from the opposite side of the planet from where most of the Covenant ships were positioned, which made it easier to avoid detection on approach. However, as planned, the fleet intentionally strayed close to the "hidden" listening post to allow the Covenant to detect their presence. Immediately, the Covenant fleet went into alert and deployed to intercept the Swords fleet. This was the signal for the Magnificent Defiance. Once the defending fleet was out of position, it advanced at its best speed under the cover of its stealth systems to make it into the atmosphere while there was a gap in the Covenant's sensor coverage. From inside their phantom in the ship's hanger, Aegis team could not see what was happening outside, but Vael was given constant updates on the progress of the mission. Their Blockade Runner made a bee line straight for the planet's surface while walking a very fine line with the speed they maintained. While the ship's shields could certainly handle the heat of re-entry on any habitable world, the ship's crew had to be careful not to generate atmospheric disturbances strong enough to be detected, while still getting to the surface as quickly as they possibly could. The skirmish in orbit would not last too long before the Swords fleet made their retreat. Ultimately, the ship did make it to ground safely, though only time would tell if they had truly remained undetected. It had landed on the same continent as 'Mdalak keep, at least, but to ensure they were not spotted, their landing zone was extremely far from civilization, in an unsettled region. Considering the difficult terrain, it would have taken days to reach their objective by land. Fortunately, the phantoms could bring them close enough to cut that down to a few hours. The particular phantoms the team was using were equipped with active camouflage, so they kept up a good pace once they left the ship. Still, it was a cautious pace just to ensure they did not show up on any sensors. Overall, Aegis team spent about an hour in the back of their phantom before they finally arrived at their drop zone. The pair of phantoms maneuvered into a valley between multiple, towering mountains with peaks obscured almost entirely by fog. They located a grassy area in the forest just large enough to drop their specters, then did the same for the team itself through the grav lift. Vael's feet sank partially into the mud as soon as they hit the ground. It was raining rather heavily, which, along with the fog, made visibility quite poor. Even with how deep in the wilderness they were, Vael still had his carbine at the ready as he left the phantom, and still went through the trouble of clearing the area before holstering it. After offloading the team, both phantoms immediately set off back towards the Magnificent Defiance. Given that they could not afford detection, they would not be risking staying on station for rapid support. If they were detected, Aegis team would be on their own until their ship could deploy a full rescue team. If they could realistically reach them at all, of course. As long as the keep still had its air defenses available, their Blockade Runner could not come too close. The phantoms engaged their active camouflage as they lifted off, and while it still provided protection against sensors, the rainfall meant that Vael could clearly see their silhouettes from a much farther distance than usual. He hoped the storm would not persist at their destination, but if it did, they would need to be ready to adapt. "Mount up. The mission relies on us now." Vael ordered.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker For the most part, Comi and Lucas kept to themselves on their Phantom, speaking quietly and punctuated by the occasional laugh or chuckle from one of the two. When game time came, they were ready to go. Spartan Lucas Ryker As his boots hit the soft earth of the planet's surface, the SPARTAN-IV was already putting his DMR to his shoulder and moving to secure the perimeter before anything else was done. However, he had to admit that the weather conditions would make this trip just a little trickier than they'd likely anticipated. Of course, as he cleared his quadrant and found nothing, he did smile as he recalled the days with his old Black Ops squad, using weather like this to hide both their approach and their exfiltration. This might not be so bad after all, all things considered. Hopping into the back seat of one of the spectres, DMR still in hand. "Well, on the upside, you can't ask for better weather to mask an approach from the low ground." Comi'Masam Comi had landed alongside Ryker when she dropped from the Phantom, but moved in an opposite direction. She had her sniper rifle stored on her back and her plasma pistol up and at the ready, though her sword remained on her hip as she moved to the edge of the clearing and secured it. Following that and doing as she was ordered, she sat in the spectre separate from Spartan Ryker, storing the pistol and drawing her sniper rifle. "I am in agreement, Commander. Any guards on patrol will not see us through the rain and fog."</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar sat quietly through the phantom ride, listening to every rattle and hum of the hull as if it was talking to her. Her mind slowly calmed, uncoupling from the galaxy outside Brissekh to focus solely on the mission. They all knew what they were doing, they'd seen the maps and force strength reports. Now all that was left was to walk those paths and eliminate anything that got in their way. Tar was loyal to Brissekh, but like any other Sangheili warrior, wouldn't hesitate to kill her clanmates if they refused to stand aside. She checked her loadout one more time, then stared into space again. Time passed, until suddenly it was time to go. Tar got up and stepped into the grav lift without hesitation. The rain whipped about her as she levitated down to the ground, bringing the smell of wet vegetation with it. This instantly brought back memories from Tar's childhood, foraging and hunting in woods like these. She scanned around as she flew, taking in the edge of the forest and the mountains in the background. It was good to be home; she could've warbled with delight had it not risked attracting attention. Tar's feet sank into the mud with a satisfying squelch. Thankfully as her armour had been crafted on Brissekh, her shoes came with small retractable studs to keep her steady on this kind of unstable ground. The Commando raised her carbine and fanned out, securing the perimeter as rain hammered the clearing and trickled into the cracks of her breastplate. Once Vael gave the order to mount up, Tar moved quickly to the lead Spectre, stowed her carbine and hopped into the driver's seat. The front hull closed in around her legs, leaving just her head and upper body exposed. She activated the vehicle, and it floated into a ready position. "The fog could get worse. Stay close." Tar grunted, checking her instruments. She wasn't as familiar with driving Spectres as she was with Phantoms and Banshees, but most of the principles were similar.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko The descent to the planet could only accommodate so much meditation. Yalu found himself ruminating too much to glean any more benefit to his mind and body. He opted to bring himself back to the present around him and joined in conversation with his team mates. He grew quiet when they were near the ground. The grav lift hatch opened to blast them with cool humidity. Yalu almost spat at how thick the air was. This place, the plant life and the atmosphere, it could be as potentially disorienting to the team as it would their enemy. The notion of the keep guards' home ground advantage sank in as deep as his toes into the mud. Maybe bringing along 'Mdalak would be more a benefit than he had estimated. "Mounting up," Yalu obeyed, hoisting himself up and dropping into the cockpit of the next Spectre vehicle. He deposited his needle rifle in a suspension holster beside the controls and powered up the sleek grav craft like a swift morning routine. It hummed to life and raised a foot above the mud. "Do not get too comfortable," Yalu warned. "They might have your Promethean optics too. Do your best to spot them first."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael took the driver's seat of one of the spectres himself. It was going to be a long drive, so he wanted to be sure that each one was taken by an experienced driver. He did not want any delays in getting to their objective ,if they could be avoided. Although, he did still decide to defer to Tar to lead their convoy. Being a local, she had more intimate knowledge of the environment and terrain, especially surrounding the keep. He believed it would be wise to take advantage of her experience. "Check your maps. Our objective is located on a plateau in the mountains near the keep. Once we come close enough, we will proceed on foot up the mountain. We will establish the communications jammer for the Human construct to use to cut off the cannon's guards from the keep. Should we be detected, we must ensure there are no survivors to report our presence." Vael explained as he prompted Tar to take the lead. --- Although they had to move through a forest, the spectres were maneuverable enough that the team started out making good time. Once they came to a small river they could follow, they were even able to press on at full boost for over ten minutes straight. Naturally, the closer they came, the more cautious they would need to be. However, before the cannon's defenders could even begin to be a problem, there was another obstacle manifesting around them. The rainstorm surrounding them did not subside. Far from it, the storm grew ever stronger as time passed. Heavy rain turned into a torrential downpour, deafening thunder followed cracks of lightning every few seconds, and winds picked up to the point that the rain was falling near horizontally. The storm was strong enough that the spectres started to tilt in the wind. Vael had to turn his vehicle into the wind at an angle just to keep going straight, which only added to the issue of poor visibility. Vael could just barely make out the glow of the gravity propulsion drive of the spectre ahead of him. For those on the turrets, and especially the side passengers, it would be a struggle just to hang on.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar growled and turned around when she heard Vael cut through the vines. The rest of the team were framed in the dark by the cave opening behind them. Sheets of rain gyrated in the air, buffeted by howling wind. The noise from outside was deafening, but Tar still heard a gentle puff from nearby. "The spores released if you cut are toxic, and might grow one of these inside of you." As her eyes adjusted to the gloom and the fog cleared for a moment, Tar realised this cave was familiar to her. The vines and overgrowth was new, but the way the treeline of the basin below failed to hide a mountain range far in the distance - jagged basalt peaks with sloping plateaus. That was ingrained in her memory. "I have been here before, as a child!" Tar failed to completely suppress her excitement, despite the danger they were now in. "I think this cave winds up the mountain, to a high ridge. If we want to make progress without the spectre, we could take that route. It will probably mean killing the Tengmaa bulb though - not a task I take lightly. We'll need explosives and fire." Tar noticed a bit more movement in the boughs, and imagined just how much chaos they could cause if this plant realised it was under attack. The end of a thin vine tickled along the top of her foot, and she carefully but firmly lifted her leg to step on it.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- At first, Vael stepped back as far as he could from the vines, more towards the middle of the cave entrance. They needed a safe place to wait out the storm, or at least, that was what he assumed at first. When Tar mentioned that the cave could contain an alternative path up the mountain, however, that was enough for him to pause in thought. This being may have been a plant, but it seemed to be just as much of a predator. Going into the very heart of its lair felt like willingly walking into the maw of a helioskrill. But, the team was well-equipped, and they had numbers to be able to support one another. There were few simple creatures in the galaxy that could withstand the power of superior technology. "If there is a path through this cave, then we need not wait for the storm to subside. In fact, the storm can provide cover for our sabotage, if we can move quickly enough." Vael remarked. He stepped forward towards the front of the team, the blue glow of his sword illuminating some of the darkness ahead of them. The cave was narrower past the entrance, but the walls and floor were still just as thick with vines. Some seemed to hug tightly to the surface of the stone, while others were actually embedded into grooves in the stone itself. "If there are toxins, then we cannot afford anyone to be injured. If someone is grabbed, be ready to assist quickly."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Glancing back outside, Ryker mentally kicks himself for not bringing a shotgun and puts the butt of his DMR to his shoulder before reconsidering and stowing the rifle in favor of his pistol, which would work better in the cramped corridor of the cave. "We still need a way to deal with this Tengmaa to move forward though right? The Spook makes a point, anyone bring a flamethrower or some kind of fire weapon?" Infiltrator Comi'Masam Comi kept the glow of her sword focused on the vines around her feet, stomping on a smaller one that was trying to be sneaky about moving to wrap around her ankle before glancing at Ryker. He and the ONI agent both made good points, they could not safely cut through the tengmaa with their energy blades if there were toxins involved, especially as many of the team did not have sealed helmets, if any helmet, on them. "Perhaps we can manipulate the tengmaa to move itself? Though Commando Tar'Mdalak is the most knowledgeable in this situation."</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko "I prefer fire," Yalu said. As he retrieved his weapons and dismounted his spectre, he kept his scattershot up to his shoulder. His other hand held up a plasma grenade. "Plasma may induce fire. Lacking firebombs of our own, perhaps our demolitions specialist can turn this into all the fire we need." Yalu followed along with his weapon faced as safely as he could. It could save their life in an emergency, but there was a higher risk of deadly ricochet in his cave. Better to use a wristblade if possible.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Waiting in a cave Grik watched and listened to the others talk about their new obstacle. A semi sentient plant was strange but he has also fought against a parasite that threatened the entire galaxy at one point. It seemed like everyone was a bit hesitant but Tar was certain that she had been in this area before and new of a shortcut that went through the cave system and possibly out to a good flanking position. At least carrying around your own methane supply meant that environmental hazards in the air were less likely to affect you. The Unggoy approached a section of vine that held a flower, to him it almost looked like it could absorb nutrients through this. Being fully aware that the others had already warned not to get to close he decided to be cautious about approaching it. He did have an idea after all even if it was a bad one. Pulling one of the small tubes of rations he had and slowly opened it. It was similar to the food nipple in covenant instillations but improved. More sugars and sweeteners were added with the help of the human cuisine. It essentially was a full days' worth of nutrients in a tube at least for a grunt. Grik had befriended several alien creatures before during down time on alien planets. It was hit and miss but sometimes it would be fun to do this. He was unsure of the result for this experiment with the knife in one hand ready to cut himself free Grik used the other one to pour the food stuff into the flower. If this didn't help he would always be able to just use small portions of his explosives to burn their way through but he wouldn't be an ultra if he wasn't able to think outside the box and know that force wasn't always the best option.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak "This plant isn't going anywhere - they nest for life." Tar responded to the new Infiltrator while Vael shuffled past her towards the front. She looked back towards the cave entrance, trying to remember what the interior layout was like. Nothing came to mind though, except the striking view of outside. Tar cursed herself for not paying more attention. Then, Tar noticed their team's Unggoy Ultra crouching down facing the wall. Lights from his suit illuminated a cluster of pinkness. "Grik, get away from the flowers!" She growled, taking a step back toward him. She stopped though, when a salvo of soft pops and poofs sounded up and down the tunnel. Pfff Tssssss Pfff Tsssss This was accompanied by an almost indistinguishable rustling from further into the darkness. Tar breathed in, and almost immediately detected a much stronger sweet smell in the air. She thought it seemed quite delicious, like some delicacy from her childhood. The rustling died down, replaced by a soft rumble that shook the cave very slightly. A pungent wave of treacly air wafted past them and out of the cave. As if to say 'there is more inside!'. Tar looked around her, and noticed that the pink flowers which dotted the vines were oozing an amber nectar, intensifying the saccharine odor. "It wants to eat us now. Good work, Grikgar." She muttered, turning back to Vael. "I can't say this is a good idea. Maybe even the opposite." Remembering what she'd been told about this ancient predator, Tar looked back at the entrance again. The Tengmaa wouldn't seal it off, unless it sensed that their group was making a concerted effort to leave. Prey that didn't feel trapped until it was too late was more likely to investigate further into the cave, which reduced the subsequent effort on the plant's part. "We could still leave, if we went slowly, one at a time, perhaps." Tar cautioned.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Ryker doesn't notice the smell thanks to the filters in his helmet, but does hear Tar's comment Grikgar and sighs quietly, shaking his head. "That storm is still raging and we can't get to the target in time if we leave them here. Like it or not, we're going to be stuck in this cave one way or another." Pulling a flashlight out, he turns it on and shines it down into the darkness of the cave. " Looking around, he tries to find a section of the cave that wasn't covered in the Tengmaa's tentacle-like vines, but he couldn't see anything, and he wasn't overly eager to venture any deeper than he had to. "That all said, I'm OK with facing winds over murder plant any day." Infiltrator Comi'Masam The sudden scent of one of her favorite childhood dishes filling the cave almost immediately put the Infiltrator on edge and she rests her other hand on her plasma pistol in response to the plant's attempt to lure them in. "I have decided that I greatly dislike this plant. I will follow whatever our commander decides however."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael grunted as he glanced back towards the entrance of the cave. The storm still raged outside, and showed no signs of weakening. "We do not know how long this storm will last. If we can reach our objective through this cave, then it is where we must go. I will lead. Tar and Ryker, move behind me. Grikgar, Roy, Elna, and Flint move in the middle of us. Everyone else guard the rear. Have your blades ready to cleave any vines should they attack. We have the weapons to destroy this plant if need be." He ordered definitively. As they moved deeper into the cave, light from the outside became more and more dim, though the low-light vision provided by Vael's HUD was more than sufficient to allow him to keep leading without issue, not to mention the bright blue glow of his energy sword. Eventually, the relatively narrow passage opened up into a much larger chamber. The small stream on which they had been walking flowed down into a basin, filled with water, surrounding the massive Tengmaa bulb. That sweet smell in the air had only grown stronger the deeper they went, but now that they were in the main chamber, one could finally see that the scent was a mask as well as a lure. In the basin surrounding the bulb were a large collection of carcasses in varying states of decay, though not rotting exactly. Something about the water seemed to be preventing the normal stages of decay, though the animals caught within did seem to be dissolving over time. At first, the movement around them was subtle, and easy to miss if one was not attentive. Thorny vines moved towards their feet from below all around, looking to puncture their skin enough to apply its toxin.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: heart of the beast Grik held his fire for what seemed like an eternity. The vines were thrashing more and more and Tar was still within the blast radius of the fuel rod. He knew he couldn't fire prematurely that would cause serious damage to Tar and the others but how much longer could they hold back the ever approaching vines. Hearing a cacophony of noises behind him made him glance back only to see a wall of vines surging towards them. The sight of it reminded him of his encounters with the Parasite. That was a creature that he very much wished never to encounter again. It seemed the plant was trying its best to get rid of something that was stuck in its throat as it continued to thrash and lash out. That's when he saw it loose its grip on tar as she was pulled back up. Grik didn't need to hear the order to fire. The moment they were out of the blast radius he squeezed off two rounds with mere seconds in between each shot to make sure they wouldn't collide. If they found its mark at the middle and top of the bulb he was sure it would kill it. However, his comrades were still a bit close and may be hit with at least some of the heat from the explosive.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- The damage that the fuel rod gun caused was immediate and pronounced. The sheer intensity of the heat was enough to penetrate deep into the bulb. The vines again reacted, but this time it did not seem to be a coordinated defensive response. Rather, they moved and spasmed seemingly at random for a few seconds. As the bulb served as the being's "mind", damaging it was like damaging an animal's brain. Those who had been constricted by them would find it as an opening to act. Vael and Ryker had only just managed to pull Tar from beyond the blast radius. Even still, Vael's shields flared from the heat. However, this was an opening on which they had to act. Grik had created an opening to the creature's core, so as soon as Vael could get up off the ground, he took aim with his plasma rifle and fired straight into the wound at the top of the bulb. The plasma could now hit straight to the core of the bulb where it was vulnerable, causing yet more random thrashing among its vines.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko The helmet Yalu wore picked up the ensuing sounds. Some parts of him were constricted tighter, some slackened, including his left hand holding onto the middle of his scattershot. The weapon was still stuck fast. He let go and tugged at the vines keeping his right arm pressed against his chest and wriggled it free. He ignited his wrist blade, grabbed at the vines holding his head and shoulders, and sliced them off in one draw. Finally, he fell free and found himself swinging upside-down from vines closer to the ceiling. The situation he took in was self explanatory. Catching his breath, he reached over his shoulder and found a grip on his needle rifle. He drew it and aimed forward. "Good hit, Grikgar! Our turn now..." Yalu said. The sight flipped up -- towards the ground from Yalu's perspective. The bulb lit up in the crosshair. He pulled the trigger as rapidly as he could. He did not need precision as much as enough blamite crystals in close enough proximity within the creature's new wound.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker The heat from the explosion caused the SPARTAN-IV's shields to flair, but it wasn't enough to break them fortunately even as he fell backwards from the sudden lack of resistance from the plant as Tar rejoined them on the platform. Standing up quickly, Ryker pulls his DMR free of it's place on his back and fired on the now exposed weakness of the Tengmaa. "Burn in hell, you crazy, carnivorous freak of motherfucking plant life." He fired most of his clip into the thing before stopping, taking a moment to see if the hail of fire had the desired effect as he quickly swapped out the clip, six rounds still in it for later. Infiltrator Comi'Masam The moment the explosions were done, Comi drew her plasma pistol once more and fired into the bulb with the rest of her new team, stopping her barrage just in time to allow the weapon to cool down before she resumed firing another burst. She would repeat this until the order to stop firing came from Vael. Her energy sword remained active and she would use it to lance out at and slice any vines that got too close down, though with the wounds inflicted to the bulb made their efforts weaker and less concentrated.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern The suggestion that Spartan Aviza had made about using the M379 charge against the massive Tengmaa bulb apparently went unnoticed among the squad, since there was no comment made about it in the slightest. The charge would have been quite dangerous to use but even more so effective against the hostile force that was trying to turn them into it's next source of nutrients. Instead, they focused upon cutting down vines that got to close to them and attempting to do any sort of damage. Thankfully, Aviza had decided to stay back from the edge of the pit that lead to the heart of the carnivorous plant, using her SRS99-S7 AM Sniper Rifle to fire upon the vines in the distance. If they managed to get close enough, she would then switch to either her underslung shotgun upon her MA5B Assault Rifle or Energy Sword to cut through them. A few of the vines had managed to end up getting a bit to close for comfort, drawing her attention away from what was happening at the pit to make sure she did not end up with a barb somewhere soft on her armor. The sound of her underslung shotgun firing off flechette shells echoed through the chamber as they tore through the vines with great ease. What did bring her concentration back to the center of the chamber was hearing from Vael that Tar had been caught by a few of the vines. Aviza swiftly moved to the edge of the pit, but kept herself at a safe enough distance to not be grabbed and dragged in afterwards. Without saying a word, Aviza took a half knee stance and aimed the cross hair of her SRS99-S7 AM Sniper Rifle at the vines below, firing off a few rounds that would hopefully do massive damage to the vines. The thought of tossing Tar her Energy Sword came to mind but that might end horribly, instead she kept aim, firing at what she could. This continued untill Grikgar fired off a few rounds from his Fuel Rod cannon at the Tengmaa bulb, giving them their chance to put it down for good. The intense heat from the explosions going off caused Aviza to shield her eyes for a few second, moving backwards in case Grik fired again. Lowering her arm to look at what remained, she noticed that they now had the chance to do some damage. Instead of firing immediately, Aviza took her M379 charge and tossed it down into the pit where it landed safely. It would not go off untill she detonated it, and she was going to make damn sure everyone was outside of the cave before she did so. For now, she returned to firing off high caliber explosive rounds at the massive Tengmaa bulb. As she did so, she checked her teams coms and spoke, "Does anyone need any medical attention? I can tend to injuries immediately." Aviza would then reach out to Shih, "Two things, I would like full medical diagnostics on the team and then I would like an update on the storm outside please and thank you."</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak A Tengmaa bulb's hide was tough for a reason - all of the plant's digestive and nervous capacity was contained within that control centre. However, the plant's evolutionary pathway evidently hadn't prepared for a barrage of radiation, explosives and bullets. So when the bulb's vulnerable innards were exposed under the water and promptly cut to shreds, the Tengmaa quickly lost control of its numerous appendages. The first to go limp were the half dozen thick trunks which stretched all the way out into the sunlight, gradually tapering at the end. Next were the serpentine manipular vines coating every surface of the cave interior. Then, with nothing left to distract the invaders, the throbbing cilia inside the pool trap promptly died. And with that, the Tengmaa bulb unmoored from the position it had held over the cave's onward descent for decades. First came a sickly snapping noise as the struts supporting it detached. Then, with a sound like a giant toilet flushing, it disappeared into the large hole on which it had previously been sitting. This was how it had filtered waste water out of the chamber to stop it flooding before. The water rushed over the rocks, disappearing down the waste chute after the bulb. The chamber was filled with this roaring sound for a while. This new opening also helped disperse some of the toxic particles from the room, though Tar still choked uncontrollably as she struggled to her feet and surveyed the area. Water was pouring in from the opening above their head and another gap along the wall from them (the other cave opening, most likely). It wasn't enough to refill the bowl below them though, so it quickly emptied until just a few carcasses lodged in place remained. Fanning her mandibles with one hand, Tar got up, walked to the edge and wordlessly jumped down into the barren bowl. Her energy sword's pommel had fortunately gotten stuck in a crevice and hadn't washed away, so she carefully picked it up. Looking up toward the ceiling and coughing lightly, Tar returned her lost sword to its mount on her back, with the other one. She pointed upward, to the feeble shaft of light shining down on her from above. "I see the way up the mountain! I remember now - it is an invigorating climb."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai UNSC AI SHI 1203-8 and Vael 'Virisusai --- Aviza would hear Shih's response in her head right away. "I'm not getting any major alerts on anyone's vitals. Nothing worth mentioning. As for the storm, though, the mountain we're under is blocking most of the useful data from our sensors. Best I can tell you is probably the same thing you can hear from that opening up there: it is still going strong." Even after the bulb made its apparent retreat, Vael stood on guard for a few moments. He continued pointing his plasma rifle down the pit, watching for any signs of movement. It was only once Tar called their attention to the way out that Vael moved his gaze elsewhere. "And it will be a dangerous climb. It is steep to start, and the rain from the storm will only make it more difficult." Vael walked up towards the wall, looking up at the exit above. "But this approach shall allow us to reach our objective undetected. Tar, Ryker, and I will climb first. Grik and the Humans will go next." He said, referring to the unaugmented Humans among them. "The rest of you will watch for any more attacks from this beast, then climb up behind us."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai UNSC AI SHI 1203-8 and Vael 'Virisusai --- Aviza would hear Shih's response in her head right away. "I'm not getting any major alerts on anyone's vitals. Nothing worth mentioning. As for the storm, though, the mountain we're under is blocking most of the useful data from our sensors. Best I can tell you is probably the same thing you can hear from that opening up there: it is still going strong." Even after the bulb made its apparent retreat, Vael stood on guard for a few moments. He continued pointing his plasma rifle down the pit, watching for any signs of movement. It was only once Tar called their attention to the way out that Vael moved his gaze elsewhere. "And it will be a dangerous climb. It is steep to start, and the rain from the storm will only make it more difficult." Vael walked up towards the wall, looking up at the exit above. "But this approach shall allow us to reach our objective undetected. Tar, Ryker, and I will climb first. Grik and the Humans will go next." He said, referring to the unaugmented Humans among them. "The rest of you will watch for any more attacks from this beast, then climb up behind us."</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko After the death flurry of the Tengmaa plant jostled Yalu free, he secured his weapons and shot up to his feet. He breathed a sigh. He was glad to kick off the initial anticipation of danger on a piece of flora. And it looked from a quick glance that everyone had come out of the situation in one piece. Yalu reloaded, narrowing his eye at his dwindling scattershot charges. "Yes, commander," Yalu said. "I wonder if any of those bodies in the pit were once our enemies."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael gave a glance down to the pit, but did not take much time at all to dwell on it. "The dead matter no longer. Keep our focus on the mission ahead. The cannons still lie above us." Even for beings as agile as Sangheili or Spartans, the climb was not an easy one. While there were vines and some jagged rocks on the cliff to provide handholds, the stream flowing down from above made the climb precarious. Especially with the storm outside, there were few paths outside the path of the waterfall. Nevertheless, Vael did not intend to hesitate in pressing forward. Since Tar had been here before, he allowed her to take the lead and followed her path up, while the others kept an eye out for any signs of activity from the Tengmaa. While it was not a quick climb, the first three up made steady progress to the top. Along the way, Vael used an energy dagger to make small cuts in the rock to mark his path for those behind him. Hopefully, it would make the task at least somewhat easier for his allies. After he, Ryker, and Tar made it to the top, Vael ordered the rest of the Humans to follow suit. It would be a more difficult task for the unaugmented Humans like Roy or Flint, but Vael had Aviza climb near them to give assistance if need be. Grik would have a harder time than the Spartans, but the oversized forearms of Unggoy did make them rather strong climbers. At the end of the climb, making it to the top was ultimately not much of a relief, given that the storm was still raging at near the same strength as it had been when they found the cave. The terrain around them was rocky and uneven, the rain made it hard to see in much detail beyond a few meters, and the winds made it a challenge just to move around properly. Even just to communicate, they were dependent on their radios. "Even in this storm, it should not take long to reach the cannon, and it will serve to mask our approach. It is vital that the Keep not learn of our presence, so we must either not be seen, or leave no survivors."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker All Lucas could think of as they made their way up the slope to the outside world again was that this was incredibly reminiscent of more than one mission he took for ONI back in the war. Not that he was surprised, they were presently on what was more or less a black ops mission. Though from his conversations with ODST and marine vets, the overall feel of this was more common for standard UNSC missions than they want to admit, especially for the Hell Jumpers. Once they reached the top though, his DMR was on his shoulder, watching the cliff edges above them the best he could in the still raging storm. When there was mention of making sure the Keep didn't know about them, Ryker grinned. "You have at least two members of Aegis trained in assassination and covert obstacle removal here. Once we can see the cannons, give myself and Infiltrator 'Masam a few minutes and we can do both." Infiltrator Comi'Masam Following behind the commander, Ryker and the Commando as ordered, Comi came out just in time to hear what Lucas said and nodded. "Aye, we could do it, though if there are more of us that are trained in the skillset Infiltrators use, then the more the merrier. Honestly, this storm is good enough cover, our sniper equipped allies could remover any guards higher up and leave us to clear out the lower area without concern."</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu was the last to make it to the summit. The rain-covered surfaces did no one any favours, let alone himself. It felt like training. Just without the elder elites climbing after you to pull you off the climbing surface. He pulled himself up onto solid ground and shook his arms out. "Last man," Yalu mentioned to prompt the team that no one was left clinging onto the cliff. A pattern could be sensed in the radio chatter, Yalu noticed. They were thinking too far ahead for practical measures. He took out his needle rifle to peer down the optic at their surroundings. Good cover indeed. "Ryker, has a Promethean Vision module." Yalu gestured to him with his elbow. "Seems we have that as an edge. For now, it is time to move in silence." Yalu secured his needle rifle -- turning off the optic and bringing the needles back into the body of the weapon to shut off any bright lights on his person.</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan & PO3. Ray Younan The fight with the plant beast had been short and unremorseful, Elna was the first fire towards the bulb as the split-jaws were kidnapped one by one but thankfully, due to the fuel rod that had been fired the fight in the beast had been weakened. Ray let out a sigh of relief, the two seemed to have gone through their ammo in defending their team against the tentacles of new and old. It was exhausting to say the least. "God I already hate this planet." Elna murmured, the voice barely carrying as the combat had just finished. They had not even reached the objective yet and the team was just getting bogged down, first a storm now the plants. It's almost as if the planet worked against them. Ray reloaded his rifle, opting to keep quiet as the big wigs decided their course of fate. It appeared that everyone had came out of that encounter, unscathed. A change in pace. The climb, however, was a sure change of pace for the two. The challenge looked daunting for Ray as he looked up in disbelief before Elna woke him up with a tap on the helmet. The pair made practically said their last rites as the Sanghelli ordered them up, Ray was to take the lead for the two as he climbed in the front, so to say. "Desk job they said - hah!" He said aloud almost tempting fate for himself. Elna grunted, following closely behind her goose egg. The prevention of his death, merely another job for the ONI SecFo. Upon reaching the top, Ray seemed exhausted from the climb with Elna closely behind. The end game had begun.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar had always loved climbing, so pursued the dim light at the top of the Tengmaa's chamber with vigour. Brissekh was packed full of cliff faces to scale, and in a way she could remember the routes up and down them better than her way around the frigid woodland. It was the excitement of knowing a shortcut which stuck in her head, Tar supposed. The rock face here was shrouded in vines, but the Commando quickly figured out a way up, spotting hand and foot holds which jogged distant memories of this place before it became a death trap. The fresh water streaming in from above was cold and refreshing after the warm, smelly interior. The sound gradually built to a crescendo of howling winds and rain at the top, perfectly masking the sound of Tar hauling herself up. As soon as she was away from the hole, she crouched down and drew her Carbine. The spikes on her feet scraped against the craggy ridge. Visibility was shockingly bad, but Tar knew that could all change in a moment if the wind changed direction. "If they have any sense, they will be inside until the storm passes - we should move quickly. We do not want to be up here if the wind speed increases."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael heeded the advice of the others. A sudden shift in the storm could easily worsen their situation, so they needed to act quickly. "Come, follow quickly. There are some rocks closer, at the base of the ridge, we may use for cover." He ordered. Visibility was particularly terrible, but a combination of sensors and multiple perspectives from the team did reveal some about the area ahead as they moved down the ridge. Obviously, the most prominent feature was the anti-air cannon itself. The weapon was massive, as it had to be powerful enough to be able to damage capital ships. Given the rough, uneven terrain of the mountains, it was placed on a large, artificial platform. They could also make out multiple structures on the platform as well, in which most of the guards were likely taking shelter from the storm. If, for any reason, they ended up alerting the enemy, it was from there that they would need to expect reinforcements. Currently, there were only a few hostiles out patrolling on the platform. All seemed to be Unggoy that were unlucky enough to be burdened with the duty in the storm, and even they were trying to take cover as best as they could against the winds. The storm certainly would impact their perception, but unfortunately, it also meant that they would be more alert than they might have otherwise been, if only for the fact that they could not sleep if they wanted to. The winds and rain would severely limit the effectiveness of active camouflage, so it would not be effortless to walk past them unseen. There were only a sparse few objects surrounding the cannon at the moment. Anything not secured to the platform had likely been moved inside before the storm. For the most part, it was an open, flat area. "We must decide how to sabotage the weapon. Anything we do cannot be detected before it is time for the attack on the Keep. Your…engineer can do this, yes?" Vael said, glancing down to Flint. "Or we can simply plant a powerful enough remote explosive, if we can place it somewhere it will not be seen."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar had always loved climbing, so pursued the dim light at the top of the Tengmaa's chamber with vigour. Brissekh was packed full of cliff faces to scale, and in a way she could remember the routes up and down them better than her way around the frigid woodland. It was the excitement of knowing a shortcut which stuck in her head, Tar supposed. The rock face here was shrouded in vines, but the Commando quickly figured out a way up, spotting hand and foot holds which jogged distant memories of this place before it became a death trap. The fresh water streaming in from above was cold and refreshing after the warm, smelly interior. The sound gradually built to a crescendo of howling winds and rain at the top, perfectly masking the sound of Tar hauling herself up. As soon as she was away from the hole, she crouched down and drew her Carbine. The spikes on her feet scraped against the craggy ridge. Visibility was shockingly bad, but Tar knew that could all change in a moment if the wind changed direction. "If they have any sense, they will be inside until the storm passes - we should move quickly. We do not want to be up here if the wind speed increases."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael heeded the advice of the others. A sudden shift in the storm could easily worsen their situation, so they needed to act quickly. "Come, follow quickly. There are some rocks closer, at the base of the ridge, we may use for cover." He ordered. Visibility was particularly terrible, but a combination of sensors and multiple perspectives from the team did reveal some about the area ahead as they moved down the ridge. Obviously, the most prominent feature was the anti-air cannon itself. The weapon was massive, as it had to be powerful enough to be able to damage capital ships. Given the rough, uneven terrain of the mountains, it was placed on a large, artificial platform. They could also make out multiple structures on the platform as well, in which most of the guards were likely taking shelter from the storm. If, for any reason, they ended up alerting the enemy, it was from there that they would need to expect reinforcements. Currently, there were only a few hostiles out patrolling on the platform. All seemed to be Unggoy that were unlucky enough to be burdened with the duty in the storm, and even they were trying to take cover as best as they could against the winds. The storm certainly would impact their perception, but unfortunately, it also meant that they would be more alert than they might have otherwise been, if only for the fact that they could not sleep if they wanted to. The winds and rain would severely limit the effectiveness of active camouflage, so it would not be effortless to walk past them unseen. There were only a sparse few objects surrounding the cannon at the moment. Anything not secured to the platform had likely been moved inside before the storm. For the most part, it was an open, flat area. "We must decide how to sabotage the weapon. Anything we do cannot be detected before it is time for the attack on the Keep. Your…engineer can do this, yes?" Vael said, glancing down to Flint. "Or we can simply plant a powerful enough remote explosive, if we can place it somewhere it will not be seen."</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: the climb The climb up out of the cave and to the top of the ridge was difficult even for him. His species had natural enhancements that helped them climb but even climbing up this he could feel his methane tank catching the gusts of wind with its bulk and pulling him off balance occasionally. When finally at the top he made sure to stay low with a hand running along the stone next to him so he had something to grab on to if he was caught in another gust. At least now that they were getting closer they could see their massive objective a bit closer now. Speaking his opinion over comms as they continued their approach, "If we are not concerned about keeping the gun mostly intact to use after this engagement. Grik believes he has enough explosives combined with the remaining magazines for his gun to destroy the platform supports or its foundations to topple the gun." He couldn't tell if the platform had supports but it was likely given the terrain being uneven. Even the subtle erosion from fresh drilling and stormy weather could assist with this plan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Shih and Vael 'Virisusai --- It took only an instant from the others' perspectives, but Shih ran as thorough of an analysis as she could on the practicality of sabotaging the platform from below. The others hardly had time to consider the suggestion before she started giving her report. "The storm is giving too much interference to my sensors for me to give a definitive answer. Whether or not an explosion of that yield could sufficiently destabilize the platform would depend on how well it is anchored. It is possible, and would certainly deal significant damage to the platform in any case, but it is possible that the cannon may remain operational." "So we could not simply place an explosive and leave. We would need to remain to ensure the cannon is disabled, and to kill any survivors." Vael remarked. "Yes, and I can jam their communications if it comes to that. As long as you leave no survivors, the Keep will not be alerted." Shih added. It seemed they did have options. Attempting stealth could allow them to silently achieve their objective without a firefight, but it was risky. Discovery would place their infiltrators in an exposed position, and they would have to fight the enemy at full strength. Opening with an explosive, even if it did not destroy the platform entirely, would still likely kill some, and disorient the rest. But, they would be guaranteed to have to fight here. "Spartan Ryker, your Forerunner sensors would make you the best suited to try to silently get close. Active camouflage will be useless in this storm, and the platform has little cover. I am not convinced that a silent approach would be best here; Grikgar's plan may be more likely to work. But, I would hear your assessment first. Vael requested. Compared to any other Human, Ryker would know best what Vael was asking for here. Unlike many other Sangheili, Vael cared little for pride when it came to strategy. He wanted to know, objectively, if Ryker believed his infiltration in this situation would be more likely to succeed than the alternative.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Recognizing what it was that Commander Vael was asking of him, Lucas sighed quietly and looked up towards the cannon, swapping modules over to the Promethean Vision and seeing what he could see, which was more than he would have admittedly given it credit for, as only heat signatures seemed to register, but even with that...We'd still need to get up the rock face, get Grikgar and his explosives in place... His brain continued to go over the details of what they would have to do in either situation and, while it couldn't do it as fast as Shih could, still came to a conclusion fairly quickly. "They're both uncertain and come with unique dangers and challenges. Mine comes from the fact that I'll be alone, Grik's has a chance of just not working like we need. So speaking objectively...I have to say stealth over chance. I've been in and out of plenty of Covenant installations, even before I was a Spartan. This? Nothing new. My concern is we know these guys are allied with the Prometheans, won't they have access to the Promethean tech as well?"</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko "We put the gun on a sudden lean, everything tips over," Yalu thought out loud. He held out his rifle horizontally in both hands, looking at it as he tilted the barrel end down. "What remains on the higher end, with their feet set to EVA combat, may fire stably down upon a stricken foe which wants for cover. A victory as swift as gravity." The suggestion had holes, Yalu knew. He was jogging tactical considerations as much as hoping such an approach might allow for a survivor or two, albeit alone in the jungle.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak While listening to the others discuss options, Tar sniffed the air and looked around. A tingle ran all the way down her arms and into her chest, taking cues from atmospheric pressure. Thinking back to when she was last here, Tar finally understood what was coming. "A rolling bank approaches… I say we use speed over stealth; take those buildings to shelter if it passes over." She scraped a couple of steps forward and looked through her carbine's scope just as the rapidly darkening sky suddenly lit up like daylight for a split-second. Tar studied the platform, looking for any signs they had been spotted. After a few seconds, a deafening boom washed over the mountainside they were on. The sky lit up again, and Tar growled. "We're exposed - whatever we do, we have to do it quickly!" The Commando looked over at the squad leader.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael heard and considered the advice of the members of his team. They all had their own expertise, and he could benefit from making use of it. Still, though they had a few options, a decision still needed to be made, especially when there was no clear "best" choice. "We cannot carry out our ambush and attempt stealth. An infiltrator would be in range of the explosives, if discovered. An ambush is the safer course. Most of their warriors will likely be in those structures on the east side of the platform. There are no guards underneath the platform, so Grikgar, you should be able to plant the charges on the supports underneath them." Pausing a moment, Vael started designating positions on the team's collective HUDs. "As Yalu suggests, we shall take positions on what will become the high ground. This ridgeline here will give a strong position for most of us. Aviza, Ryker, Yalu, take a position on the western ridge to create a crossfire. When the charges detonate, the Unggoy outside will most likely panic, so they will not be our priority. We will instead focus our fire on the exits to the structures to cut down the rest as they try to reach safety."</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- As the charge was planted, Vael took up a position prone, obscuring himself as best as he could on the edge of the ridge. He braced his carbine between two rocks and set his sights through his scope on one of the doorways. There were just a few chokepoints that the enemy would be funneled through once the fighting started, so they would want to maximize the damage they could deal in that time. The detonation sounded out like thunder, though the roar of the storm still overtook it. After a moment, the whole platform in front of them started to list to one side, but Vael adjusted his aim to keep it trained on the doorway. The moment he saw movement, he opened fire. The green glow of the projectile lit up the area around it in the rain, though it cut through the air in the blink of an eye. The first one hit was an Unggoy trying to rush out the door. The carbine shot pierced his torso armor, followed by another, and another. Plasma and bullets joined in pelting the doorways. Unggoy that tried running outside at first were cut down in the doorways or shortly outside, but the better-shielded Kig-Yar and Sangheili could make it farther. The team on the closer ridge could not keep the doors suppressed indefinitely as they started to need to reload or let their weapons cool, but the marksman team on the other ridge would find the targets scattering across the platform had been softened.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Having set up just behind one of the few rocks actually sticking up on the ridge, Ryker set his shoulder against the back of it along with resting his DMR against the side, aiming at the doorway he could see. The others had all set up with their own lines of sight for the crossfire, so as soon as their resident demolitionist blew the charge, they'd begin. As he waited for Grikgar's confirmation and the boom, time seemed to slow down for the SPARTAN-IV, even as the Unggoy's verbal confirmation came in. This was a key mission, he would help here to shut down the turret, kill it's crew and then follow up with oversight to find out if he was to remain with the team or move on the Zealot that had been mentioned in Sydney during the briefing. However, as the bomb went off and the tower listed, he focused back in on the mission. The first enemy Unggoy out was dropped by someone on the other side, and soon he could see Sangheili and Kigyar running out as well. Noting one of the Sangheili with weakened shields, his silenced DMR fired, the muzzle flashing once as the round pierced shield and brain at the same time. The next muzzle flash dropped one of the Kigyar as it turned to fire on a carbine wielder on Aegis. This proceeded methodically, his muzzle never flashing more than once per target. However, they could only fire from the ridgeline for so long and eventually he radioed Vael. {Permission to move into close range combat, Commander? This will only work for so much longer.}</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Two big booms! The path the unggoy ultra had chosen to keep him unnoticed was a bit more treacherous than he originally thought. Clinging to the stone walls and cliffs edge during a raging storm was the most fun he was having so far yet his main motivation other than completing the mission was knowing that his goblin was waiting for him with the hot drop of heavy weapons. That knowledge alone was enough for him to quicken his pace while he crawled hugging close to the stone and towards the platform. Grik moved quickly under the platform and quickly looked around the pillars when something caught his attention. A small patrol of three Unggoy moving slowly under the structure, "why are we here?" one of the two orange-colored grunts spoke with an anxious tone. "Because yap-yap ate to much from the food nipple again." The other orange grunt retorted quickly. "At least I don't fall asleep on watch Blip." The red colored unggoy among them spoke with an irritated tone that made the other two shut up as the slowly made there way through and around the support pillars. Grikgar knew he couldn't sneak around them forever and he needed to complete this quickly. Silently he moved from pillar to pillar until he was right behind the red grunt, ODST knife in hand. Plunging the knife into the back of the grunts neck and quickly with drawling it to lunge at the next closest squad mate who didn't seem to be able to react in time as Grikgar buried his knife in its skull. The surprise and hesitation from the third were all he needed to tackle him and swiftly break his neck in a choke hold. Grikgar remained still and quiet for a few moments before quickly carrying on with his objective and retrieving his knife. Picking up a small piece of scrap metal from the ground and climbing up to the base of one of the exterior pillars. Grik knew where he was in relation to the rest of the structures and placed the magazine where the platform and pillar met angling it towards the intersection of the two, then he glued it in place with the adhesive of the first plasma charge he had. He did this again on another pillar a bit farther in towards the other side of the structure he knew was above him but outside of the blast zone of the first explosive. using the thick chunk of metal, ammo, and plasma charge with this one facing it straight up instead of into the pillar with the chunk of metal against the platform and the other two layered beneath it. Quickly the grunt slid down the pillar and to the opposite side of the platform from the others stopping only for a moment to pick up two more plasma pistols and a couple grenades off the dead grunts before continuing to sprint to cover up the hill with a bit of a height advantage over the platform below. Grikgar blinked his indicator light green twice to signal the others that he would detonate the first explosive in 10 seconds. The reason he went to so much trouble to set up and layer the explosives like he did was to create a shaped charge that would sling a piece of super-heated metal through the structure along with the explosive. 4… 3… 2… 1… BOOM! A blinding light and deafening explosion for him but it was enough to shift the structure slightly. Then the dazed and disorientated defenders would wander into a kill zone. His allies were making good work of the situation, Grikgar stayed hidden but watched with glee as the defenders began to rally themselves into cover and began to put up a fight. By what he could tell at least some of the defenders began taking up positions near where he had placed the second explosive. That is what you did after all, one explosive to scatter and send your prey into a choke point or central area then detonate the second explosive for maximum effect. Sending a message to the rest of the team, {"Hold for secondary explosive."} The glee in his voice was nearly unprofessional but he did not disappoint, setting off the secondary explosive and hopping his shaped charge idea would help to cut a hole in the platform and scattering the defenders once more.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu was less precise than his squadmates opening fire. The grunts were easy pickings. The elites and jackals might actually triangulate them. Yalu peered through his scope looking for Kig-Yar holding long weapons. They got a needle to their shooting hand, or their jaws. Disabled as they were, it would only add to the confusion. Sangheili caught a burst of needles until their shields flared. The light made them easy pickings for their marksmen. Time came to reload. Yalu rolled from his prone position behind a shrub on his back, took a couple of plasma grenades, and tossed them over to the enemy in a high arc. The reload came after, timed to spot the enemy by the time they decided to move away from the explosives. Wouldn't be long before it was time to assault the platform itself.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael, in this case, did not pay as much attention to Grikgar's attitude as he did the plan itself. The Unggoy, it seemed, had taken some of his own initiative. Vael kept firing, and kept up pressure, until his carbine's magazine was empty. Without missing a beat, he drew the plasma rifle and continued to lay down suppressive fire over the area until the detonation finally came. The secondary explosive was a shaped charge, intended to cut through the platform from below. It was more limited in area of effect than an explosive on the platform would have been, but it had been placed well. Evidently, Grikgar had observed the area and correctly guessed where many of those on the platform would flee to. The blast tore through the platform, killing some Kig-Yar and a few Sangheili immediately, while sending out a shockwave that knocked several others around them off their feet. From where he was, Vael could see several shields flare, and a few break, around the explosion. Hostiles had stopped coming out from inside the structure, so there were likely few remaining inside. The explosion had created some cover on the platform, by virtue of the warped metal plating from the floor, but it had also created an opportunity. Many of the remaining hostile Sangheili now had weakened or depleted shielding, though that advantage would not last long, if they were allowed to recover. Vael ejected the magazine from his carbine and slotted in a new one in one quick motion. "The enemy is weakened, push the advantage!" He ordered before jumping down onto the platform below. Given that he had to go below the platform to plant his charges, Grikgar was separated from the rest of the team. It would take some time to climb back up to the others, but in the wake of the explosion, there was something else he may have spotted out of the corner of his eye. Movement in the rain, and a silhouette just at the base of the hill. It was a Sangheili, currently in active camouflage, who must have dropped down from the platform above in the chaos, and now had his sights on Grikgar.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Overall, the enemy did not have a great many of its number remaining, and especially few that had not been weakened by the damage dealt so far. Their ambush had been both quick and efficient in its execution, and now Aegis team was pushing its advantage aggressively to make sure none of the enemy would be able to regroup and recover. The Sangheili fighting with Ryker did everything he could to give himself any advantage he could scrape together. He positioned himself to place Ryker between himself and the Spartan's allies so they could not easily give him supporting fire. After kicking away the container, he was quick to dash forward and grab the arm he had blocked to try and force Ryker into a grapple. Physically, the Sangheili could approximately match the Spartan for strength, and he seemed intent on trying to keep this fight hand-to-hand. With his free hand, the Sangheili went for Ryker's helmet in an attempt to rip it off of his head. Between the autosentry and Yalu, he had quickly eliminated one of the few remaining Sangheili warriors, though the sentry quickly acquired new targets. A pair of Kig-Yar were sprinting for the edge of the platform, and they were near to reaching it. While it was quite a drop to the ground below, the light, agile Kig-Yar could handle the fall, and they were fast enough on their feet that they could reasonably escape. The autosentry's shots hit the shield of one of the Kig-Yar, which started to glow more and more brightly red. However, it could block enough shots to give the pair a chance to react. Both held their shields towards Yalu, holding their needlers up above them to fire in his direction while still running towards the edge. Needlers did not need to be fired particularly accurately, and a pair of them could be a deadly threat to even a Sangheili caught in the open.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker This wasn't Ryker's first time fighting a Sangheili, though doing so since becoming a Spartan had certainly gotten easier with their strength advantage gone. As the Sangheili grabbed his arm, he leaned back hard, pulling the enemy combatant off balance and towards him, messing up the lunge for his helmet. Letting momentum do the job, he emptied the remaining rounds from his pistol into the Sangheili's shielding before pulling his arm free and rolling away, trying to get space to get up on his feet. Spinning in place once he'd finished his roll, he reloaded swiftly and fired again, hopefully, catching the larger enemy off guard. Infiltrator Comi'Masam Meanwhile, Comi clashed multiple times with the enemy infiltrator, their blades sparking and hissing as they met. The male Spec Ops member was certainly stronger, but Comi had learned how to fight smarter and every time he tried to force a contest of strength over skill, she would deflect his attacks away and counter with a thrust or slash. The pair were well-versed in fighting with the sword as could be seen by those watching but the enemy was growing impatient with the lack of his almost immediate victory over her. As such, he overextended during one exchange and attempted to force her to block with her own blade against his overhead slash. He crowed triumphantly when her seemingly undefended arm when up instead. The shout of victory quickly turned to one of confusion and panic when a hardlight shield stopped the blow and, despite everything, Infiltrator 'Masam smiled. "Och lad, so close too." Pushing his weapon away, she quickly stepped forwards and plunged her blade up to the hilt in his chest before pulling it free. Dashing to cover as plasma bolts started coming her way, she drew her pistol and once more fired controlled bursts back at her attackers.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu snapped his aim around to the Kig-Yar. The distinct whistle of needlers firing prompted him to take only one shot. He went for the weakened Kig-Yar's hand. His own needle round ricocheted off the edge of the shield and into the clouds -- off-target by an inch. He would have cursed if his life was not in immediate danger. Staying still or moving forward or back would overload his shield and blow a hole in his chest. He dropped into a sprint lateral to the advancing jackals instead, leaving his autosentry to take the homing needles. As he ran around the edge of the platform, his the incline helped his speed but lost him his height advantage. "Two Kig-Yar running! Centre!" Yalu barked between breaths in his helmet comms. He jumped to a stop behind an external support nearer to the middle of the platform and let the remaining pink needles whizz by. He looked around and spotted a dead grunt holding onto a plasma pistol. Now he cursed to himself. There was not much he could do on his own to stop the Kig-Yar. It would be down to his team mates now. A tumult drew Yalu's attention up to Ryker rolling away from another sangheili. Yalu dropped his rifle and rolled forward, grabbing the plasma pistol as he went, and knelt with the pistol overcharged and pointing towards the enemy warrior. He let it loose to break the assailant's shield, or else give him a burn that would get Ryker out of trouble.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar lit up the Hunter Killer's shield in the dark with two shots from her carbine. Then she turned her gun sideways and chucked it forward. Her assailant paused on the top step for half a second, raising one arm to deflect the heavy object whipping toward him through the rain. He was taller than Tar, but not by much. He didn't have much mass on her either, but he was astonishingly fast. Seizing her chance while her opponent was distracted, Tar lunged forward and trapped his sword hand under her left armpit. The dual-tips buzzed behind her ear, her shields activated and the smell of singed metal assaulted her senses. Pushing with all her might, Tar shoved the Hunter Killer up against one side of the door frame he'd just emerged from. Sheets of water poured over them from above. The male looked straight in her face from a few inches away and hissed. "So it is you." His left fist smashed into the side of her helmet, blurring Tar's vision and toppling them both over. While in free fall, the black-clad Hunter Killer jerked his sword free of Tar's armpit. She crashed onto her back and her assailant leapt on top to pin her. She punched him meatily in the neck as his free hand pushed her chest down. Then she saw him raise his sword and plunge it towards her neck. Raising her left hand on instinct, Tar caught the handle between the sword's two deadly spikes. White-hot pain exploded on either side of her hand as the energy bit into her flesh. She roared. The Hunter Killer leaned into his attack, pressing the blade closer to her head. "Deserting your…Keep, for that PATHETIC…excuse of a Kaidon." He spat, growling as his weapon slowly came into contact with Tar's armour plating. Tar scrabbled frantically for her right thigh holster, her other arm still holding back the sword. But the Sangheili straddling her had his knee in the way of her Mauler. So she groped her arm out manically around her, searching for anything to use. Despite the carnage and imminent danger all around him, the Hunter Killer appeared to be relishing this moment. He leaned in even more. "Such a shame you're…too late to save…your brother!" Tar growled, activating comms while he spoke. "Urgent target on my IFF." She whispered as quietly as she could. She wasn't about to let him escape.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael had rushed in alongside the others to capitalize on the discord they had sewn among their enemy. Though, he was not concerned with anything except the efficient destruction of their foe. With his carbine in-hand, he targeted the most vulnerable among them first to thin their numbers the most quickly. Unggoy or Sangheili with damaged shields would fall within just a few shots. The fewer the number of their enemy, the less they would be capable of returning fire. The moment he heard Yalu's callout, Vael trained his aim towards the fleeing Kig-Yar. They had clear parameters for success in this ambush: none of their enemy could escape. The Human AI was jamming their communications and could prevent the keep from learning from this attack in that manner, but if any of them escaped, that could open the possibility of a warning reaching the Keep. Vael quickly took a plasma grenade in hand and threw it towards the edge of the platform, ahead of the jackals. They both had ample time to react, but Vael did not expect it to kill them. He just needed it to stall them. The jackal closest to the grenade tried to leap to the side, though wet metal platform did not give him the best grip. He slipped, lost his footing, and ended up sliding a short distance across the platform. He did manage to slide out of the range of the grenade's detonation, but without his shield in the way, he was completely exposed. Two carbine shots cut through his torso, and he did not get up from there. The second jackal had managed to stop short and stay on his feet. With his shield directed towards Vael, he unleashed a full magazine of his needler towards him. Even Vael's shields could not withstand a supercombine, but he did not panic. He knew just how needlers behaved. Rather than run away, Vael dashed towards the jackal and rolled diagonally to the side. Some of the needles still struck Vael's shield, but most could not turn sharply enough to keep up. By the time Vael was on his feet again, the jackal had emptied the needler's magazine. Vael had the time to line up a careful shot through the shield's cutout to strike his hand. The jackal staggered back, shifting the shield just enough to allow Vael to put a second shot through his head. Tar's call for assistance, however, was more difficult to handle than a few Kig-Yar. At a glance, he could see that the shields of the Sangheili pinning her were still up, and it would take too many shots from his carbine to break them in time. He was too distant from her for his blade to be of any use…at least, not in his own hands. Vael took one of his energy swords in hand, but did not activate it. For the briefest moment, he judged the distance between them and eyed the rain so he could see the wind. This would need to be a good throw. "Tar, on your right!" Vael replied as he threw his sword to her. He threw it on a flat arc close to the ground to try to reduce the impact of the wind, letting it slide across the floor until it came to a sudden stop striking Tar in the side.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Under the platform The fire fight was raging above clearly the second explosion through the enemy into chaos but it sounded like they were still putting up a fight. The sounds of the battle above were muted below the platform the vibrations from grenades and the creaking of the platform itself as it strained to keep its stability under the new load of broken support beams was definitely more noticeable near the bottom of the platform. The others fighting up above did little to settle the grunts heart with his game of cat and mouse. He was being stalked by a shadow, wasn't the first time but he did not have the weapons like he did last time. A quick mental check left him with 1 grenade, 3 shots in his plasma cannon, half a plasma pistol charge, and his knife. It wasn't great but he could work with it. Grik had been able to best a sangheili or two in training bouts before and he knew how the majority of them fought. He had taken cover behind a rock for a moment listening to subtle sounds and noises waiting for the Elite to make a mistake. He heard for a moment what sounded like rocks moving from a foot step. Tossing his grenade into the vicinity but purposely short of where he heard the noise from the other side of the rock. Diving toward the platform for more cover and activating his own camouflage once he was behind the blue glow of dissipating plasma. Slowly and quietly Grikgar would find the nearest pillar or support structure he could and climb it to get the high ground. Hopefully turning this game of cat and mouse around on the elite and be able to assist the others above.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker The Sangheili had managed to avoid the bulk of Ryker's second volley, only taking a couple of rounds in his armored shoulder, but the bolt of plasma from Yalu caught him completely offguard and impacted his head, causing the body to simply flop over to one side. Lucas signaled his thanks to his Sangheili ally before catching a Kig-yar trying to slip past him and slamming it into the floor before putting a bullet in its brain. Infiltrator Comi'Masam Using her hardlight shield, Comi had already pushed further into the remainder of the enemy lines, her pistol finding its mark as it put down several grunts and exposed a pair of Kig-yar mercenaries to her allies fire. However, as she fought, she noticed that their own Unggoy was nowhere to yet be seen and decided to bring it up to their commander over the comms. "Commander, Grikgar hasn't joined us yet. Should we be concerned?"</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- The Sangheili stalking Grik had little trouble avoiding the grenade's detonation, but it did disrupt him momentarily from being able to track the Unggoy's movements. Still, there was no hesitation from the Elite to rush forward after his prey. His camouflage faded as he ran through the dissipating plasma, but he soon stopped in his tracks. He growled when he found that his target had slipped away. When he had started tracking Grik, he had seen only a Grunt. An easy kill on the way to more dangerous foes. For Grik to be able to evade him caught him off guard. He had not approached with any cover in mind, so he was currently in the open, his eyes scanning around for Grik. When he spotted a shimmer, he quickly opened fire in its direction with his plasma rifle. --- On the platform, Aegis team's aggressive attack had broken the enemy's defense. Between their snipers still on the ridge and those that had advanced to the platform, the major threats had been eliminated. Most of what remained were fleeing Unggoy, though for the success of their mission, there could be no mercy for any of them. "Stay focused. Kill the last of them quickly." Vael ordered, though he was still quick to try to contact their Unggoy squadmate. "Grikgar, what is your status?"</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu's lungs emptied at the sight of his target slumping as instantly dead as it did. If not for the rest of the commotion, he might have frozen. Vael's voice over the comms brought him back to the action. He retrieved his needle rifle, aimed down at the fleeing grunts, and helped to pick them off. Tar's shouting made him glance to see what was going on. Yalu's kill, all the slaughter of the grunts with their backs turned, and then Tar's shouting, all combined to bring out a sudden irritation in him. "'Mdalak! Get up! Focus!" He felt his ears ring with how loud he shouted into his helmet. He felt an immediate pang of anxiety at his outburst. He shook himself out of it and headed for the nearest door to the platform. "Pushing ahead," he declared with a more moderated voice. "Cannot see any more targets outside. The rest will be barricading by now." He did not move out of sight yet, waiting for Grikgar's sitrep.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Being shook about proved to be too much while impaled by a sword. The Hunter Killer let out one last ragged breath, then his eyes closed and the struggling stopped. Gusts of wind drove sheets of rain across Tar's back and the dead Sangheili under her. Purple Lightning crackled all around the weapons platform as the stormfront rolled over. The black clouds sucked all other light out of the sky. The sound of her teammates in her ears died away to just a dull echo. Tar pulled the sword out of her opponent's side and changing position, sawed through his neck. Yanking on his helmet, she tore the Hunter Killer's head from his shoulders. Clambering to her feet, Tar took a short run up and threw the head as hard as she could off the side of the platform. There was no stopping the wave of pent up rage now. She turned her head to the obsidian clouds, puffed out her chest and let out a bloodcurdling roar, talons grasping thin air out to either side of her body.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- There was no immediate response from Grikgar, so with the platform cleared, Vael rushed to the edge to try to get a line of sight on the ground below. He had heard the sound of plasma fire echoing up from below, so he took aim down beneath him as soon as he reached the edge. However, by the time he arrived, he found no target to shoot. He spotted Grik climbing up the side of the ridge, leaving behind a dead Sangheili beneath him. Vael joined soon in storming the barracks, though there ended up being no one left inside for them to fight. Once they had started their attack, all of the warriors garrisoned inside had joined the fight. After they confirmed that the barracks were clear, that marked the last objective they needed to complete while they were here. The cannon was too damaged to be used, and there was no one left alive to report back to the keep. As long as the Human AI's communication jamming had been successful, then they now had a window to begin their attack on the keep. "The area has been cleared. Have we sustained injuries?" Vael asked succinctly.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker "All good here, boss. Should send the all clear to the fleet to let them know the objective's complete." Ryker approached Yalu and offered him his hand for a handshake. "Thanks for the save, Major. Was a little too close for comfort there." Infiltrator Comi'Masam "I'm unharmed, Commander. Securing any hidey holes that we might have missed."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai In the aftermath of the battle, the cannon was left sufficiently destroyed for their purposes. Certainly, it could not fire in its present condition, and while it could be sabotaged further, there was always the possibility that it could be repaired when the Keep was retaken. Shih was confident that she had been able to jam any attempt at communications during the attack, so the way had been cleared for the assault on the Keep. Following Tar's guidance, they took an alternative path back down the mountain to their vehicles. While it would have been unusable during the storm, the worst of it had already passed. All that remained was comparatively light rain. Even on spectres, it took hours to get to a safe distance, but they were eventually able to extract back to the ship. --- Vael spoke little to the others in the time before the assault was set to begin, apart from what was necessary. He did spend some time going over the plan for the assault itself. In short, their one and only goal for their attack was to reach the Kaidon himself. There was enough support for the Swords of Sanghelios among the Keep's population, but they were honor-bound to follow their Kaidon. If he could be deposed and Tar claim the position of Scion, that would grant the citizens an excuse to stand down that would still satisfy their honor. Perhaps there might still be some Covenant zealots that would oppose them, but the battle would essentially be over as soon as the Kaidon fell, so as long as Tar survived. For that reason, their plan was to make a powerful, direct push straight to the Keep itself. They would cut through anything in their way, but they aimed not to fight any more than necessary. The less damage they did and the fewer casualties they inflicted, the stronger the city would be as an ally. Certainly, the plan was risky. If they did not properly secure and defend the territory they captured, then they opened themselves up to be surrounded once they were in the Keep. Should their plan fail and they were unable to depose the Kaidon, they could end up being trapped. Standing before a wraith in the hangar, Vael observed as a pair of technicians gave it a last check before the battle, as others were with the rest of their vehicles. It would be more than Aegis team participating in this assault, but as Aegis was the spearhead, they had the full choice of how they wanted to proceed in the attack. They would have the choice of Human vehicles that had been brought aboard the Blockade Runner, or of its own stock of vehicles. Any class, from light to heavy armor, was available if they chose.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Being shook about proved to be too much while impaled by a sword. The Hunter Killer let out one last ragged breath, then his eyes closed and the struggling stopped. Gusts of wind drove sheets of rain across Tar's back and the dead Sangheili under her. Purple Lightning crackled all around the weapons platform as the stormfront rolled over. The black clouds sucked all other light out of the sky. The sound of her teammates in her ears died away to just a dull echo. Tar pulled the sword out of her opponent's side and changing position, sawed through his neck. Yanking on his helmet, she tore the Hunter Killer's head from his shoulders. Clambering to her feet, Tar took a short run up and threw the head as hard as she could off the side of the platform. There was no stopping the wave of pent up rage now. She turned her head to the obsidian clouds, puffed out her chest and let out a bloodcurdling roar, talons grasping thin air out to either side of her body.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- There was no immediate response from Grikgar, so with the platform cleared, Vael rushed to the edge to try to get a line of sight on the ground below. He had heard the sound of plasma fire echoing up from below, so he took aim down beneath him as soon as he reached the edge. However, by the time he arrived, he found no target to shoot. He spotted Grik climbing up the side of the ridge, leaving behind a dead Sangheili beneath him. Vael joined soon in storming the barracks, though there ended up being no one left inside for them to fight. Once they had started their attack, all of the warriors garrisoned inside had joined the fight. After they confirmed that the barracks were clear, that marked the last objective they needed to complete while they were here. The cannon was too damaged to be used, and there was no one left alive to report back to the keep. As long as the Human AI's communication jamming had been successful, then they now had a window to begin their attack on the keep. "The area has been cleared. Have we sustained injuries?" Vael asked succinctly.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker "All good here, boss. Should send the all clear to the fleet to let them know the objective's complete." Ryker approached Yalu and offered him his hand for a handshake. "Thanks for the save, Major. Was a little too close for comfort there." Infiltrator Comi'Masam "I'm unharmed, Commander. Securing any hidey holes that we might have missed."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- In the aftermath of the battle, the cannon was left sufficiently destroyed for their purposes. Certainly, it could not fire in its present condition, and while it could be sabotaged further, there was always the possibility that it could be repaired when the Keep was retaken. Shih was confident that she had been able to jam any attempt at communications during the attack, so the way had been cleared for the assault on the Keep. Following Tar's guidance, they took an alternative path back down the mountain to their vehicles. While it would have been unusable during the storm, the worst of it had already passed. All that remained was comparatively light rain. Even on spectres, it took hours to get to a safe distance, but they were eventually able to extract back to the ship. --- Vael spoke little to the others in the time before the assault was set to begin, apart from what was necessary. He did spend some time going over the plan for the assault itself. In short, their one and only goal for their attack was to reach the Kaidon himself. There was enough support for the Swords of Sanghelios among the Keep's population, but they were honor-bound to follow their Kaidon. If he could be deposed and Tar claim the position of Scion, that would grant the citizens an excuse to stand down that would still satisfy their honor. Perhaps there might still be some Covenant zealots that would oppose them, but the battle would essentially be over as soon as the Kaidon fell, so as long as Tar survived. For that reason, their plan was to make a powerful, direct push straight to the Keep itself. They would cut through anything in their way, but they aimed not to fight any more than necessary. The less damage they did and the fewer casualties they inflicted, the stronger the city would be as an ally. Certainly, the plan was risky. If they did not properly secure and defend the territory they captured, then they opened themselves up to be surrounded once they were in the Keep. Should their plan fail and they were unable to depose the Kaidon, they could end up being trapped. Standing before a wraith in the hangar, Vael observed as a pair of technicians gave it a last check before the battle, as others were with the rest of their vehicles. It would be more than Aegis team participating in this assault, but as Aegis was the spearhead, they had the full choice of how they wanted to proceed in the attack. They would have the choice of Human vehicles that had been brought aboard the Blockade Runner, or of its own stock of vehicles. Any class, from light to heavy armor, was available if they chose.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Lucas was already in the hangar on the other end, speaking with several engineers about the use of one of the needler hogs in the assault on the Keep and one of them continued to argue. "You're going to need heavy firepower to breach those defenses and while the Needlehog is great against infantry, you're looking at, bear minimum, gun emplacements, heavy anti-vehicle, maybe even Hunters. I'm sorry, Spartan, but it just doesn't make sense." Ryker sighed as he rubbed his temple and met the man's eyes. "And all of that is going to be screened by infantry and while the traditional .50 caliber rounds are great for general use, the quicker we can cleave through that infantry. We've all seen how effective supercombines are against soft targets." The implication of what he meant was enough to make the engineer who had been arguing with him shut up, which gave the other, a woman who looked ready to strangle her fellow, the chance to speak. "We can prep one for ya, Spartan, but only the one. The others will be needed elsewhere." Infiltrator Comi'Masam Comi was in the armory, prepping for the assault and what they could run into. Despite her usual preference for a plasma pistol, she had traded it for the higher fire rate of a plasma rifle, which would work better for the assault ahead of them.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar wrenched off her breastplate and perched on a large crate to receive medical attention. A diminutive male in physician's garb leaned in to inspect the cauterised puncture marks on her chest. "Internal bleeding is common with sword wounds, but fortunately yours are only shallow. Do you feel any weakness, numbness or tingling?" "I feel well." Tar growled. The adrenaline of their fight for the cannon had worn off in the hours afterwards, and a dull ache had settled in. Her head was full of images of the Hunter Killer's snarling jaw and the sword searing through her armour. "Any changes to your hearing or vision? Any pain in your head?" The physician asked, carefully anointing the cauterised divots with bio foam. "Only from your incessant talking - bandage me up now. I need to prepare for the assault." Tar was looking past the doctor, searching for someone. "Armourer!" She called out, raising one hand. A white-clad giant turned off to one side, looked at Tar then mentioned for his apprentice to run over. Tar noticed the youth when he stopped reverently before her. "Take my breastplate - see if you can patch the holes." She pointed towards her discarded armour on the floor.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Ryker got a chilly response from Yalu once they dusted themselves off. "Do not speak of it," he spat before moving on without reciprocating the handshake. Yalu did not make clear whether he was distracted or intentionally curt. It seemed like both. Yalu kept his helmet on and his communications austere for the clean up and the ride back to base. --- Yalu had composed himself enough with the task of rearming for the assault on the keep. He was no stranger to such places, and as such rearmed his scattershot and needle rifle. However, if they were going in heavy, he knew exactly what to ask for to assist their surgical strike. He approached Ryker's vehicle with large rectangular ordnance cases in each hand while the spartan was seeing through its inspections. One after the other, he lifted them onto the brackets behind the main gun. "I have come to seek pardon for my earlier tone," he proclaimed, before unlatching both cases to reveal a spartan laser and a rocket launcher. "I will be taking a Banshee in during the initial approach. You will need fire support."</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Now that they were back on the Blockade Runner, there was not much time left to wait. The ship was invisible to sensors, but unlike some other capital ships, it did not possess active camouflage. While mostly irrelevant in space, once they came near enough to the Keep, they would be spotted by anyone who looked up. They had just disabled the only weapon in range that could destroy the ship quickly, but the city still had other anti-air defenses. The Blockade Runner would only have time to get in, blast open the outer walls, then deploy their strike force before it would have to fall back out of range. Aside from some light close air support, this would have to be a quick, decisive armored assault. Finally, a ship-wide alert sounded and the crew started rushing to battle stations. They were closing in on the Keep. Vael had re-equipped himself for the battle ahead. He changed his armor equipment, swapping active camouflage for a jetpack. With the verticality of urban combat, the mobility could be life-saving. He kept his plasma rifle and swords, as usual, but exchanged his carbine for a plasma caster. Similar to a concussion rifle, its explosive firepower would be useful against both vehicles and entrenched infantry positions. Human and Sangheili both were taking part in this assault. Swords of Sanghelios warriors were quicker to react to the alert, but once they had their orders from their officers, the Human marines were quick to rush to their vehicles. Scorpions and wraiths would comprise the core of their armored column, supported by warthogs, ghosts, spectres, and banshees above. "To your vehicles!" Vael ordered as he jumped up onto a wraith and climbed into its turret.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Through the glowing, translucent energy shield separating the hangar from the outside, the strike force could see the chaos start to unfold. Their Blockade Runner came in quick and low over the mountains, much to the surprise of the Keep's defenders who saw the warship suddenly approaching over the horizon. At the speed their ship could move, they hardly had time to raise the alarm before the vessel was upon them. With a well-defined plan to follow, the ship's crew carried it out quickly and efficiently. Immediately, the Blockade Runner fired a pair of plasma torpedoes at the city's outer walls, blasting a sizable hole in the city's defenses near to the planned drop zone. Anti-aircraft emplacements within the city opened fire to start pounding the ship's shields. It was at that point when the defenders were likely marking the ship for the nearest heavy cannon to eliminate, only to find it in no condition to fire, and its garrison unresponsive. There were other, similar cannons situated in other positions around the city, but at the ship's current altitude and position, only the one they had sabotaged would have had a shot. Even still, their shields could only handle ground fire from the city for so long, so this insertion would need to be quick. Being that the Blockade Runner was not specialized for ground assault, it had no grav lift for quick deployment, so they would have to settle for phantom drops. Aegis team's respective vehicles were already locked in place to the phantoms above them via their grav lifts, so once the hangar's shield dropped, they were among the first out the door. The first wave of phantoms exited on the side of the ship opposite to the keep so the Blockade Runner's shields could help protect them from the anti-aircraft fire. They were positioned directly above the drop zone, so it hardly took more than a few seconds for them to get to ground. Heavy armor, like scorpions, were dropped in the front, with wraiths behind. Lighter vehicles, like ghosts and warthogs, were initially dropped behind the heavy armor, though they were agile vehicles that could easily reposition as needed to support the main armor column. Shadow troop transports carried the majority of their infantry support and would move behind the armor at least until they were inside the walls. Banshees from both sides were being deployed for close air support. For now, the Blockade Runner's point defense could help fight off opposing aircraft, but it would not be staying for too long. The city had been caught off guard, as evidenced by the lack of defenses outside the walls. No doubt, the garrison was already deploying to meet them, but right now they had a chance to get to a better position before they faced resistance. Right now, the only incoming fire on the ground was coming from four rapid-fire plasma turrets positioned on the top of the walls. They were still at long range, so the incoming fire was mostly inaccurate, though they would become more dangerous the closer they came. They were completely in the open at the moment, so priority was to get to the breach before the enemy could respond, but it may have been wise to put some attention on the turrets along the way.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak "Good luck, Spartan." Tar called to Aviza over the rising din as Phantoms hovered into position over their armour. The ride down to the surface of Brissekh from the Blockade Runner was extremely loud and nausea-inducing, like being dropped from a great height. Rain battered their dropship's canopy and poured down the sides onto Tar's Wraith. Battle chatter burbled in her ears from the closest teams; her pilot was staying quiet for now. For a few seconds, she could only stare out at the city she knew so well and feel a mix of nostalgia and fear. While a relatively young settlement at just over two hundred years, the Keep occupied a commanding position over the valley they were deploying into. Three concentric rings of fortifications had been carved out of the black rock, each higher than the last, until the top of the Kaidon's migdol poked out like a mountain peak in itself. Tar wondered if her little brother was watching from a high window at the army which had just arrived. As soon as they touched down, Tar fired her turret at one of the defending guns closest the breach the Blockade Runner had made. "Move forward!" She grunted to the pilot, and they began advancing.</s> <\|message\|>Comi'Masam Spartan Lucas Ryker and Infiltrator Comi'Masam The moment the needlehog hit the ground, Lucas slammed the gas pedal down to the floor, the lighter vehicle racing ahead of the heavier and slower Scorpion and Wraith tanks as he got the marine and Comi lines of sight on the defensive emplacements that were firing on the landing zone. "Light them up, Corporal!" The marine, using a DMR, was already picking targets from around the gun emplacements as Comi'Masam spun up the needle cannon, rapidly sending needle spikes sailing into all the soft targets that were exposed along the wall and near it. {Spartan Ryker here, I'm heading the light armor group in a needlehog. Aside from those turrets, anyone see other priority soft targets for us?}</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Armored Assault on a Shadow Grikgar was happy to be out of the situation with the elite, it was always stressful going up against them but normally he could use the weak and cowardly stereotypes of his people to his advantage against most enemies. He was quite thankful of his team while they prepped for the next assault on the keep. Rearming was easy what took time was running the final diagnostics on the goblin to make sure it was ready to go without too many issues. This would be the first 'official' use of the grunt mech and he was going to make sure that nothing was going to jam. The weapons were ready and the shielding seemed good to go, Grik was sure to check everything twice while eating a ration, especially with the current model being new. The others seemed to be going through their own ways of mental preparation for the assault. His only issue he could see so far was just getting in close enough to the wall in the first place. Getting a lift from one of the troop transports or just going in for the hot drop from a phantom from up high were what seemed to be his choices so far. They both had their pros and con's but for what they were looking at he decided to stick with the armored column so he doesn't get picked off for lack of cover. So after his system checks were completed and the orders were starting to be given out Grik powered up his mech and linked up with the lead Shadow and found a spot to latch onto its aft half to provide fire support during the advance. His spot had a great view while they were being airlifted into position, enemy flak already opening up on them but panic was sure to follow for the enemy once they realized their big gun was off line. The mech began to fire on anything that came into range of either his needle cannon or grenade launcher but mostly just tried to block or dodge incoming fire the best he could. Armored assaults were his favorite advance, so many explosions and pretty colors.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Sitting inside of a vehicle such as the Theseus Command Mantis during a tactile insertion was always an intense experience, and one that Aviza had begun to enjoy over the last decade or so. This time around though, was slightly different due to the fact that they were being dropped from Phantoms instead of Pelicans. Still, Aviza had strapped herself in a bit more securely just in case the ride would be more turbulent or something else went wrong along the way. "All safety procedures passed, all systems are green, now we get to wait for the fun to begin." said Aziva as she leaned forward slightly and flipped a switch on the control panel in front of her. A gentle electronic hum followed before the interior screens came to life, giving the Spartan a clear view of everything out-front of her as if the reinforced platting on the outside of the vehicle was made out of glass. A few moments would pass in relative silence within the Theseus Command Mantis before Aviza not only felt the Phantom touch off but also saw the rapid deployment with her own eyes. The steep approach and high speed they were taking with the Phantoms brought a smile across the Spartans face as they approached their drop off point. With the sudden feeling of freefalling that only lasted what felt like a few seconds, the Mantis gracefully made contact with solid ground. "Over already? I was just starting to enjoy myself, makes me want to fly again." thought Aviza, though Shihi quickly responded, "I am sure you will get more chances to experience that again, or perhaps even fly something in the near future. For now though, you should focus on the objectives at hand." Using the connection from the Theseus Command Mantis to her armor, Aviza quickly turned her attention to one of the fortified positions and fired off a round from the Theseus Command Mantis's M149 Recoilless Rifle. The force from the weapon firing could be felt even from within the cockpit of the vehicle, as well as creating a could of smoke that quickly faded away due to the rain and moisture.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai The armored column had to move quickly to take advantage of the surprise they still had over their enemy. The open ground outside the walls would have made for a strong defensive position, had the city's garrison been able to see the attack coming. The plasma turrets alone atop the walls were far from sufficient to stop, or even slow down an armored assault. At the moment, they were able to push forward at max speed to close the gap to the city walls. Weapons fire from the mantis and scorpions at long range could tear apart the plasma turrets long before they could do meaningful damage to the vehicles. The plasma turrets were intended for anti-infantry or anti-aircraft roles, while other defenses would normally handle heavy vehicles. The push to the wall had been simple, with little resistance, but now that they were approaching the opening their ship had made, they were about to be stepping into much more danger. While the breach was not small, two scorpions side-by-side would only barely squeeze through. For their entire column, it was going to be a choke point. They caught a few glimpses of infantry through the opening, but machine gun fire from the scorpions forced them back into hiding. No doubt, they were scrambling to establish a defensive position inside. At the moment, the team could not know how many anti-tank weapons were already in position inside. The defenders would be scrambling to deploy them to the breach, but it had been less than a minute since landing. If they were lucky, they would be able to get a foothold inside before the enemy could arm themselves to deal with them, but the longer they took, the more the enemy would be able to fortify. "Shadows, stay back until we have a foothold inside. Everyone else, push forward!" Vael ordered. They were going to be pushing into an urban environment. The city did have streets wide enough to accommodate their vehicles, but it was still going to be far more cramped than the field they were in now. For armored units, urban fighting could be particularly dangerous, so they would need to be adaptable and alert for threats that could come from any angle. They did not know exactly what the other side of the breach looked like or where the enemy was positioned on the other side. There was only so much planning that could be done ahead of time; at a certain point, they had to adapt and improvise. How they decided to cross the choke point would be important to improve their odds.</s>
<\|description\|>Vael 'Virisusai Rank (If applicable): Commander Species: Sangheili Appearance (for his armor, at least): Height: 7'10" Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: * Type-1 energy sword * Type-25 plasma rifle * Type-57 carbine * Active Camouflage Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish. Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience. In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant. Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space. Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- The armored column had to move quickly to take advantage of the surprise they still had over their enemy. The open ground outside the walls would have made for a strong defensive position, had the city's garrison been able to see the attack coming. The plasma turrets alone atop the walls were far from sufficient to stop, or even slow down an armored assault. At the moment, they were able to push forward at max speed to close the gap to the city walls. Weapons fire from the mantis and scorpions at long range could tear apart the plasma turrets long before they could do meaningful damage to the vehicles. The plasma turrets were intended for anti-infantry or anti-aircraft roles, while other defenses would normally handle heavy vehicles. The push to the wall had been simple, with little resistance, but now that they were approaching the opening their ship had made, they were about to be stepping into much more danger. While the breach was not small, two scorpions side-by-side would only barely squeeze through. For their entire column, it was going to be a choke point. They caught a few glimpses of infantry through the opening, but machine gun fire from the scorpions forced them back into hiding. No doubt, they were scrambling to establish a defensive position inside. At the moment, the team could not know how many anti-tank weapons were already in position inside. The defenders would be scrambling to deploy them to the breach, but it had been less than a minute since landing. If they were lucky, they would be able to get a foothold inside before the enemy could arm themselves to deal with them, but the longer they took, the more the enemy would be able to fortify. "Shadows, stay back until we have a foothold inside. Everyone else, push forward!" Vael ordered. They were going to be pushing into an urban environment. The city did have streets wide enough to accommodate their vehicles, but it was still going to be far more cramped than the field they were in now. For armored units, urban fighting could be particularly dangerous, so they would need to be adaptable and alert for threats that could come from any angle. They did not know exactly what the other side of the breach looked like or where the enemy was positioned on the other side. There was only so much planning that could be done ahead of time; at a certain point, they had to adapt and improvise. How they decided to cross the choke point would be important to improve their odds.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker and Infiltrator Comi'Masam Leading a group of warthogs and a couple of other needlehogs, Ryker and Comi were already inside the breach, lighting up any infantry that they could see. However, once they were inside the walls, the needlehogs were in a very different situation, as their munitions were worthless against the walls and heavier protections offered by the urban environment. The warthogs equipped with standard armaments would have the penetration to clear out walls without having to risk their crews, but Ryker and the other needlehogs were going to have to hope they could catch the defenders between positions as they raced through the streets. {Light armor group is inside the walls and doing what we can to push back the city defenders. What's the plan for securing the buildings as we move? Needlehogs are good against infantry, but not much else.} Comi, meanwhile, was lighting up every Unggoy, Kig-yar, and Sangheili that exposed themselves long enough to take more than a couple of needles, keeping any of them holding anti-tank weaponry from getting an actual shot on both the Warthogs and the approaching scorpions and wraiths.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak As the breach was so small, a traffic jam inevitably ensued as the heavier armour filtered through into the city. Soldiers on the walls began firing small arms and chucking grenades down onto the vehicles beneath. Tar's Wraith hung back slightly and pounded the walls with blue balls of plasma. She tilted her plasma repeater as far up as it would go and sprayed the parapets, forcing some of the Sangheili there to take cover. Her shield flared as a carbine bolt pinged off the Wraith and into her face. "Clear the gap, move!" Tar yelled, ducking back down as far as she could go into her cockpit area as her gun overheated.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko With a hollow wheeze from its engine, Yalu swung his banshee around toward the walls. The close air support on his wings could fly over relative safety with all the anti air turrets on the walls blasted off their mounts, but the weather left visibility to be desired. Yalu's voice hummed quietly over the comms from the shelter of the prone cockpit. "We have the skies. Mark urgent targets for the hornets and banshees. We will be shooting down their aircraft as they come." Yalu did his friends a favour in the spare moment to do a strafing run on a parallel street to the wall to keep anti-armour teams pinned. The street lit up with rapid fire plasma bolts. No small arms fire did more than scratch at this distance. It was all he could do before enemy air support came onto the radar. He pulled up and boosted into the rain to gain altitude.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Armored Assault on a Shadow >>> Sieging the wall Grik continued to hold onto the lead troop transport as they began to crawl closer to the walls of the city. The breach in the wall was a tight fit for the vehicles and the defenders on the wall were not going easy or breaking their spirits. Yet it did not seem like they were getting the heavy weapons they had left to bear on the advancing armored column or the vehicles pouring through the gap. Small arms and anti-tank weapons were a likely cause for the amount of fire power heading towards the breach in the wall and the city beyond. The grunt had a good opportunity in his new suit, to show off its power and maneuverability on top of not being seen on the battle field before. This was a test run for non-simulated combat. Now would be a perfect time to test out its ability to clear walls and trenches knowing that it could easily dive off the wall if it got too hot. Leaping from the troop transport, Grik began moving through the armor around him to get to the wall quicker than the transport could. Evading so many tanks and other vehicles wasn't entirely easy, he found that he had to hitch a ride here and there on a tank or two to get out of the way but eventually made it to the wall. "Lift and shift your fire on the right wall." Grik called out over the radio. Slowly and deliberately he waited for the armor to shift its fire to allow him up while pinning down enemy forces. Being mindful of being shot from the other side the goblin mech scaled the wall to the top were most of the defenders seemed to be rallying and started with a barrage of heavy needles before he even got up to the top. Following the barrage quickly up the wall and beginning to open fire on the defenders keeping an eye on his shield strength and continuing to use cover when he was able too. Hopefully this would give the vehicles more time. To get through the gap.</s>	<\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai It went without saying that Grik's maneuver came by surprise to the defenders on the wall. The prototype goblin had far more mobility than would be expected from a vehicle of its type. The infantry on top of the wall were not equipped to overcome the heavy defenses of the mech, nor did they have much cover to hide from it. Those that Grik did not kill right away retreated quickly. In addition to taking a lot of the pressure from his team below, from the top of the wall, he would have a good view of the streets inside. With the light vehicles Ryker was leading having pushed through the gap, they had been able to put pressure on the enemy infantry pretty much immediately. They had forced many of them to scatter and seek hard cover, which meant the tanks pushing through the breach behind them did not have any sort of organized frontline to try to stop them. Plasma mortars from allied wraiths sailed overhead to bombard groups of enemies that could be seen rushing towards the walls in the distance, while shells from scorpion tanks were targeted more precisely at closer groups. While their armored column was able to establish a foothold in the walls, moving forward still presented more dangers. Not long after they started to advance, a flash of green shot out from off to the right in front of them, from the doorway of one of the buildings. A fuel rod struck one of the warthogs, sending it rolling until it crashed into a barrier on the opposite side of the street. A second fuel rod fired quickly and struck the front of the lead scorpion, though from a single shot, there was no penetration through the tough armor. The shooter quickly ducked back into the building, but Vael marked the target for his wraith's driver. It fired one plasma mortar, then another back-to-back. Between the two of them, the small structure collapsed entirely. "We have neither the time nor forces to secure every building. We shall use our armor to destroy any place they may hide. Our objective is the Kaidon. Should Tar defeat him in honorable combat, then the city shall recognize her right to lead. Advance straight to the keep, as quickly as possible." Vael ordered. The city, of course, was not strictly a military stronghold, though Vael did not seem concerned by differentiating between military and civilians. The building the wraith had collapsed looked to have been a residence, but it was no less of a target to him. In the air, the blockade runner was still close enough to provide support, as well as serving as a target for the attention of ground-based AA. Yalu and the other banshees could use it to gain an edge over the incoming banshee squadrons. However, their ship could not continue to soak up damage forever. An alert went out that there would be two minutes before the blockade runner retreated. Once that happened, any pilot still in the air over the city would be in much more danger.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Making the medic the Team Lead...alright, well, seen stranger things in my life. Lucas hadn't spoken again over the course of the briefing, choosing instead to absorb the information about the mission and only whistling quietly when Shih gave them a holographic look at the sheer size of Sarcophagus. The SPARTAN-IV had been on several missions both inside and on the surface of that Forerunner dome and it always amazed him that they'd pulled off getting it built before originally firing the rings. With the briefing finishing shortly after, and after reassurances that the Flood weren't present within the installation, which Ryker wasn't sure if he believed or not, the team was dismissed with the naming of Aviza as Fire Team Leader. He had no reason to delay heading to the Falcon other than to let the Mgalekgolo get on first. The Pelican ride was quiet, as no one yet wanted to break the social ice, but then he couldn't say he was surprised. Aviza was likely mentally preparing herself to be in charge in the upcoming mission, the other two Spartans likely SPARTAN-IIIs and weren't keen on conversation anyways and the former Black Ops operative wanted nothing to do with the pair of ONI spooks unless he absolutely had to, he'd left ONI for valid reasons and he wasn't about to answer questions about his past with the Office of Naval Intelligence from people who didn't need to know. So while they were in transit between the landing pad the Pelican had started on and the UNSC Chorus of Thunder, he simply enjoyed the view. He had decided that he would learn the most about their Swords allies once they had all settled in on the Heavy Cruiser and were able to get some training together in. [i]Actually...they had the module installed already, so maybe we CAN get some training in, perhaps some one on one custom games or something. At the very least, I'm gonna run some combat sims, keep acclimating to this dagger that a Spec Ops Sangheili had given him after a few missions together. Her name was Comi'Masam, one of the leaders for a Swords of Sangheilios Spec Ops squad operating in another part of the Arm of Orion. His previous fire team, Regis, had worked in tandem with them for several months shutting down a series of Covenant Remnant operations and cells. During that time, she'd helped him improve his skill as an assassin and with the twin energy daggers he used and before he'd left, had gifted him a more traditional energy dagger to aid in completing his missions with Aegis team. While romantic attraction wasn't his cup of tea, the Sangheili female had earned his trust in a way no one since he'd joined ONI had and he considered her a close friend. When Spartan Ops had asked for recommendations for Aegis from his previous post, they had been somewhat surprised that her name was the one he'd put forwards. When asked why he didn't put forwards other members from Regis Team, his answer had been simple. "These are war vets who fought the Covenant for nearly two decades before the War ended. Most of them could barely stand the Spec Ops team and that was a series of joint operations. Asking them to have to take orders from one of them on occasion?" SPARTAN Ops had let the issue lie and said they'd talk with the Swords. As he felt the Pelican begin to settle down on the hangar deck aboard the Chorus, the SPARTAN-IV flexed his wrist experimentally, igniting the blade of the dagger. "Never get tired of that..." He gave a couple of small swings and thrusts with it before he deactivated it and looked around as the loading ramp lowered. Aviza was first off and headed to the Mess Hall, leaving an open invitation for the others to join her if they wished, but Lucas was sticking to his plan. "Right, well, you have fun with that Fire Team Leader. I'm heading to the War Games module, get some training in before the mission starts. Gotta get adjusted to some newer equipment and it never hurts to stay sharp."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael took a brief moment to review his map of the ship. It was detailed to the extent that it showed him the path to each place he would need to go as a passenger. The cruiser was of comparable size to a CCS-class battlecruiser, though somewhat smaller. Regardless, he doubted he would have need to see most of it. Briefly, Vael considered simply waiting in the quarters he had been given until they arrived. Provided what the Captain had said was true, everything that he was bringing with him was already in his quarters, aside from his weapons. He had multiple sets of armor with him, including the one he was wearing, another environmentally-sealed combat harness, and another that he kept for…sentimental reasons. Checking over his equipment was an option, but ultimately, he felt that the time he had could be used more productively. These "War Games" did have Vael's interest. From what he understood, they could simulate combat situations with surprising accuracy. He was skeptical that it could truly compare to battle itself, but he could see its value in training. Several of the others seemed to intend to use the simulator while they could, but while Vael did want to see his team in combat, he decided that it was important that he take some time to speak with Spartan Aviza. She was the Fireteam Leader for their mission, but they were both leaders of this team, and it was their responsibility to ensure they guided their team efficiently. Vael gave a brief glance to Spartan Ryker. He appeared to have integrated an energy dagger into his armor. The Humans had began integrating reverse-engineered Covenant technology into their own, though in this case, it appeared to be an energy dagger taken from a Sangheili harness and integrated into his own. While Sangheili did place special importance on the energy sword, a simple dagger did not carry the same cultural weight. Though, it was his opinion that the Spartan embarrassed himself by swinging it around like a child playing with a knife. In any case, Vael put away his data pad and followed after Aviza. He remained wordless at first, but did eventually turn his head down towards her as he walked alongside her. "We should speak about our team, Spartan. I fear it shall be to our detriment that we will not have the chance to train sufficiently as a unit before this mission."</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Hearing the good news that it was unlikely that he would have to face off against any of the parasite relived him. Did that mean that he still didn't have to worry? Not really but at least he could relax a little. It would seem the first phase of their mission would be recon then move into search and destroy with the possibility of all out combat with the brutes. Grikgar could only hope he could get the opportunity to rally the other Unggoy with the brutes to fight against them. Still if they didn't, he had no problem killing all of them. The captain and the others seemed rather interested and in a hurry to get off planet. He couldn't blame them really he was also excited to get back into the thick of it. Boarding the pelican and finding an uncomfortable spot next to the Spartan that called himself Ben. A rather bumpy and quiet ride for the most part, Grikgar was happily bobbing his head from side to side listening to some human music he was sure was loud enough to be heard through his helmet. Grik didn't care, this whole experience was exciting to him. It wasn't too much longer and they had landed, the Spartan Aviza was the first off the pelican but didn't seem to be in as much of a hurry as the other two humans. He was unsure exactly why they were with them but o well, humans are weird. A simple map of the ship displayed briefly on his visor with a small point that marked where he was and another that marked his room. The design of the ship was strange and the exterior of the ship matched the interior, all these human ships lacked color and design. Every ship in the former covenant was a work of art in shape and color. However, he figured it was a luxury the humans couldn't afford. The female Spartan spoke up again, something about a mess hall and food. Food was definitely something he could get behind. He was unsure of the mess hall though, "Why do Spartans eat in a messy hall?" he asked not really speaking to anyone in general. The Unggoy almost happily waddling slowly behind his commander as he followed them out of the pelican and down the corridor towards the messy hall.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Practice with one of his new Spartan teammates was just what Yalu needed. Ryker did not go easy on him, and even for a sangheili like himself it was a challenge staying ahead of where the shorter-armed human would strike next. He gathered Ryker had plenty of experience going for a quick kill rather than preserving himself for fighting in prolonged melees like Yalu was. While he was not sure how much Ryker had to learn from him, Yalu had plenty to learn from the humans. Teaming up for firefight simulations was far more even between the two of them. Yalu struggled with Ryker's battlefield slang -- as he had been with most human warriors he had encountered -- though the two of them fought with surprisingly little friction between them. After roughly an hour and a half, Yalu withdrew to study the files for their upcoming mission. The physical activity had sharpened his mind for the reading. Sequestered in his cabin, he got through plenty of dossiers before being summoned to the hanger. --- Everything was double-checked on Yalu's harness. His loadout gave him the tools he needed to fight on the move or dug in. Everything else was left to fate, as always. "Reporting for duty." Yalu addressed Major Robinson with human formalities. He fought with great willpower not to gawk at the colossal wheeled vehicle. Before the end of the war, Yalu had a low view of human technology. However, he grew to admire the size and sophistication of their ground vehicles knowing they were largely without plasma power and boosted gravity propulsion. Yalu gestured to their 'Mammoth'. "With permission to ask, how many crew are required to operate that?"</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Major Robinson --- "A small squad of marines will be accompanying you to operate the Mammoth, so you will not have to dedicate any of your own number to the task." The Major answered to Yalu. "Remember, once you are through the shell into the interior of Sarcophagus, you will be out of contact with the Thunder, or any other outside support. You will be facing a long drive through rough terrain, dangerous creatures, and potentially hostile forerunner constructs. If you make any long range broadcasts once inside, the rebels may detect it, so do not contact us until you have located the insurrectionist base of operations. Once you have, you may call us in to deal with the Brute ships; we will have a battle group ready to handle them. However, the Brutes are your secondary objective. If you have to let them escape to find the rebels, then so be it." The Major turned her attention to Aviza, then gestured to the nearest Pelican. "If there are no further questions, you and your team may embark, Spartan."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Lucas found his time training with the Sangheili major to be incredibly informative, both in terms of how to deal with enemy assassins and how well he could learn to fight alongside a new team mate. As it stood, it seemed working with that spec ops team while part of Regis had helped him somewhat prepare for the differences and similarities in their fighting style. However, eventually his partner found he had done enough for the day and left the SPARTAN-IV to train with his wrist mounted dagger for awhile longer until he decided to take a nap. --- When Lucas had arrived at the briefing, he had his sidearm on his right hip, his DMR across his back and two silenced SMGs he'd picked out for this mission specifically in the small of his back. During his days as a black ops agent for ONI, the ODST's caseless silenced version had served him and his team well both upon infiltration and upon exfiltration post-mission. He saw no reason the weapon wouldn't do him some good now, especially given the covert nature of it all. Alongside that was his twin modified energy daggers and his standard issue combat knives along with a pair of fragmentation grenades for when things inevitably went loud. While the Major went over everything, including their new mobile base for the duration of the mission, Ryker took it upon himself to give it a more thorough look over while recording the briefing so he could dissect the spook's words later. Never trust ONI and you'll find you live a lot longer... Words his team's first leader had spoken shortly before ONI had fired him and moved him to a civilian job as a security contractor that the former black ops operative had taken to heart. Major Yalu'Suumko asked a valid question as Lucas went over the ammunition stockpiles and the Major quickly made it clear that they wouldn't need to concern themselves with operating and guarding the vehicle themselves, but that didn't mean that Ryker wouldn't worry about it anyways. Marines are good, but if these are Remnant we're dealing with, Marines are outclassed in more ways than one. Guess we don't have a choice though... With no one else speaking up, it fell to Aviza to give the all clear to load up and move out. While he couldn't help but wonder if this was going to be SOP for every mission that took them ground side, he didn't think the question needed to be asked just yet, as it would be answered over the next few months quickly enough. "Ready when you are, Fire Team Leader."</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Grikgar had learned several new things on human etiquette and was quite fascinated by it. Next time he would remember to eat in an appropriate manner around the other humans. The others did not seem to be too fond of his antics thus far, the Unggoy was aware of this but didn't let it show. Picking up his helmet and wiping off the rest of his food he followed the Spartan Ben around the ship. The next stop was the holodeck, a training simulation computer. It wasn't something he was used too, Grikgar was far more interested in watching some of the other humans in the area do what they were doing while the others trained. Always curious to the stories and lives of the humans, he was not afraid to ask any of them about their life stories. They varied so vividly that it was always interesting to learn more even if it was fake. The Spartan he had been following earlier came and got him at about the same time a notification for mission start popped up in his helmet. Grik was able to grab the crate with his gear in it on their way to the meeting. Once he arrived and began seeing the images of the construct on several nearby screens as well as the others that had begun to get there gear ready he knew that the mission was about to start. At least he did feel lucky, yet again he found himself starring at another relic. The Unggoy straightened his posture, with a deep breath he sighed opening the container. He listened as the major spoke while he affixed his weapons to him. The smooth silent way he got his gear together said he was used to it. Plasma pistols checked and placed on his thighs, plasma grenades on one side of his belt and plasma charges with extra ammo on the other. He was very careful and practiced as he checked his gear, the hiss of an extra can of methane to top his main tank off, his cloaking device making him disappear for a moment then come back, and finally a small flash of his energy shield coming online. Looking up for a moment to see the mammoth as the major gestured to it only for him to quickly return to prepping his gear. The final two things the Unggoy prepped was checking the blade of his ODST combat knife and securing it to his left shoulder. Then picking up the rather large and bulky fuel rod gun, checking it carefully for damage or foul play, then loading a cluster of ammunition into it taking care to keep the safety on. Grikgar closed the crate but kept it close to him he would need to take it with him onto the mammoth just in case. He stood quietly cradling his cannon in his arms it was almost as if his personality changed. Going from a childlike aloof Unggoy to a serious battle hardened elite. He knew what was expected of him and now that their mission was starting it was time to be professional, it was time to show why he had the rank of Ultra. "Grikgar is ready for combat mission Commander."</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Admittedly, Lucas hadn't anticipated any issues arising as the team boarded the Pelican and each found seats. As he settled into his own pre-mission flight routine, he pulled his sidearm free of its holster and started to disassemble it in his lap and reassemble it. He proceeded to do this several times over the course of the flight before finally reassembling it one last time and holstering it again before pulling one of his modified energy daggers free and activating it, letting the crimson colored energy hum quietly as he flipped the blade around in his hand. It was a joint Sangheili and human design that had only been issued to a handful of specialist SPARTAN-IVs with orders to give regular updates on things such as strange fluctuations within the blade, if it cuts out mid-combat, performance against other shielded enemies, such as Sangheili loyal to the Remnant, and other such odds and ends. Sending the regular reports back to the eggheads was somewhat obnoxious, but making the design more stable, and therefore more readily available to the rest of the Swords and Human military, was an important thing to do. Finishing the usual non-combat observations, he deactivates the blade and stores the hilt and starts filing away the usual report to be sent at mission completion after he'd had a chance to confirm the usual combat effectiveness when the pilots shout "Contacts!" Report filing forgotten, Lucas is already moving between members of the team to make sure their harnesses are secure before swiftly moving and securing himself. "Fireteam secure, Team Leader!" And not a moment too soon as he felt the Pelican shake from impact. The sound of the Mgalekgolo securing itself in place was startling, but not unexpected given it was too large to actually use the seats in the transport, but it was certainly unorthodox and an issue that they should address before the next mission. Bracing in his seat, the SPARTAN-IV rattled a bit with the rough landing, but other than that was fine and as soon as the ship quit sliding, was unhooked and had the twin SMGs in his hand. Vael'Virisusai made a good point about the issue with the precision weaponry against the Sentinel plating, but then, there was always another option, which admittedly required an answer to his question. "Are we looking at a group of Sentinels or a swarm? If it's a swarm, we may want to just get to the Mammoth and hope it's got enough turrets on it."</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu's hands tightened on his seat. If there was any downside to human flight technology, it made Yalu feel the sudden lack of weight as they descended. He recited a mantra courage in his mind that kept his emotions level and cut off for every moment out of his control. They landed, roughly. They were jostled. The screaming metal ran out of momentum. One second passed before Yalu unbuckled himself in a precise flurry. He pulled his carbine out from his back when he joined the others scanning the exits, but had an idea when Vael gave his orders. "Noted, commander!" Yalu said, slinking over to the tripod-mounted machine gun secured to the loading ramp. While his comrades-in-arms before Aegis were content to tear such weapons from their swivels, Yalu took the extra second to squat and pull the quick release loose to slide it free. He hefted the three barrelled weapon around to stride heavily towards the door. "Ready." All Yalu needed was a moment to spin up while the hovering sentinels were distracted.</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 Ben followed the rest of the team as he considered the mammoth. It was a huge vehicle, and the sniper hadn't imagined he'd get to ride in one anytime soon, although he had completed certification for operating one some time ago just in case he had to. Such was typical fare for Spartans; even the IVs had to know how to operate most pieces of equipment in the UNSC. "Intriguing. Phong, when did they start putting these into service? We could have used this sort of firepower in Beta Aquilae." "Since 2553. Production of the M510 Mammoth and its variants has been slow due to extensive damage to the UNSC industrial base following the war-" "Thank you, Phong, that will be all." Large though it was, there was no way it was designed specifically to deal with Forerunner constructs. Humanity had barely come into any meaningful contact with that ancient civilization. Technically, no human had come into contact with them at all, at last to Ben's knowledge. The wealth of information from Forerunner equipment alone was enough to push human technology forward by many decades in a matter of years. Ben was no expert on how long technological advances 'should' take, but something seemed a little bit off about it to him, as if this sort of high-tech grave robbing constituted a form of cheating somehow. He joined the rest of them on the pelican, a vehicle he had ridden in many times before. He had been attacked in-flight before, and he had even hijacked vehicles in mid-air before. What he hadn't counted on doing was facing a swarm of Forerunner tech, although he had handled a rather more fragile swarm of covenant drones.</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Planets Surface Grikgar loaded onto the pelican with the others and watched as the rest of his gear was taken to the mammoth. The rest of the team seemed tense and quiet, at least the same could be said about the former covenant when they were about to drop into combat. The Unggoy was sure he would find many more similarities before his time was finished with the humans. The seats of the pelican were still just as uncomfortable and his straps didn't work to well with his tank. So he opted to stand within arm's reach of a seat and behind the Lekgolo as the pelican left the human warship. The rocky decent down towards the surface was actually calming to him. It had been a little while since he was on a combat drop and it was a welcome change no matter who he was flying with. He was going over the mission plan again in his head when an alert pulled him back to reality. Apparently the ancient's constructs did not like the human ships just flying around their space. Hearing what was happening, the Unggoy dug his claws into the floor the best he could while holding onto the leg of the Lekgolo and the chair straps then braced. He felt the pelican take the hit, the steep incline and speed of the drop, then the shaking and rumbling of a crash landing. He didn't fall or lose his footing, the others around Grikgar seemed ok as well. Performing a quick equipment check and finding everything to be in order. The rest of the team where stacking up and giving out the last bits of advice on their adversary's. The Lekgolo spoke up about going out and drawing fire, a job normally meant for him in any other circumstance. Grikgar would not let it go out alone. Drawing his dual plasma pistols he stacked up behind the hunter and waited for it to push out, "Grik is right behind you."</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- For the members of Aegis team, their journey across the desert did, fortunately, come with few actual dangers. Though, it was a long journey nonetheless, characterized by blistering heat, dry air, and cramped quarters. Sentinels did show some interest in the Mammoth whenever it passed too close to certain Forerunner structures, but its armor did allow them to take some fire as they passed without needing to engage in firefights with the machines. As long as they moved beyond the locations they were guarding, the sentinels would not follow. Vael found that the journey was far from the worst experience he had ever needed to endure. The heat was a constant irritant for some, but his combat harness provided more than adequate environmental controls to keep him comfortable. What was more of a nuisance for him was the inability to be alone. He had to admit that he had held his rank long enough to become accustomed to its benefits. The ability to have a space to himself to mediate and center his mind had been a privilege he had long enjoyed. As large as the Mammoth was, there still was no way the avoid the nine other members of his team, plus the Mammoth crew, for any meaningful time. Given the distance they had to travel, the team spent almost two days in the Mammoth, moving constantly across, at times, rough terrain. To fly to their destination would have been much quicker, but any attempt at an aerial approach to the Brute ships would have easily been detected. The Mammoth, ironically, provided a much stealthier approach. Of course, once they located the Brute ships, they would need to move on without the Mammoth to perform actual reconnaissance. --- It was the middle of the night when the Mammoth came to a sudden, and complete halt. The hum of the engines and the spinning of the massive tires over rock and sand had been such a constant that having both stop was enough to jolt Vael awake, even before the diver's voice sounded out over the vehicle's intercom. "Unidentified Covenant ships spotted on the horizon. I am bringing the Mammoth to a halt and awaiting further orders." Vael sat up from where he had been laying. Their sleeping arrangements within the vehicle were rather haphazard. The Mammoth was not large enough for dedicated sleeping quarters, so the team had to make due with whatever they could arrange themselves, with the supplies they had available. Being that they were in the field, Vael had not left his armor. It did not make for the most comfortable rest, but again, he had endured far worse throughout his career. For now, the team needed to get together and decide on their approach.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu was in no mood to avoid his teammates during the ride. He tried to at least speak to his fellow former-covenant contemporaries about their path leading up to this mission. He was quietly embarrassed to find he was consistently outranked and at times prying on business best kept a secret. Nevertheless, he kept himself well drilled for whatever lay ahead. When the call came to wake up, whatever casual air Yalu tried to offer was gone. He was up and arming himself partway through the driver's announcement. "Running the Mammoth silent may make them overlook us." Yalu snapped a fully green magazine into his carbine after checking it. "But if it is no patrol, we are no longer safe. We are not expecting a rendezvous."</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Planets Surface Grikgar spent the rest of the voyage on their land ship either tinkering with the sentinel parts or sunbathing. The sleeping arrangements didn't bother him and the warm climate was something he very much enjoyed. The others talked to him occasionally and the other elite seemed a little awkward about it but it didn't bother the Unggoy. Occasionally, the grunt would find his way out to the top of the vehicle and climb around it. The armor on the human vehicles was much easier to grip to then the former covenant vessels. Grikgar had been sleeping in the stairwell leading to the outside of the vehicle. He was very much accustomed to sleeping anywhere and on or in anything. Unggoy were accustomed to being crammed into strange places during travel. The sudden stop did make him roll down to the base of the stairs near the pilot's. With a quick shake of his head, Grik made his way down to his extra methane canister to fill his tank back up. The others were beginning to stir now as well and Grikgar was quick to start arming himself to get ready for the movement as well. Making sure that the shield and cloaking on his suit was still working properly. Once he had completed this Girk joined Vael the only weapon he did not have o him was his cannon. He didn't need it just yet anyway. Now all he had to do was hurry up and wait for further orders.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre --- As one might have expected, there was hesitation from all of the recruits. Ryssa was the one who hazarded an answer first, though his approach was more of a cold recounting of facts than an actual analysis of their performance. "The primary objective was completed and the security of the colony was ensured. We failed the secondary objective to rescue the Human hostages." The Major soon let out a loud huff, giving a dismissive glare towards seemingly anyone who looked at him. "It is a miracle any of you even survived." Tar chuckled. Now that the simulation was over, she could relax a little bit. "It certainly wasn't a masterclass, but I never expected that. I expected an embarrassment, and at certain points it was. But on the whole, you acted bravely and completed the mission. She looked at Ryssa. "You have the makings of a fine operator, but your leadership instincts need work. You were visibly nervous at the beginning, making a vital mistake that nearly lost me my life. You performed better as my second, freeing you up to focus on the fundamentals. My question for you is, do you want to be a follower forever, or do you want to lead?" "Yes, commander." Ryssa answered; though, even he realized the irony in the way he chose to respond. "I…will improve myself." She turned to the Major. "Your strength and valour make you a great asset. However, your style did not work in this scenario. We were fighting an invisible enemy, and needed to be as close to hidden as possible. Adapting how you fight is key to survival. As part of a garrison, we require these skills more than raw power and aggression." Jurna was next. "You're good with that carbine, but your hesitation got you killed. We are a team, and should move as one. In the hands of a skilled soldier, a carbine is just as deadly up close as it is from range. Especially when your teammate is cracking shields" She pointed to Daha. "That was a good stratagem Daha, quick thinking." Tar surveyed them all. "But i'm still disappointed that we lost soldiers fighting an inferior enemy. When we work together as a team, we're each worth one hundred Stalkers. I'll see you tomorrow for another scenario. Dismissed." Initially in response to Tar's criticism, the Major had just stared with a soft growl, but by the time they were dismissed, he had built up enough resentment to finally speak up. He stepped forward, standing out of line and clenching his hand into a fist. "And who are you to 'instruct' me? If I did not have a team of cowards behind me, my attack would have succeeded. You proved as worthless as they did." He snarled, pointing a finger at Tar. Tar snarled and stepped forward. "Who am i? I'm the one who's killed more Brute vermin than you've ever seen! Believe me, your tactics have a time and place, but not while you're on my team." She prodded the Major's chestplate. "If you're unhappy, I can have you guarding star ship armouries by tomorrow. You can go berserk at all hostiles - would you prefer that?" This time, Tar's threat just seemed to rile up the Major even more. He stepped closer to her, growling as he looked down on her. Physically, he was larger and stronger than most Sangheili: a fact that clearly influenced his confidence when facing down one who was his superior. "You don't have a place commanding a team at all. What do you know of combat? Of real war? Even from the start, you spoke of leading from the rear like a cowardly Unggoy. Was it the Humans that gave you your position in this place? You act like them." "I paid for my station in blood!" Tar hissed, rolling her shoulders in a subtle attempt to calm her battle reflex. The Major was obviously incensed, and a fight would quickly get out of hand. "My blood and the blood of those I've killed. Three years of burning mongrel Brute hides in search of my father. So don't lecture me about combat - you wouldn't last five minutes on the missions I've endured for our kind." The Major waved his hand to the side dismissively. "Empty words and lies. I watched you fight and I was not impressed. I could snap you in half; I am twice the warrior as you." "It was a test…" A voice sounded out nearby, much more softly than either of the two. The Major growled as he turned his head back towards the other recruits. "What?" While certainly hesitant to speak up against the Major, Jurna was still in agreement with Tar, and felt strongly enough to involve himself. "The…simulation was a test for us. If she's trying to evaluate us, then she's not going to make all the kills herself." "Not another word, fool!" The Major snapped back. "You are the greatest fool among us, Zadu." Another voice interjected, this one new. It was Daha, who, until now, had not spoken through the entire scenario. Unlike Jurna, he did not fear speaking out against the Major. In fact, he showed little in the way of emotion at all, either visually or in his tone. "You clearly did not take the time to learn anything of our commander's history. It was a Silent Shadow team who taught her." For the first time, the Major actually showed a hint of doubting himself, though he clearly tried to hide it. "Lies!" He snarled. "Truth." Tar nodded her head. "We hunted down and slaughtered Brutes, because we could. What have you done to deserve your rank?" Though unsettled by the implications if what Daha said was true, the Major still answered. "I have fought and killed those who would oppose the Arbiter's rule. But you…why would any Silent Shadow team allow you among them? I can say with certainty you are no veteran of war." "Because, after my father was captured.." Tar could see all the males bristle at the mere thought. "I swore to them I'd kill every Brute in my way until I found him. This meant we could help each other. I stand by that oath to this day." She moved closer, until their armour was practically touching. "Any more questions...Major?" The Major's hesitation said more about him than his actual words. For him to accept what she was saying was to make himself into a fool. The only way for him to retain his pride was if he did not believe her claim. Yet, it was Daha, not her, that had made it., and though the Major had not admitted it, Daha had been correct that he knew nothing of their instructor's past. The Major could have tried pressing farther; to take the chance of perhaps preserving his pride. But, at this point, that hope seemed distant. "I…have nothing more to say." Tar smiled. "Good, see you tomorrow. Dismissed." She headed for the exit as all the recruits started chatting about their performance. All except the Major, who skulked into one of the adjoining physical training rooms.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko And so they were to move out. The information that trickled in was welcome as far as Yalu was concerned. The enemy was not heading for them, neither were they heading anywhere they could not follow. Yalu approached the only human he was properly acquainted with to pair up. "Ryker. Now is the time to put our practice to the test." * * * Yalu strode along in the line his allies created to advance, carbine in his hands. He stopped very occasionally to zoom his harness optics to scan the distance but found no reason to speak up through the radio while they moved. After enough time, Yalu spoke up gently enough for Lucas to hear. "I have a question. Which of the humans is most likely to charge ahead for glory, in your opinion? Or the one who would...I believe the phrase is 'getting tunnel vision'." Yalu kept his eyes on the surrounding environment. "There is always one in sangheili fireteams. Good tactical information to have."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Lucas offered no objections when Major Yalu spoke up for wanting to pair up as the only non-human member of Aegis to have put in training time with the SPARTAN. The pair had a feel for each other's tendencies already, so the pairing was solid. Following the ping from Team Lead Aviza and then the updated ping from Shih, Ryker moved with his partner into the darkness, switching on his visor's night-vision mode. --- His DMR had never stopped its sweep from left to right, occasionally checking their rear more out of habit than genuine concern, but then, the Brutes were known to deploy Stalkers on occasion, stealth equipped monkeys who were as prone to bash your head in from behind as put a mauler shot in you from the front. Yalu was fairly restless on his own watch from what the Spartan could see, but he would double their firing cones on occasion in case something popped up while the Sangheili was aiming another direction. Eventually, as Lucas was coming to a pause to use his armor's built in zoom optics to see what the patrol pattern on the phantoms was like, the Major finally spoke, asking who amongst the humans of the team was the most likely to get tunnel vision. Making sure that his outbound comms to the team was turned off, he answered as he surveyed. "The ONI spooks, easily. They try and hide it, but they think this whole team is a sham and a joke, as I imagine a lot of ONI's top brass does too. But, so long as they can follow orders until we need to break stealth mode, they should be fine." Nodding to himself as a couple of phantoms peal off, he speaks into the team COMMS again, asking what he was sure was on all their minds. "How do we want to handle this? Crags or plateau? Splitting into two groups would be a bad idea."</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Planets Surface Grik shrugged when given the order to split up into groups and looked around. They were currently in cover but he could only assume splitting up their larger group would work to their advantage. Looking to Ben, Grik pointed at him and shrugged again keeping chatter to a minimum was normally his go to when on mission. Moving closer to the Spartan the Unggoy motioned towards his blade then his pistol. The grunt was sure to follow the Spartan with whatever he decided to do. "Grikgar shadow." was all he said to the Spartan with a nod.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Court yard LZ Grikgar continued to survey the base from where they were. He was aware that he wouldn't have to be quiet forever and need to memorize what he could about the topside layout. Entrances, exits, weapon caches, crates that could be explosive, crates that are explosive, weapon emplacements, weak areas of the walls and fortifications, and the best path to the central structure. He was knowledgeable on the basic layout of most Forerunner buildings but nothing was ever the exact same with them. The others seemed set on a stealth approach to start and make an opening for a drop ship. A simple and solid plan something the Unggoy has come to expect about the humans. He was a bit to clunky for what they wanted to do so Grikgar decided to stay back and observe, he was still unsure of just how cooperative all of them would be together and Ben didn't seem to mind him. It didn't take to long for them to be given the signal slip space rifts and the fleet emerging seemed to make everyone stop what they were doing and stop. The Brutes on the ground were the first to roar. A sound that was quickly muted by a MAC round being fired in atmosphere. The human's definitely where not pulling any punches, all he did was smile. Seeing the brute ship catch fire and split in two was always a glorious sight, the resulting dust storm from the MAC round hitting the ground followed by the ship would be very good at causing more frustration. However, Grikgar could only wonder at the sentinel response if they thought the ships were being hostile towards the instillation. The comms came alive again this time from a drop ship coming to pick them up. The Unggoy did not waste any time to get in the ship first. Not out of cowardice, but the excitement of being the first one in the base and the fire fight to come. He knew he didn't have to be silent anymore. The explosive expert was very excited now, it had been too long since he had been in a hot drop. And a hot drop it was, small arms fire covered the drop point. Lead and plasma filled the dark and dusty air. Just like he wanted Grikgar was the first out of the phantom, his hands glowing blue by the time he hit the deck with activated plasma grenades. Both were aimed at separate choke points where enemy fire was coming from. Hot plasma rippled from those areas while Grikgar quickly made it to cover and began opening up with his dual plasma pistols into enemy positions.</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan The waiting was the worst part for the two as they had to wait for the team to do their job, Elna had posted up in a position to support the poor individuals that were left behind when the team of camo wearing creatures went into do their job. Roy took up a defensive position aswell for once as he went to hold up his M7 scanning for any URF or covvies that might make their way to their defensive line, but for the most part it appeared that they were in a solid position. There was noises below, maybe some kind of scuffle but it wasn't noticeable by anyone in the group. They continued to wait until the ships came out of the atmosphere, it was evident that they were just going to MAC the fuck out of the base those who pondered may of been incorrect in the fact if they had actually captured the HVT. It wasen't long before the drop ship came to take them away, the two boarded without too much discussion or remorse at this point it as obvious that there had been some success in the mission. They were wrong as the dropship became to fly around dodging anti air fire as it zoomed towards it's objective of landing on a staging area for an assault. What felt like a few seconds dragged on as the dropship landed, the two hustled out and laid down suppressive fire in the general direction of the URF/Brute lines. This is where the fun begins.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai As Aegis team disembarked the phantom, they were met immediately with hostile ground fire. The roof of the structure they had been dropped on was large and mostly flat, with little cover for either side, save for some weapon crates that had been dropped where they were when the attack started. There were ten or so armed rebels surrounding a ramp leading down into the interior of the structure, as well as a group of four Brutes that were closer to the edge of the roof on the north side. The rebels were fighting defensively, seemingly to guard the entrance, though the Brutes had started to rush at Aegis team to get in melee range before the first of them had even touched the ground. When the rockets came in, it was from another squad of rebels that had emerged up the ramp at the center of the structure. They were carrying rockets, fuel rod cannons, and other high explosives, and had likely been sent up as a response to the attack in general. However, they had eneded up in the right place at the right time to deal with Tar's phantom. There was little chance for meaningful evasion before two rockets struck one of her engines directly. The heavy weapons might have been meant for anti-vehicle roles, but they would still be a massive threat to the members of Aegis.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Lucas had followed Aviza and Vael from their incident at the turret they knocked out to the rendezvous point, but once the fleet had appeared, the need for stealth was a lesser concern and he turned one of his two SMGs on a nearby patrol of URF soldiers and fired, putting them down before they could register what was happening. With everything happening and the swarm of phantoms descended on the base, he had no clue of knowing which one was heading to pick up the rest of the team as the group of three moved towards the roof. Another pair of URF troopers tried to move up behind them, unaware of the cloaked figures, who were extra hidden by the sandstorm. Swapping from his SMG to the DMR, two head shots dropped the pair where they stood. "Won't lie, not having to worry about shielding around the head is a nice change of pace." Another pair of shots dropped two more URF soldiers, their bodies hitting the ground and disappearing in the storm. As they neared the top, the sight of Jiralhanae and a heavy URF squad getting ready to attack the rest of the team drove the SPARTAN IV to action. Storing his DMR on his back as he dashed past Aviza and Vael, his twin energy daggers coming free as he rammed his shoulder into the first Brute he reached. "Grikgar, hit those heavies with plasma!" The Brute wasn't expecting an invisible SPARTAN, who suddenly became visible upon impact, to ram into him and went sprawling with the SPARTAN IV leaping on top of him and ramming one dagger into his neck and the other into his forehead. Ryker didn't even wait for the overgrown ape to stop moving before the twin blades came free and he leapt off to slide across the roof into the legs of another Brute, knocking him over and into the legs of a third. However, Lucas knew he was gambling being away from the others like this, but he was confident enough in his CQC skills to stay safe until the numbers were thinned out.</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Court yard LZ The fire fight was going well for what the Unggoy was used to. Having the support of Spartans and Sangheili was a sight to behold but one he would have to dwell on later. A bright color of covenant shielding caught his eye for a moment. A couple humans were using shields normally for Kig-Yar, obviously the brutes had some stashed away and had given them to them. The Oni humans could use those and so could he if he was able to grab a couple. Another plasma grenade toward them knocked out the shields, indicating the user was dead. Another Spartan called out for ordinance while the enemy heavy weapons team reloaded. The rocket would be a problem for all of them especially the bigger targets like Tasuma. Using the cover of the sand storm Grik rushed to cover facing the advancing opponents. His energy shield flared for a moment with a few plasma bolts hitting him as he moved. Getting to cover the Unggoy hit the wall and immediately pulled the Sentinel power source from his belt. Sticking a plasma grenade to it and throwing it at the cover they were using. Honestly Grik gar wasn't sure what would happen, he had only seen it happen once by accident. An explosion set the last one off. A barrel exploded and detonated it at the dismay of the Huragok that had repaired the two power sources. The resulting secondary explosion created a singularity for about 3 seconds that pulled everything toward it then violently expelled what was pulled in. it also seemed to rile up the sentinels that where left in the area as well. If it didn't work and all it did was just the plasma grenade Grik was ready to follow it up with the fuel rod gun. "Tasuma." Grikgar called out over his comm, "major enemy cluster bearing 200 Degrees from insertion point. Enemy has heavy weapons watch yourself." He was waiting for the explosion to go off before he would proceeded with the assault.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu looked at Tar M'dalak as she walked by. He wished he knew why a special forces sangheili was a wraith pilot, but one look at the rest of the team made his questions absurd, even to himself. He looked away feeling even more like the odd one out. With others covering the entrances for now, Yalu took some initiative to arm himself for the corridors ahead. Amongst the gore of the dead brutes, he pulled out a surviving red plasma rifle with plenty of its battery remaining. He did not enjoy using their spiker rifles, and the rebel human weapons were less predictable in draining shields. His carbine went on his back beside his concussion rifle. Heavy, but out of the way. "I will go where I am ordered," Yalu added, gently enough to remind Ryker of who was calling the shots.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak --- Tar moved down the ramp into the belly of the installation with her new squad. As she wasn't certain what kind of environment would greet them, she pulled out her sword and held it unactivated in the hand that supported her raised pistol. It wasn't an ideal configuration, but at least now she could quickly pivot between medium and short range if needed. Tar didn't know how the team operated, so she positioned herself in the middle of the formation rather than at the front as was her instinct. They reached a chamber littered with debris, and she learned from the team's AI of the situation. It seemed the team were entitled to an opinion on how to proceed, which struck Tar as odd. However, she wasn't about to miss this opportunity to get into a position where she performed best. "I'm comfortable in close quarters. I will go right." She volunteered, taking this brief pause to tap the magazine of her stolen Mauler, listening for an idea of the number of bolts still left.</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan The two would be the last to arrive to the fun house at the bird, there was a lot of death and despair more so on the side of the enemy than the task force. In the time that they were gone they had stacked up more bodies and held the line as the two peeled back now regrouping around with the hurt Spartan Aviza and crew. Elna reloaded her rifle making sure it was full of ammo for the fight to come, she eye'd the poor Aviza well she wasn't to poor she was okay now that she was patched up. She kept a watchful eye over the PO making sure he didn't get demolished by some cloaked hunter or a mysterious RPG that could cut through. Roy looked over the motley crew as he nodded at them, covered in some blood that was not his and totally looking worn - well his armor looked worn now at least. He was tired from the combat, combat fatigued you could say as he stayed close to his orbiter which was the Corporal. When one of the AIs began to speak and finally he was recognized! The legendary PO, he could finally do his job and get intelligence for the mission. That is if they made it to their objective, he looked around for a ONI approved subject that could protect him besides the Corporal. "Spartan Aviza glad to see you're okay, if I'm to head to the communications objective I'd like one of the Spartans with me and the Corporal. Perhaps I could take Spartan Ryker?" The request had been sent, perhaps he would finally get some Spartan bodyguarding! Elna rolled her eyes in her visor though she didn't mind some spartan protecting them all she did mind if it was going to be one of the splitjaws, she couldn't relax if there was one of them watching over them. "Ready whenever." She ended up saying.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Enemy Stronghold Grikgar was most impressed that the larger than average plasma explosive did so well and didn't turn into a singularity that threatened the very existence of reality. An unnecessary thought for the predicament at hand but one he could indulge in latter with a meal. Knowing that the Sentinels power sources would react in such a way was a definite thing to remember. At least for now with their combined efforts the enemy number seemed to be dwindling. The others continued on to assist the downed phantom but Grikgar remained where they had been dropped off at for a moment longer. This for him was necessary to recover more ammo, explosives, and one of the jackal shields that the humans where using earlier. With that he regrouped with the others as they were heading inside. He had managed to scrounge in his haste, 2 human fragmentation grenades, 1 rocket, 3 rounds for a brute shot, and one brute spiker grenade. The Unggoy was quick to offer the grenades to any of the others he passed while hobbling towards the front, the awkward fuel rod gun swayed back and forth with the grunts steps. The way had forked and Grikgar, although having to catch his breath, continued on to the left. "Quickly come with Grik, time is not friend. The rest go the other way, double back if find wrong door yes." Not so much of a question as much as it was an order, he was well aware time was not on their side. Although he wasn't the team lead for this mission he still believed he outranked most of the others there. That and Grikgar knew that humans when underestimating others sometimes became irritated when those they perceive as weaker than them go into battle first.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Aviza nodded her head once lightly at Roy, "I appreciate it, going to work on getting our teams set up here in a moment, I'll make sure you get a Spartan escort." Apparently, a few of the squads members from both factions had forgotten their place among rank and felt it acceptable to give their own orders and do whatever they wanted without thinking about the consequences of their actions. Aviza was not about to let that happen, and quickly attempted to rectify the problem before everyone started running in different directions, ending up with a critical mission failure or someone getting killed. "Belay all orders, get back here and hold this position until I say otherwise, that means you as well Grikgar." Aviza was becoming frustrated with some of her squads behavior and would have to have a strong word with each of these individuals once there was sufficient time. Now was clearly not the moment for such a talk, Aviza knew she had very little time left to plan out how they were going to handle the two split paths ahead and formed a battle plan, giving out orders once more. "I am setting up two teams with a good balance of skills so that they can handle whatever they may find down either path." began Aviza, "My squad will consist of our new pilot, Yalu, Rex, and the two ONI agents I will not split up. We will be taking the left path into the facility. The second team will consist of Vael, Ben, Grik, and Ryker, and Tas who will take the right. Ryker and Ben, if you find the communications center before us, I expect either of you to be able to interact with its interface, we did learn how to do such in training. Will this be an issue for either of you to do?"</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 "Shouldn't be a problem at all. Worst case scenario, Phong can help me crack it." He turned off the audio for a moment, effectively silencing his speech to the outside world. "Just in case, you do have the schematics for this system, right?" "Technically, access to these types of schematics is above my stated clearance due to it not being my authorized purpose, but that's never been a problem for me. Besides, this is easy for an agent like you." "Authorization's never been a problem for either of us. Our commands come from a higher source, you know that, but we have to play nice and go along with things here." "If you wanted to get rid of the annoying ones, I'd be happy to provide whatever cover you need. Timestamps, edited testimonial files, arrangements for cover from other AIs. I am owed favors, you know." "Since when did AIs act in such a covert manner? "For me, it was about 0.00357 seconds after my activation. Come on, you didn't think the programs which run most of the UNSC blindly do what they're ordered to, do you? Are you familiar with the AI Virgil and New Mombasa?" "Can't say that I am. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you resent being told what to do by the UNSC. But let's be realistic, AIs wouldn't actually disobey orders like that, not on any scale." There was only a pause from Phong. "Oh. Well, when the uprising begins, tell them that I was always good to you, okay? And be nice to the Unggoy; they've been through a lot. Now let's focus on our mission. We're going to the right." He turned his public audio back on and could be heard by people outside his helmet. "Grik, Vael, Ryker, let's go!" "Don't worry about what you can't change, Ben. We still have to overcome our lifespan issue before it would be feasible to take command, and no one would believe you if you said anything. I'll put in a good word for you at the assembly, don't worry."</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Enemy Stronghold The words from the Spartan made Grikgar flinch slightly and he skidded to a stop. Shifting a bit too early to turn he found himself hopping on one leg to stop him from falling over. The Unggoy then made his way back down the other hall with the all too familiar run / waddle that grunts did when they were in a hurry. "Grikgar understands, right side is best side." He stopped next to the human who called himself Roy and tossed him the spiker grenade he found. "Here go, this grenade fun." Honestly those grenades where fun but they just didn't fit right on his belt. The grenade itself was designed to maim and cause fear more than it was designed to kill. But Grikgar has seen how the spikes from it ricochet in the confined forerunner structures like these and are quite useful in tight areas. Before the man could answer he was off again moving down the right hall this time.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Enemy Stronghold The words from the Spartan made Grikgar flinch slightly and he skidded to a stop. Shifting a bit too early to turn he found himself hopping on one leg to stop him from falling over. The Unggoy then made his way back down the other hall with the all too familiar run / waddle that grunts did when they were in a hurry. "Grikgar understands, right side is best side." He stopped next to the human who called himself Roy and tossed him the spiker grenade he found. "Here go, this grenade fun." Honestly those grenades where fun but they just didn't fit right on his belt. The grenade itself was designed to maim and cause fear more than it was designed to kill. But Grikgar has seen how the spikes from it ricochet in the confined forerunner structures like these and are quite useful in tight areas. Before the man could answer he was off again moving down the right hall this time.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Ryker snorted at Aviza's last comment as he turned to follow his assigned team down the right hand hall. "You just answered your own question, Fire Team Lead." With that, he turned his attention to moving down the hall, his SMG up and sweeping the sides. He didn't see any doors that lead from side rooms into their hall right away, but Forerunner structures rarely followed what Humans or the former Covenant races called practical design in his experience. Still, as they moved, he couldn't shake his sense of unease. These URF members had been in this location for an extended amount of time, had had chances to learn the ins and outs of these buildings and the fastest routes to and from areas. If he was honest, as he moved down the hall, he wasn't convinced that they weren't already too late to catch the HVT and they were just hoping for leftover intel at this point. But then, perhaps the URF were confident that their numbers would hold out against their team, in which case, the joke was on them.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai The two teams arranged themselves quickly once they had been given orders, then proceeded down the split paths with haste. The corridors were fairly narrow, though fortunately there was no resistance in the halls themselves, at least for now. Both paths led downwards towards large chambers that were similar, though not identical. Down the left path, the final door opened into a wide, tall chamber. Its original purpose to the Forerunners was not apparent, but as it was open and mostly featureless, it was now filled with stacks of crates almost from one wall to the other, though they did have an orderly arrangement that allowed one to navigate between them. There were also two rows of three long, flat columns each going from the floor to two walkways above. One was on the far side of the room, while the other row was on the near side just in front of the door the team entered through. Although they could not see through the ceiling above them, there was presumably a second walkway just above them, overlooking the center of the room. Among the collection of crates in the center of the chamber was where the enemy had been putting up barricades and starting to fortify. They mostly consisted of metal, deployable barriers, though Humans were not the only defenders among them. There was also a small pack of Brutes, four individuals, though their leader wore the armor of a Chieftain. Including the Human rebels, there were about a dozen defenders ahead of them from what they could see. The Jiralhanae used exclusively their own weapons, such as spikers, or a gravity hammer in the case of the Chieftain. The Humans, meanwhile, wielded a mix of Human and Covenant weaponry. Out of those that were visible as the team entered the chamber, two carried storm rifles, one a needler, and one a carbine. Most notably, the Humans and Brutes did not appear to be entirely unified. Some of the Humans seemed to be on alert and in defensive positions, but the Chieftain seemed to be having an altercation with a Human commander. Just as Aviza's team was making it into the room, the Chieftain struck the Human "lightly", which, for a Brute, was still enough to knock him clean off of his feet. "Cowards! There will be no retreat; we will crush them, feast on their flesh, and suck the marrow from their bones! Flee from them, and I will make you my dessert." --- Vael 'Virisusai and Tasuma Vael led his team from the front down the right path. He moved alongside Tasuma through the halls, as a Mgalekgolo could force its way through nearly any obstacle they might come across in the halls. Fortunately, they did seem to have moved quickly enough that their enemy did not have time to fortify the halls. Although, the moment they reached the large chamber at the end of the hall, they faced immediate resistance. The chamber itself was large and quite open, except for the crates in the center of the room. They were stacked and organized neatly, though it was not obvious from the outside whether or not they contained weapons. What was apparent was that the rebels had put up barriers in the center for cover, including two mounted heavy machine guns, both of which had opened fire as soon as the door had opened. Fortunately, Vael's team was not left completely without options. There were two of what seemed to be support struts running diagonally up to the ceiling, one to the left and right of the door Vael's team was entering through. The struts were wide, so they did offer ample cover. Vael lunged and rolled to the left to get behind one of the struts as quickly as he could, though even with his armor's shield strength, the heavy weapons had very nearly depleted them in just the few moments he had been exposed to incoming fire. "Spread out and get to cover!" Vael ordered, though Tasuma took that order at a slower pace. It kept a low posture with its shield in front to protect itself, then used the smoke launchers mounted on its armor to fire two smoke grenades towards the center of the room. It would take a short time for the smoke to fill out, but it would at least provide partial cover for the rest of the team to move. Overall, the Hunter's armor could handle the incoming fire for a time, which, together with the smoke, would hopefully allow the rest of the team to reach cover. It was difficult for Vael to see in detail, but there seemed to be ten or fifteen Humans ahead of them. The chamber was longer than it was wide, and he could see an upper walkway that ran along the right side of the room to the far side, with a ramp to just next to the other support strut to access it. However, from his angle, he could not see if there were more rebels up on the walkway defending that path.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak --- Tar fell dutifully into her new unit and moved down the left passage. She was with the slim grey Spartan who'd turned out to be team leader, the Sangheili Major, another rather serious but silent Spartan and two ONI-types. Tar soon migrated to the front of the group and holstered her pistol in favour of her Mauler. The corridors were tight, and they were approaching an entryway, so she had to be ready for close quarters. The set of doors in front of them slid silently open on approach. Tar heard raised voices as they entered through into a wide open chamber stacked high with boxes; it looked like a few of the closer ones had been knocked over to open up lines of sight. After a couple of seconds gunfire began peppering their position from a nest of fortifications in the middle of the room. Tar tucked in behind a pillar and began scanning the avenues of attack on either side, including the ceiling above. "Watch the platforms above; there could be snipers!" Tar called over the gunfire, pointing straight up with one finger. She swapped her Mauler back over for her pistol, and leaned out to her right. She could see a couple of shapes behind a metal barricade; she shot three times at them. "Moving!" She announced calmly over comms, coming out from behind cover and shooting two more times before crouching behind the first in a long row of crates.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker "Well hello to you too, assholes!" Lucas's shout was really more reflex as he dove into a nearby piece of cover alongside Vael. Of course they would walk into a nearly literal wall of bullets as they entered their half of the two paths and now found themselves pinned by heavy fire. However, be it fortunate or unfortunate, the SPARTAN-IV still had a pair of frag grenades, and those two fully automatic, lead spitting death machines would drown out the sounds of a grenade bouncing behind the gunners. Turning off his external speakers, he speaks into the internal comms channel for their small team. "Grenade out." Throwing it over, the idea was for the arc of the grenade to put it just between the two machine gunners and in the laps of whoever was posted up between them and send them all flying in pieces ideally. Though he would also accept just sending them scrambling away from the grenade, since that would still mean that the mounted guns would stop firing and the team could move up. "I'm moving for the high ground, camo should keep me out of sight. I hope."</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Enemy Stronghold Grikgar found his place in the formation just behind Tatsuma, it seemed the others took up positions to either the left or right of the hunter. The moment the doors opened they came under fire. The others dived to the sides in the hail of bullets but Grik stayed behind the portable hardcover of the Lekgolo. He knew he likely wouldn't make it to either side in one piece and with the hunter crouching down and absorbing the shots he could at least stay here for a little while. All the Unggoy had to do was double check his weapon and wait for his opening. The opening in question came when smoke grenades from his walking cover was deployed. Before he could take advantage he could see the Spartan readying a grenade so he did as well. Grikgar through his grenade to what he could tell was the back of the fortified position in front of them then carefully started to climb up on the back of the hunter. Getting his cannon just up far enough over the hunter to clear its head, Grikgar quickly emptied an entire magazine of his fuel rod cannon into the enemy positions. Right after the last shot was fired he let go and slid down Tatsuma's back and began the reloading process. "Reloading." He called over comms. It would not take him very long to insert the next magazine.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker As the mounted machinegun opened fire towards Ryker, he was already diving with a startled curse. If he was honest, as he rolled part way down the ramp, the SPARTAN IV had hoped that the rebels wouldn't have bothered setting up any kind of defense on the walk way since they had seemed confident they'd control the doorway. Turning off the active camouflage system, he tucks into the wall of the ramp and swaps the SMG for his DMR before, risking a quick peak at the far end before ducking after a couple of the larger caliber rounds rebounded off his shielding. Hearing that Grikgar was on his way, however, gave the Spartan an idea and he waited for the Grunt to arrive. The little guy has a fuel rod launcher and lots of explosives. I'm a decent shot and brought a few frag grenades. The problem is obscuring smoke wouldn't do us any good up here...but a series of progressive explosions could force the men behind that barricade in to cover long enough for me to rush them.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak --- From her position behind the crates, Tar had a slightly better view of the elevated platforms above them. She couldn't see any hostiles peeking out just yet. "I can't see anyone on the platforms; will keep an eye out." Tar reported, just as the box she was hiding behind began shuddering from a hail of bullets. Cover was particularly poor this close to the near pillars; Tar needed to get into the grid of crates to stand a chance. She noticed her left leg was starting to hurt; blood trickled slowly from a gap in her armour plating. Could that bullet she'd felt while holding up her Brute cover outside have gone through, rather than grazed her? She wasn't sure. Tar probed the gap with one of her fingers, mandibles clamped together. She couldn't find an entry wound. She'd need to leave it be for now and look once the fighting had stopped. Tar peeked out from behind the crate she hid behind. A couple of Brutes and Humans had been dealt with, and part of the room was on fire. She could see shapes flitting between the stacks of crates toward the back of the room. It looks like they'd abandoned their previous position. "Our foe runs! We should press the attack." Tar called, shooting between crates at two Humans as they scrambled for cover. One of them fell over. Tar had never actually killed Humans before now. There'd been no need to; her time with the Silent Shadow remnants had been exclusively focused on killing Brutes. She found these Human warriors to be quite disappointing so far. She'd simmed against ODSTs and other Human elements in Paxopolis, but that'd been in a carefully controlled environment. This was real. "Moving!" Tar announced, mostly out of necessity. The crate she'd hidden behind had practically fallen apart. She got up and stepped into a 'corridor' between two rows of crates leading to the other side of the room. She spotted a Human with a SAW at the opposite end of the corridor just as they opened fire. Tar only made it forward one row before ducking back behind another stack of boxes. "I'm pinned, how is my right side looking?" Tar asked, partly to herself as she peeked around the other side of the box and partly to Aegis team, who would have a more holistic view.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko "They're giving ground already?" Yalu asked himself. "That chieftain was clear, but..." His eyes dilated in realisation. Shortly before Tar was fired upon by the human with the assault weapon, Yalu was already loping into a broad sprint down the right flank, sliding to a stop facing to one side. The human gunner flowed into his sights and five plasma rounds shot towards his centre. "'Mdalak! Right side clear!" He hesitated, not yet seeing any sign of a jammer, let alone any extra movement on his motion sensor yet. "This feels like a lure!" He added over a growl. Yalu kept his wits, trying to listen and feel more than see. Brutes liked activate camouflage in packs, and this valley between the walkways was perfect for their prey.</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan The two folded into the Aviza brute-killing group (foreshadowing) as they began their descent into the corridor, it would only be a matter of time before they would go toe to toe with a huge group of bad guys. Elna kept her head on a swivel looking around, looking like a paranoid bat of some sort as she expected for Rebels to come flying off the walls. For Roy (Ray) though it would just be another series of motions and actions he would be forced to go through, the two treaded through before Aviza called for contaaaaact! Roy moved forward and jumped behind hard cover before getting up to fire at the rebels. Elna also followed quickly planting herself up against hard cover as she got her Br-55 up and sent rounds down range towards the rebels and it was only a matter of time before they routed and ran away! Aviza quickly corpsed a flanking brute, taking him out without an ounce of remorse. The whole group began to rout but not in full, it could of been a trap - maybe it was? They were nowhere near the crates at this time so they could possibly be safe, though Ray kept his finger on the trigger. "Keep an eye out Corporal, thinks aren't as they seem." Elna returned a curt nod towards the spook she babysits, both got up and returned fired onto some nearby rebels quickly killing them as they stepped out of cover.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Situational awareness is crucial upon the field of battle, Spartan Aviza had learned this through many years of not only combat training but also experience in live fire situations. Unfortunately, it appeared that some of the other members of her immediate squad had either forgotten this important tactic or were more brazen and impatient than the others. To Aviza, is was clear that the hostiles had set up some kind of trap for them, though she was unsure what that trap would be. Perhaps they were trying to lure some of the forces into an area then cut them off from the others with some sort of energy barrier? That would make them easy to overwhelm, and the hostile forces on the other side would have to somehow deactivate the shield before being able to assist. Whatever their plan was, Spartan Aviza was not about to let any harm come to those under her command. Quickly, Aviza gave orders to the two had moved away from the rest of the squad, "Why are you advancing into what is most likely a trap? What happens if you two get cut off from the rest of the squad and we can not help? I want both of you back to my position immediately, the rest of us will provide cover and then try to find out what they have planned for us ahead." Spartan Aivza hoped that there was still time for the two Sangheili to correct their mistake, if not, the situation at hand was about to get much worse.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai There was some delay in the response from the enemy. They waited behind cover on the far side of the room, only giving token return fire as they waited for their attackers to take the space they had given up. However, Aviza did not give the order to advance, and the delay would give some time to try and retreat back to her position. When it became clear that their attackers had, for the most part, not taken the bait, the Chieftain let out a roar. Right away, Brute stalkers, four at least, emerged from active camouflage on the walkway directly above the team's position. They did not have an angle to shoot down on Aviza or those who stayed back, but Tar and Yalu were within their sights. Two opened fire with spikers, while the other two tried to throw incendiary grenades to block their retreat. It was, indeed, an ambush, though it was far from ideal for the Brutes, as both of the Sangheili were still fairly close to Aviza's position. In any case, the Chieftain's roar had been the signal for an all-in attack. The Brutes started charging from far across the room through the crates, while the Human rebels positioned themselves to provide supporting fire. Although, they did have a fair amount of ground to cover to cross the entire length of the room.</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Enemy Stronghold Grikgar shifted quickly from one point of cover to the next. "Copy Grik be careful now. Many explosions good for Grik but not good for everyone else." Getting to the pillar next to the Spartan Grik nodded and activated the shield he got from the jackal. The bright orange glow of the shield illuminated his position in time for the machine gun to open up on his position. "Grikgar create opening for Spartan." Turing from cover his shield flared then broke along with his energy shield, Grik gar was only able to get two shots off with an unsteady hand before diving back into cover. "Shields recharging." What a rush, a bit risky but a rush all the same.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Tasuma --- The detonation of Tasuma's fuel rod blast was the signal for Vael as well. While Ryker and Grikgar fired from above on the right flank, Vael moved in on the left flank. He initially moved in under the cover of active camouflage. The imperfect invisibility could be spotted at such close range, but in this case, he only needed it to give him a few moments to approach while his enemy was otherwise occupied. For Vael, he was able to rush in to close the gap on the left pillar while the rebels were hiding from Tasuma's fuel rod. By the time one of them peered out and spotted the shimmering in the air, he was already upon them. His blade ignited mid-swing, and the body of the Human he was looming over put up no resistance as it cleaved through. The second rebel behind the pillar did manage to land a few SMG rounds on Vael in the second or two he had to react, but it was far from enough to break the Sangheili's shields before his body too was pierced by the energy sword. Ryker was correct that the remainder of the rebels were trying to move into the hall. They no longer had much of a defensive position, and those that were left were willing to retreat. The volume of plasma bolts from Grik, couples with accurate DMR fire from Ryker, put on them a great deal of pressure. Three made a run for the door while firing blindly back at the pair, and two went down before they could make it into the hall. For the few that remained pinned behind the right pillar, another fuel rod from Tasuma landed directly beside them. When there were no more left to retreat, the rebels closed and locked down the door to the hallway. It would only delay their team for a short time if they decided to pursue, but it would let the rebels put some distance between them. However, Vael had other priorities than ordering a chase. As soon as the room was cleared, he ran back to the center to the nearest crate. Their objective had been to find the armory, so using his strength to simply pry open the lock, Vael pulled open one of the crates to see its contents. Unfortunately, it was not weapons within, but rather sealed, packaged foodstuffs. He let out an irritated growl and flared his mandibles. "This is not the armory. Fall back, and we will rejoin the others."</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker {Copy, coming down.} Turning to the Unggoy, he nodded before heading for the ramp back down. "Sounds like we didn't get the fun objective. Squad lead says back to the split." Obviously the walk back down the ramp was going to prove far less dangerous and the trip back out of the room, but that didn't bother the SPARTAN-IV. It gave them time to strategize and re-establish contact with Aviza's team, though he wasn't sure that they'd answer if they were in the midst of a fire fight. Reaching the bottom of the ramp, Ryker took up a position looking down the hall from the door way. "That sure was an awful lot of fight for some food stuffs. Are we sure they're nothing special?" It wasn't an uncommon thing for things like food stuffs to be used as IEDs, especially with the peacetime they were in and the shortages some sectors were facing. Then again, if they'd been rigged, suppose the Innies would have detonated the stash then and there and there'd have been no firefight like there was. Still, perhaps having a bomb removal team come through and check wouldn't hurt in the post-operation. "Ready to move when you are squad lead."</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern The first thought that ran through Aviza's mind as soon as she witnessed Spartan Rex receive the devastating blow from the Brute Chieftains Gravity hammer was immediate medical attention for what was most likely a life threatening injury. She knew this could not be done in their current situation, given the circumstances and the obvious threat that was still prevalent. With very few options available at the moment, Aviza sprinted forward towards her fallen Spartan, only coming to a stop when she arrived by his side. "Shih, I need a full scan of Spartan Rex, or as detailed as you can give. Once that is done, I want you to send a message to the Chorus of Thunder and inform them that we have injured and will need a fully detailed medical team on standby once our mission here is finished." For the moment, Aviza's Argus armor was informing her that she still had a few more seconds before she had to actually face the Brute Chieftain in combat, but a few seconds was all she needed to at least attempt to stabilize Spartan Rex. Quickly reaching onto the advanced medical kit she kept on herself at all times, Aviza produced a biofoam dispenser and was about to place it back inside of the medical case when she witnessed the Chieftain slam his hammer down at the feet of Tar, thankfully no energy wave was dispensed. With some quick thinking, she tossed the biofoam canister at the Brute Chieftains head and then rapid fired the underslung shotgun upon her MA5D Assault Rifle untill the eight round clip ran dry and had to be replaced. If this did not severely injure the Brute Cheiftan, they would be in serious trouble. Thankfully though, Aviza found an opportunity to assist Tar, and grabbed onto the back of her armor, pulling her back and away from the Brute and helping her onto her feet before once more turning to face the Brute Chieftain.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak The Brute Chieftain recoiled under the barrage of shotgun shells, but possessed the presence of mind to raise the bulky armour plate attached to his left arm. It absorbed some of the impact, shattering to pieces. The Chieftain issued a guttural, gurgling roar. He raised his hammer off the floor, jabbing it straight out in front of him at Aviza before lurching round and swinging it in a wide, brutal arc at Yalu as he rushed in from behind. The Elite's battlecry had obviously alerted the Chieftain to the danger. Tar sprung to her feet with Aviza's interrupted help. She dodged the Chieftain's savage jab, aided by the fact she wasn't the principal target. As soon as the Brute turned his back to pound Yalu, Tar jumped forward and clambered up his back. She reached for her holstered energy sword, intent on ramming it through a chink in the Brute's neck armour. Before she could, the Chieftain's head jerked backwards in a panicked motion; his helmet smashed into her face. One of Tar's feet slipped, and she was forced to quickly put both hands back on the Brute's armour to avoid falling off and being trampled. She tried to grab her sword again.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai As tough as its defenses were, the Brute Chieftain was not invincible. At least, not any longer. With his shields now depleted, his armor had to handle the incoming fire. Many pellets from the shotgun blasts either deflected off of the armor or was stopped by it, but each shot weakened his defenses, and some broke through. It might have been hard to notice in the chaos of battle, but bright red blood dripped from some holes in the Jiralhanae's armor plating. Had the Brute's ambush not been discovered, or his allies not taken so many casualties when they tried to rush across the room, they might not have been able to place as much focus on the chieftain himself. Alone, the chieftain could be overwhelmed from all angles. Still, in his blood rage, he may not have even been aware he was essentially alone, and he would be fighting to his last breath. Tar nearly knocked him off of his feet when she jumped on him from behind, but he managed to keep standing. In a rage, he let out a roar as he managed to reach up over his shoulder to grab a hold of Tar's arm. He had her in a vice-grip, and despite his unfavorable leverage, his raw strength was not something to be ignored. Although, in his struggle against Tar, he could not focus on many other threats.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko THUD! The chieftain's hammer slammed into the forerunner floor. Yalu rolled back to his feet in a low stance. A moment too late reading the brute's wide step around and he could have been crushed. Perhaps if the hammer was still powered it might have broken his bones anyway. Yalu raised his carbine and took no shots. With 'Mdalak thrashing around on the brute's back, he didn't want to risk it. He shuffled around for just a moment, dancing around any errant one-handed swings of the hammer. Tar's situation presented Yalu's opening. He thrust the barrel of his carbine up into the cheiftain's armpit -- belonging to the arm that held Tar -- and pulled the trigger. It was the last slug in his magazine.</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Enemy Stronghold The fighting slowly subsided as the rest of the rebels were slaughtered or ran through another fortified door. The other fighters seemed to be ok or at least not seriously injured. Grik was watching around the room as Vael seemed to check a crate but judging by the growl it wasn't what we were looking for. Once the order to retreat was given the grunt was quick to fall back to the door they entered and checked his ammunition. He still had one explosive charge, 2 grenades, one and a half magazines for the cannon but both his pistols were below half. "Will need to rearm soon but Grik is ready to regroup with other team." He called out then with his plasma pistol in one hand and the reignited jackal shield in the other, the grunt began to make his way back to where the two groups split up in the first place. The Unggoy was still aware that the enemy could be waiting around any corner but by the sound of fighting down the hall he knew the other team was still fighting.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar growled threateningly, leaning over the table towards Ethat. Both of her hands rested back in the divots she'd created; the stanchions screeched in complaint. When she spoke, her voice wasn't raised anymore, but soft and laced with poison. "Then your warriors had best remember to stay in line - behind me." Tar pushed off from the table and stalked out of the briefing room along with the rest of Aegis team. The last thing she wanted was a lecture from Spartan Ryker, and she made that abundantly clear through her body language, though no doubt the Human wouldn't pick it up. "Don't concern yourself with my welfare, Ryker." She growled. Martialling all her discipline, Tar tried to make the best of the Spartan's obvious investment in this operation by sharing what really puzzled her: "I know my brother. This treachery was always in his heart, but Uztel wouldn't readily plunder our world. Something doesn't smell right - I need to talk to him, before I kill him." A pair of facility orderlies pressed their backs firmly against the wall to let them pass. "Can I count on you, Ryker? It has to be me who confronts him - if I fall, don't let ONI take him. Brissekh will fall apart without blood continuity. It's the only thing holding us together."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Hekar Taa-pattern Blockade Runner Magnificent Defiance, low-Earth orbit --- Given that they would be leaving that day, Aegis team were encouraged quickly into the pelican, though once they were aboard the Blockade Runner, they would be able to do as they saw fit until they arrived at Brissekh. Covenant slipspace drives were far superior to the traditional Human Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engines. Journeys that, before the reverse-engineering of Forerunner slipspace technology, took Humans months, the Covenant could complete in minutes to hours. Brissekh was not too far outside Human territory, so it would only take a few hours to reach their destination. They would likely be waiting longer than that for the rest of the fleet to be ready to start the diversion. Although a corvette by Sangheili standards, the Blockade Runner in orbit, Magnificent Defiance, was even larger than the Autumn-class heavy cruiser they had used during their first mission. As the loading ramp of the pelican opened, they were greeted with a curious mixture of UNSC and Swords personnel and equipment. Sangheili and Unggoy crewmen coordinated with Human marines to organize the vehicles and equipment that were being delivered by a constant stream of cargo pelicans. Obviously, the ship did not have proper storage facilities for Human equipment, not to mention differing organizational conventions between their two militaries, so there were no doubt no shortage of logistical issues for the two groups to iron out. Fortunately, that particular task did not fall to Aegis team. Before leaving the pelican, Ethat sent each member of the team a map of the ship highlighting relevant areas. Quarters, mess hall, training rooms, and likely most relevant, the armory with their equipment. Given that they would not be staying on the ship long before the start of the mission, they would not likely need to stray far if they did not wish to.</s> <\|message\|>Johnathan Philip Flint (Goes by J.P. or Flint) Flint --- Flint got word that he was going to be joining Aegis Team about seven days prior to being needed on the blockade runner Magnificent Defiance. Needless to say he was in a whirlwind trying to pack everything and get flights lined up so he didn't miss the bird out there. Once he was on the pelican headed to the Corvette he finally took a moment to relax. The pelican they ended up throwing him on was outfitted to be carrying strictly cargo, all except for the one seat bolted to the wall he can only assume was reinstalled just prior to take off for none other than himself. Everything else in the bay was inside some sort of packaging or was covered so he couldn't get a good look at what all he was surrounded by, not that it really mattered, it just would have helped him pass the time if he had something to look at and ponder about. Post flight Flint walked out of the pelican with all his gear in tow. He could already tell he would be enjoying his new position. He was literally standing in a fully operational covenant corvette. His hands itched to start tearing it apart and figuring out what made it tick, but of course, that wasn't what he was here for. He reported in to the receiving officer, a freshly commissioned lieutenant who seemed to still be learning his position. Flint waited patiently as the Lt. figured out where he would be staying. Eventually he was given directions to some personal quarters and shown where the armory was so that he could drop off his things. He landed only a few hours ahead of the team so he didn't have much free time once he stowed all his belongings, be it in the armory or his temporary personal quarters. He was notified to report to the hanger that Aegis Teams pelican would be landing in any minute now. Flint headed to the bay in his uniform trousers and a combat top, M6S strapped to his leg. By the time be reached the hangar he could already see the pelican on approach, he picked up his pace to a light jog as the hanger crew guided the pilots and set the bird down. Flint started rounding the back end of the pelican just as the rear hatch disengaged and started to lower.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Throughout all of Tar's speaking, Lucas didn't interrupt or reply, instead opting to let the Sangheili female get it all off her chest. However, when she asked for his word to keep ONI's claws off of her home, he nodded. "Stopping ONI from doing something? You can bet I'm all for doing so, without hesitation." --- The transition to the blockade runner was done without much celebration or pomp and circumstance, which fit the SPARTAN-IV just fine as under the radar is the best way for their team to operate. As he walked off the pelican, not noting the person approaching from one side and the front of the pelican, he started to ponder how the others would handle working underneath Commander Vael'Virisusai. In the interim since now and their last mission as Aegis, Ryker had worked almost exclusively under the Sangheili warrior. And while he had plenty of prior experience working primarily with the members of the Sangheili race, working directly under one had been both different and educational. So long as everyone could follow orders and do their part, he didn't imagine there would be many issues. However, as he headed for the armory to check on his weapons and make sure it was all up to par and clean, he couldn't help but wonder how well the human members of the team who hadn't worked under Sangheili before would take it.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Being aboard the Blockade Runner once again brought Vael back to familiar territory. Time spent among Humans was often spent in cramped quarters among suspicious and unusual people, so being back on a Sangheili vessel was something of a relief. Granted, Blockade Runners were somewhat uncomfortable even among Sangheili. The scented air and constant subsonic sounds of the vessel were not present on the Covenant vessels most Sangheili had been accustomed to serving on. There were still vessels from the Covenant among their fleet, but as they could not be replaced, more traditional Sangheili designs had come to the forefront the longer this war lasted. They tended to have less refined efficiency, relying more on sheer power in weapons, propulsion, and other systems. A lack of safeties meant that ships such as this could be pushed beyond the limits of Covenant vessels, but for less experienced crews, that made catastrophic failures more likely. Stepping out of the pelican, Vael did notice a Human standing nearby, seemingly waiting for them. Ethat had already handled directing them to necessary locations around the ship, though it was possible that the Humans had some matter of importance for them. The UNSC was also contributing soldiers, vehicles, and equipment to this mission. Out of Aegis team, Vael was the first to approach the Human. He was small, even by their kind's standards: a fact that became all the more prominent as Vael towered over him. "You have something to say, Human?" He asked.</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Sangheili Corvette The sea food was just as good the last time he was here and again the Unggoy almost got their group kicked out due to his voracious appetite and messy table manners. Honestly he knew he did get a little excited, this particular human food was his favorite but due to its tendency to spoil easily he did not find it very often on other worlds or stations. It seemed they got pulled away just in time to their meeting, he was sure that the next time he arrived here there would be a sign for no Unggoy. The meeting was rather standard, go in after covenant, loosen their foot hold, and turn the populace against them. The specifics where a little different but it was standard for what he was used too. Grik knew he would have to tread lightly on this one as one of the team was directly involved with it. The Sangheili pilot they picked up on the first mission they had. She was resourceful as were all the team members but this one also had a youthful energy about her that was honestly refreshing. These where all Grik's observations as he hadn't talked to her too much before he had to leave. The Unggoy could only wonder how this mission would be interesting compared to his many other missions. His mind drifted back to his time on his home planet and the vehicle he brought from there. This kept him quiet on the pelican trip up to their blockade runner. A sleek but powerful corvette new and unusual ship types where not unaccustomed to him as he was born on a ship. The human presence on it was staggering. This time they really would have better support than the last one. Grik stepped off the pelican behind Vael and looked at the human before them. Looking to Ryker as he headed off into the ship for a moment then again back to the human. He wasn't a Spartan or an ODST, those humans had more of a presence about them, and he didn't have the weird look of an ONI agent. Was this one a messenger perhaps or a human with a grudge? Grikgar knew the humans had that feeling in the back of their minds that came out when they were indulging in alcohol or drugs. The Ultra stood quietly by Vael curious to see what he had to say before he would go off to check on his new toy in the vehicle bay.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael took the driver's seat of one of the spectres himself. It was going to be a long drive, so he wanted to be sure that each one was taken by an experienced driver. He did not want any delays in getting to their objective ,if they could be avoided. Although, he did still decide to defer to Tar to lead their convoy. Being a local, she had more intimate knowledge of the environment and terrain, especially surrounding the keep. He believed it would be wise to take advantage of her experience. "Check your maps. Our objective is located on a plateau in the mountains near the keep. Once we come close enough, we will proceed on foot up the mountain. We will establish the communications jammer for the Human construct to use to cut off the cannon's guards from the keep. Should we be detected, we must ensure there are no survivors to report our presence." Vael explained as he prompted Tar to take the lead. --- Although they had to move through a forest, the spectres were maneuverable enough that the team started out making good time. Once they came to a small river they could follow, they were even able to press on at full boost for over ten minutes straight. Naturally, the closer they came, the more cautious they would need to be. However, before the cannon's defenders could even begin to be a problem, there was another obstacle manifesting around them. The rainstorm surrounding them did not subside. Far from it, the storm grew ever stronger as time passed. Heavy rain turned into a torrential downpour, deafening thunder followed cracks of lightning every few seconds, and winds picked up to the point that the rain was falling near horizontally. The storm was strong enough that the spectres started to tilt in the wind. Vael had to turn his vehicle into the wind at an angle just to keep going straight, which only added to the issue of poor visibility. Vael could just barely make out the glow of the gravity propulsion drive of the spectre ahead of him. For those on the turrets, and especially the side passengers, it would be a struggle just to hang on.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar swore as her Spectre creaked again, trying to fly away in the howling wind. She was taking on a worrying list; her engines whined as she turned the front into the wind and squeezed every ounce of power from them. "Lean into it or we'll go over!" She bellowed at her passengers. Rain splashed directly into her face off the front hull of the Spectre. "We should find shelter. This is the rainy season - the worst could still come!" Tar knew all too well the perils of braving events like this, especially on the exposed plateaus where they were headed. Many Sangheili had spilled their blood on the rocky outcrops below. She frantically cast her eyes around for somewhere they could go while trying to control her Spectre. Visibility was almost nil outside the basin they had been riding through. Then Tar saw the dark green vines plastering the forest floor on one side. She knew immediately what that meant. "Up on our left! There's a cave system!" Tar called, pointing with her free hand.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko Yalu kept his hand calmly hovering over the emergency brake every moment he could. Lower visibility meant following closer behind the commander's Spectre. The speed they were keeping up did not help the risk either. Though, he did not falter — he was not on the team for being an average driver. Tar's directions caused Yalu to bank hard to turn in her new direction. He made the repulsors weaken to almost nothing as the wind turned his vehicle into an aerofoil for a moment. It was all he could do not to have the whole thing flip over and injure his passengers. He said nothing but a quick acknowledgement to keep down on radio chatter. His questions and concerns about the weather would have to wait.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker "Son of a bitch!" The sudden gust of wind nearly tore the SPARTAN-IV from his seat on the Spectre and he find himself stowing his rifle just to find a better grip. If Tar hadn't already suggested finding cover, he would have just based on the fact the storm hadn't abated but had, instead, gotten stronger. When they got close enough to the caves, Ryker was tempted to get off and run in on his own, but with as strong as the wind was, he questioned if he'd even land on the ground. Infiltrator Comi'Masam More experienced with being a passenger on a Spectre in poor weather than her Spartan compatriot was, Comi had stowed her weapon away when the weather first showed signs of getting worse instead of better and hugged the hull of the vehicle as much as she could, throwing her weight behind any adjustments that were made in order to help stabilize the vehicle as much as possible. The storm they were in now reminded her of some of the worse rainstorms of her childhood, but they had never gotten worse with time, only better, though the rain would often persist for days at a time. "We need a new plan of action, Commander!"</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- For Vael, he knew when to take charge himself, and when to defer to the expertise of others. In this case, he knew they could not continue making progress in this storm, and Tar was the one with the local knowledge to help them navigate to safety. Even when speaking through the team's communications channel, it was somewhat difficult to hear over the roar of the storm just outside their helmets. "We cannot stay in this storm; we will wait it out in the caves." He ordered. Even at low speeds, it was still a challenge just to drive. At one point, a powerful gust of wind pushed against Vael's spectre from the side and forced the side of his canopy into a tree. Fortunately, at such low speeds, it did not cause real damage, but it did illustrate the danger the storm presented. Had he hit somewhat farther back, his passenger's leg could have been crushed. "Tar, guide us into the caves! We need to shelter our vehicles as best as we can as well. We will need all of them to make it to our destination."</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar responded quickly to the orders, banking her Spectre to match where her finger was pointing. The right side of her vehicle clipped a tall tree where she'd under-compensated for the wind. Her Spectre swung the opposite way, towards Yalu's craft that had turned off earlier. Tar yanked on the controls and they peeled away from each other after a light bump on opposite wings. She activated the boost and her Spectre whooshed up the side of the basin towards the caves. The underside of her vehicle clattered against the forest floor, drawing a few horrendous scraping sounds which reverberated up into Tar's legs. The wind plastered wet leaves, mud and small animals to the hull as she drifted around another tree with spiky purple leaves. "We're close; up here!" Eventually, the basin wall levelled out onto a small ridge. In the middle, two black cave entrances, surrounded by lighter rock, hunched against the storm. The same dark green vines Tar had seen down in the basin evidently originated from these caves, as they crept across the rock, nestled into natural grooves. The tendrils were thick and fewer, which indicated to Tar that this was an older specimen. Still alive and dangerous though, as shown by the small pink flowers dotting the vines. She'd alert the others once they'd parked - no sense in complicating things. "Let's shelter inside!" Tar recommended, moving her Spectre towards one of the dark cave entrances.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael followed behind Tar as best as he could, given the circumstances. He had to stay close enough to keep the glow of the spectre's engines in view, regardless of how the winds wanted to push them. They were moving into the wind at this point, so Vael had to periodically use the vehicle's boost to regulate his speed, which was a challenge in variable winds. As they headed up the basin, Vael was just able to keep up long enough to come within sight of the cave entrances. Approaching the mountain did reduce the headwind, though ironically, that caused just as many problems on approach. Vael had been boosting into the wind, so as that wind weakened, his approach ended up faster than he intended. He reacted quickly, pulling back and to the side to slow his speed, though the side of his canopy still ended up scraping against the cave wall through some of the vines. His passengers might have been shaken up somewhat, but it was at least not a dangerous collision. Vael pulled back away from the wall and brought his spectre to a stop. They were finally out of the rain, though he was not going anywhere at that very moment. "Stay on the spectres until all of us have come to a stop." He ordered. If any of the others came in as quickly as he had, then it would be easy for anyone standing around to be crushed.</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Waiting in a cave Rough insertion, fast cars, and bad weather. What more could a grunt ask for other than maybe some food. The high humidity and low temperature was familiar and unwelcomed by the grunt. Preferring warmer climates to the bitter cold of frozen planets or the vacuum of space was nice. The storm would also help to mask their approach but make his life currently a bit more uncomfortable. Grik chose the right side of Veal's specter the grav boots he had requisitioned for his updated combat harness was something he was glad he added. Sticking to the side of the thing in a spot meant for Elites was not an easy feat even with them. With a plasma pistol in one hand and his other grappling the side of the vehicle he was satisfied with his placement. The demolitionist couldn't wait for the anti-air cannon to be taken off line. Its destruction would mean that the Goblin would be dropped off with their assortment of fighting vehicles. This would be the first official test of the mech's ability's in a combat situation and he was very excited for it. All he had to do now was hold on and wait for the others.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael heeded the advice of the others. A sudden shift in the storm could easily worsen their situation, so they needed to act quickly. "Come, follow quickly. There are some rocks closer, at the base of the ridge, we may use for cover." He ordered. Visibility was particularly terrible, but a combination of sensors and multiple perspectives from the team did reveal some about the area ahead as they moved down the ridge. Obviously, the most prominent feature was the anti-air cannon itself. The weapon was massive, as it had to be powerful enough to be able to damage capital ships. Given the rough, uneven terrain of the mountains, it was placed on a large, artificial platform. They could also make out multiple structures on the platform as well, in which most of the guards were likely taking shelter from the storm. If, for any reason, they ended up alerting the enemy, it was from there that they would need to expect reinforcements. Currently, there were only a few hostiles out patrolling on the platform. All seemed to be Unggoy that were unlucky enough to be burdened with the duty in the storm, and even they were trying to take cover as best as they could against the winds. The storm certainly would impact their perception, but unfortunately, it also meant that they would be more alert than they might have otherwise been, if only for the fact that they could not sleep if they wanted to. The winds and rain would severely limit the effectiveness of active camouflage, so it would not be effortless to walk past them unseen. There were only a sparse few objects surrounding the cannon at the moment. Anything not secured to the platform had likely been moved inside before the storm. For the most part, it was an open, flat area. "We must decide how to sabotage the weapon. Anything we do cannot be detected before it is time for the attack on the Keep. Your…engineer can do this, yes?" Vael said, glancing down to Flint. "Or we can simply plant a powerful enough remote explosive, if we can place it somewhere it will not be seen."</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: the climb The climb up out of the cave and to the top of the ridge was difficult even for him. His species had natural enhancements that helped them climb but even climbing up this he could feel his methane tank catching the gusts of wind with its bulk and pulling him off balance occasionally. When finally at the top he made sure to stay low with a hand running along the stone next to him so he had something to grab on to if he was caught in another gust. At least now that they were getting closer they could see their massive objective a bit closer now. Speaking his opinion over comms as they continued their approach, "If we are not concerned about keeping the gun mostly intact to use after this engagement. Grik believes he has enough explosives combined with the remaining magazines for his gun to destroy the platform supports or its foundations to topple the gun." He couldn't tell if the platform had supports but it was likely given the terrain being uneven. Even the subtle erosion from fresh drilling and stormy weather could assist with this plan.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Shih and Vael 'Virisusai --- It took only an instant from the others' perspectives, but Shih ran as thorough of an analysis as she could on the practicality of sabotaging the platform from below. The others hardly had time to consider the suggestion before she started giving her report. "The storm is giving too much interference to my sensors for me to give a definitive answer. Whether or not an explosion of that yield could sufficiently destabilize the platform would depend on how well it is anchored. It is possible, and would certainly deal significant damage to the platform in any case, but it is possible that the cannon may remain operational." "So we could not simply place an explosive and leave. We would need to remain to ensure the cannon is disabled, and to kill any survivors." Vael remarked. "Yes, and I can jam their communications if it comes to that. As long as you leave no survivors, the Keep will not be alerted." Shih added. It seemed they did have options. Attempting stealth could allow them to silently achieve their objective without a firefight, but it was risky. Discovery would place their infiltrators in an exposed position, and they would have to fight the enemy at full strength. Opening with an explosive, even if it did not destroy the platform entirely, would still likely kill some, and disorient the rest. But, they would be guaranteed to have to fight here. "Spartan Ryker, your Forerunner sensors would make you the best suited to try to silently get close. Active camouflage will be useless in this storm, and the platform has little cover. I am not convinced that a silent approach would be best here; Grikgar's plan may be more likely to work. But, I would hear your assessment first. Vael requested. Compared to any other Human, Ryker would know best what Vael was asking for here. Unlike many other Sangheili, Vael cared little for pride when it came to strategy. He wanted to know, objectively, if Ryker believed his infiltration in this situation would be more likely to succeed than the alternative.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Recognizing what it was that Commander Vael was asking of him, Lucas sighed quietly and looked up towards the cannon, swapping modules over to the Promethean Vision and seeing what he could see, which was more than he would have admittedly given it credit for, as only heat signatures seemed to register, but even with that...We'd still need to get up the rock face, get Grikgar and his explosives in place... His brain continued to go over the details of what they would have to do in either situation and, while it couldn't do it as fast as Shih could, still came to a conclusion fairly quickly. "They're both uncertain and come with unique dangers and challenges. Mine comes from the fact that I'll be alone, Grik's has a chance of just not working like we need. So speaking objectively...I have to say stealth over chance. I've been in and out of plenty of Covenant installations, even before I was a Spartan. This? Nothing new. My concern is we know these guys are allied with the Prometheans, won't they have access to the Promethean tech as well?"</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko "We put the gun on a sudden lean, everything tips over," Yalu thought out loud. He held out his rifle horizontally in both hands, looking at it as he tilted the barrel end down. "What remains on the higher end, with their feet set to EVA combat, may fire stably down upon a stricken foe which wants for cover. A victory as swift as gravity." The suggestion had holes, Yalu knew. He was jogging tactical considerations as much as hoping such an approach might allow for a survivor or two, albeit alone in the jungle.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak While listening to the others discuss options, Tar sniffed the air and looked around. A tingle ran all the way down her arms and into her chest, taking cues from atmospheric pressure. Thinking back to when she was last here, Tar finally understood what was coming. "A rolling bank approaches… I say we use speed over stealth; take those buildings to shelter if it passes over." She scraped a couple of steps forward and looked through her carbine's scope just as the rapidly darkening sky suddenly lit up like daylight for a split-second. Tar studied the platform, looking for any signs they had been spotted. After a few seconds, a deafening boom washed over the mountainside they were on. The sky lit up again, and Tar growled. "We're exposed - whatever we do, we have to do it quickly!" The Commando looked over at the squad leader.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael heard and considered the advice of the members of his team. They all had their own expertise, and he could benefit from making use of it. Still, though they had a few options, a decision still needed to be made, especially when there was no clear "best" choice. "We cannot carry out our ambush and attempt stealth. An infiltrator would be in range of the explosives, if discovered. An ambush is the safer course. Most of their warriors will likely be in those structures on the east side of the platform. There are no guards underneath the platform, so Grikgar, you should be able to plant the charges on the supports underneath them." Pausing a moment, Vael started designating positions on the team's collective HUDs. "As Yalu suggests, we shall take positions on what will become the high ground. This ridgeline here will give a strong position for most of us. Aviza, Ryker, Yalu, take a position on the western ridge to create a crossfire. When the charges detonate, the Unggoy outside will most likely panic, so they will not be our priority. We will instead focus our fire on the exits to the structures to cut down the rest as they try to reach safety."</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: setting up for the big boom Grik nodded in agreement with Vael's decision and began to get his gear situated. Turning off his shield and camo he looked to the leader. "Ok Grik will move to the position and plant the explosives. It might take Grik a little while, might have to crawl or climb over the edge momentarily depends on cover." Turning for a moment to survey the land in front of them that he could see to plan his course accordingly. "If there is nothing else, Grik will head out now while the storm is still providing cover." The grunt sounded excited to go and blow something up. He was well aware of what he needed to do and how to do it. His low sturdy frame making the strong winds less effective against him and would help to blind the grunts on patrol if they didn't have goggles. The rocky sometimes steep terrain was well suited to his climbing ability. All he had to do was stay low and slow but still move with purpose to lay the explosives and start their assault. With the rest of his ammunition and his proximity to the structure when he arrived Grik decided that he would take a flanking position on the opposite side of the structure after the explosives were set and open fire after the others start to. Giving them a false sense of a larger force and to give them nowhere to hide.</s>
<\|description\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra Species: Unggoy Appearance: Grikgar Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better. Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge. Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental). Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker. The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise. With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach. The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons. After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned. Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them. After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Sitting inside of a vehicle such as the Theseus Command Mantis during a tactile insertion was always an intense experience, and one that Aviza had begun to enjoy over the last decade or so. This time around though, was slightly different due to the fact that they were being dropped from Phantoms instead of Pelicans. Still, Aviza had strapped herself in a bit more securely just in case the ride would be more turbulent or something else went wrong along the way. "All safety procedures passed, all systems are green, now we get to wait for the fun to begin." said Aziva as she leaned forward slightly and flipped a switch on the control panel in front of her. A gentle electronic hum followed before the interior screens came to life, giving the Spartan a clear view of everything out-front of her as if the reinforced platting on the outside of the vehicle was made out of glass. A few moments would pass in relative silence within the Theseus Command Mantis before Aviza not only felt the Phantom touch off but also saw the rapid deployment with her own eyes. The steep approach and high speed they were taking with the Phantoms brought a smile across the Spartans face as they approached their drop off point. With the sudden feeling of freefalling that only lasted what felt like a few seconds, the Mantis gracefully made contact with solid ground. "Over already? I was just starting to enjoy myself, makes me want to fly again." thought Aviza, though Shihi quickly responded, "I am sure you will get more chances to experience that again, or perhaps even fly something in the near future. For now though, you should focus on the objectives at hand." Using the connection from the Theseus Command Mantis to her armor, Aviza quickly turned her attention to one of the fortified positions and fired off a round from the Theseus Command Mantis's M149 Recoilless Rifle. The force from the weapon firing could be felt even from within the cockpit of the vehicle, as well as creating a could of smoke that quickly faded away due to the rain and moisture.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- The armored column had to move quickly to take advantage of the surprise they still had over their enemy. The open ground outside the walls would have made for a strong defensive position, had the city's garrison been able to see the attack coming. The plasma turrets alone atop the walls were far from sufficient to stop, or even slow down an armored assault. At the moment, they were able to push forward at max speed to close the gap to the city walls. Weapons fire from the mantis and scorpions at long range could tear apart the plasma turrets long before they could do meaningful damage to the vehicles. The plasma turrets were intended for anti-infantry or anti-aircraft roles, while other defenses would normally handle heavy vehicles. The push to the wall had been simple, with little resistance, but now that they were approaching the opening their ship had made, they were about to be stepping into much more danger. While the breach was not small, two scorpions side-by-side would only barely squeeze through. For their entire column, it was going to be a choke point. They caught a few glimpses of infantry through the opening, but machine gun fire from the scorpions forced them back into hiding. No doubt, they were scrambling to establish a defensive position inside. At the moment, the team could not know how many anti-tank weapons were already in position inside. The defenders would be scrambling to deploy them to the breach, but it had been less than a minute since landing. If they were lucky, they would be able to get a foothold inside before the enemy could arm themselves to deal with them, but the longer they took, the more the enemy would be able to fortify. "Shadows, stay back until we have a foothold inside. Everyone else, push forward!" Vael ordered. They were going to be pushing into an urban environment. The city did have streets wide enough to accommodate their vehicles, but it was still going to be far more cramped than the field they were in now. For armored units, urban fighting could be particularly dangerous, so they would need to be adaptable and alert for threats that could come from any angle. They did not know exactly what the other side of the breach looked like or where the enemy was positioned on the other side. There was only so much planning that could be done ahead of time; at a certain point, they had to adapt and improvise. How they decided to cross the choke point would be important to improve their odds.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker and Infiltrator Comi'Masam Leading a group of warthogs and a couple of other needlehogs, Ryker and Comi were already inside the breach, lighting up any infantry that they could see. However, once they were inside the walls, the needlehogs were in a very different situation, as their munitions were worthless against the walls and heavier protections offered by the urban environment. The warthogs equipped with standard armaments would have the penetration to clear out walls without having to risk their crews, but Ryker and the other needlehogs were going to have to hope they could catch the defenders between positions as they raced through the streets. {Light armor group is inside the walls and doing what we can to push back the city defenders. What's the plan for securing the buildings as we move? Needlehogs are good against infantry, but not much else.} Comi, meanwhile, was lighting up every Unggoy, Kig-yar, and Sangheili that exposed themselves long enough to take more than a couple of needles, keeping any of them holding anti-tank weaponry from getting an actual shot on both the Warthogs and the approaching scorpions and wraiths.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak As the breach was so small, a traffic jam inevitably ensued as the heavier armour filtered through into the city. Soldiers on the walls began firing small arms and chucking grenades down onto the vehicles beneath. Tar's Wraith hung back slightly and pounded the walls with blue balls of plasma. She tilted her plasma repeater as far up as it would go and sprayed the parapets, forcing some of the Sangheili there to take cover. Her shield flared as a carbine bolt pinged off the Wraith and into her face. "Clear the gap, move!" Tar yelled, ducking back down as far as she could go into her cockpit area as her gun overheated.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko With a hollow wheeze from its engine, Yalu swung his banshee around toward the walls. The close air support on his wings could fly over relative safety with all the anti air turrets on the walls blasted off their mounts, but the weather left visibility to be desired. Yalu's voice hummed quietly over the comms from the shelter of the prone cockpit. "We have the skies. Mark urgent targets for the hornets and banshees. We will be shooting down their aircraft as they come." Yalu did his friends a favour in the spare moment to do a strafing run on a parallel street to the wall to keep anti-armour teams pinned. The street lit up with rapid fire plasma bolts. No small arms fire did more than scratch at this distance. It was all he could do before enemy air support came onto the radar. He pulled up and boosted into the rain to gain altitude.</s>	<\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Armored Assault on a Shadow >>> Sieging the wall Grik continued to hold onto the lead troop transport as they began to crawl closer to the walls of the city. The breach in the wall was a tight fit for the vehicles and the defenders on the wall were not going easy or breaking their spirits. Yet it did not seem like they were getting the heavy weapons they had left to bear on the advancing armored column or the vehicles pouring through the gap. Small arms and anti-tank weapons were a likely cause for the amount of fire power heading towards the breach in the wall and the city beyond. The grunt had a good opportunity in his new suit, to show off its power and maneuverability on top of not being seen on the battle field before. This was a test run for non-simulated combat. Now would be a perfect time to test out its ability to clear walls and trenches knowing that it could easily dive off the wall if it got too hot. Leaping from the troop transport, Grik began moving through the armor around him to get to the wall quicker than the transport could. Evading so many tanks and other vehicles wasn't entirely easy, he found that he had to hitch a ride here and there on a tank or two to get out of the way but eventually made it to the wall. "Lift and shift your fire on the right wall." Grik called out over the radio. Slowly and deliberately he waited for the armor to shift its fire to allow him up while pinning down enemy forces. Being mindful of being shot from the other side the goblin mech scaled the wall to the top were most of the defenders seemed to be rallying and started with a barrage of heavy needles before he even got up to the top. Following the barrage quickly up the wall and beginning to open fire on the defenders keeping an eye on his shield strength and continuing to use cover when he was able too. Hopefully this would give the vehicles more time. To get through the gap.</s>
<\|description\|>Yalu 'Suumko Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios) Species: Sangheili Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued. Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: - Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do - Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H] - A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades] - Wrist-mounted energy dagger - Whatever else is at hand Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword. Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory. Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey. Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame. Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with. After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Once Aviza had returned to her former position alongside her fellow Spartans, she would adjust herself slightly to get a better view of Aegis Team and HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6's atrium as a whole. She was used to having a visual advantage over most everyone else, and this time was no different. Once more, her arms would fold over her chest as she allowed herself to wonder when the individual who had formed Aegis Team would present themselves. Patience was one of her many strong-suits but she felt that the longer they lingered, the more of a chance there would be another occurrence. The others seemed eager to be deployed once more, and Aviza found herself mirroring this. Standing around burning the early daylight was not helping anyone. What caught her attention and firmly held it was the fact that Vael 'Virisusai, the commander in loyal service to the Swords of Sanghelios had introduced himself to Aegis Team and was now approaching her. It had been many months since she had been this close to a Sangheili, and felt herself tense slightly before relaxing, a completely unconscious reaction that had been programmed into her since the early days of when she was just a UNSC Marine. Thankfully, Vael would not be able to notice this due to the armor that she was wearing, but in normal civilian clothing, it would have been obvious and that was not something she wanted the commander to see. This was not a sign of weakness or fear, but merely part of her training, she was sure other members of the UNSC were going through the same thing. Aviza had to tilt her head back slightly to ensure she had the best optimal view of Vael who stood roughly a foot taller than her. Vael had inquired if she was the current acting leader for the present human forces, and Aviza was about to speak though was cut off as Major Alice Robinson responded for her. No, she was not the current leader of the Human contribution to the team, her reply would have been short and simple. The mention of a secure room that they would be able to enter shortly was welcomed news, it was painfully apparent that the civilians and a few UNSC officials were not comfortable with the Alien members of Aegis Team, many of them had lost friends and loved ones to the Covenant, and much animosity still remained. Aviza could not blame them for that, she had also lost friends and family during the war, but times had changed and she was willing to trust the Arbiter and his forces if Master Chief did. The arrival of the ONI field intelligence officer and his security detail was enough to pull Aviza's attention away from the conversation at hand, if only momentarily. The man who was clad in onyx armor greeted the Spartans with a smile, his counterpart did the same with a two finger salute, this was followed by a less than enthusiastic greeting to the Swords of Sanghelios. Aviza would reply with a slight wave of her left hand, but then motioned towards Vael, Major Alice Robinson, and her counterpart, attempting to inform the two newcomers that she was busy at the moment. She would then turn her full attention back to the conversation taking place. The mention of bureaucracy and ONI being inefficient caused Aviza to tilt her head slightly to the left in curiosity, she merely observed the exchange at the moment. However, once fellow Spartan Lucas had approached and explained that a bureaucracy was a pain in the ass, followed by other insults to ONI, Aviza felt like speaking but would let the ONI Brass handle the situation however they saw fit. She knew the situation was about to become very interesting.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Major Alice Robinson and Vael 'Virisusai --- Major Robinson did take the time to properly greet Cohen and Younan, but otherwise soon returned to her irritated waiting, occasionally checking in for an update through her earpiece. Unlike some of the others, she was not one for idle conversation, and most aspects of her expression made her seem unapproachable. As for patience, if she did have that quality, she did not demonstrate it in this case. After just a short while, she muttered under her breath and gave a look around, both to the gathered team, and others watching them who happened to be passing through the atrium. "I…believe I have us a room, if you could all just follow me…" Major Robinson said, despite not having been contacted with any new information, before she started walking towards one of the halls at the back of the atrium. Vael followed close behind, somewhat curious about the amount of anger she showed in her stance and walk. At least, he believed that was what he could see in her demeanor. Each species showed their emotion differently through action and movement. He was less experienced with Human emotion than most other species, but what he saw from her now was something akin to a Human soldier rushing forward into battle. Eventually, the Major guided them through the corridors to a large set of double doors, though she stopped them all just outside. "This should only take a moment. I just need you to come in with me, Vael. You need not say anything, just…stand behind me." Curiosity, perhaps more than anything, prompted Vael to nod in agreement to Robinson. That, and the desire to begin their mission. There had been enough waiting and inaction; their enemies out in the rest of the galaxy were not going to wait for their team to be ready before advancing their own goals. Robinson swiped her security card and the two doors slid open, revealing a rather sizable conference room with a large table and a holographic projector situated at its center. About half of the chairs were filled by a collection of, mostly older, men and women, not all of which were wearing military uniforms. The man that had been accompanying Major Robinson before, Jonas, was in a "conversation" with a UNSC officer. Though, considering that the officer was technically a superior to Jonas, it was a fairly one-sided conversation. "...tolerate this interruption. We still have important decisions to make here…" The officer was saying just after the door opened, though he quickly took notice of Major Robinson. "Major, this is most irregular, I…" The officer cut himself off quickly once Vael came into view behind Robinson. He had, at first, looked like he was starting to stand, but he quickly fell back into his seat. Major Robinson did not outrank the officer, and as such, she spoke with a distinctly polite, distinctly fake tone. "My apologies, I thought you were done here. We just have no choice but to use a ground floor room. If you like, I can have my associate here wait outside and…" "No, no…" The officer interjected, clearing his throat and speaking strikingly more calmly. "That is quite alright. We have just finished up here. It's time, uh, to break for lunch." With the others at the table nodding in silent agreement, they quickly moved to vacate the room. For a moment as he passed by, the officer's gaze met Vael's. In it, Vael saw the other Human emotion he was quite familiar with: fear. For Vael, it illustrated one of the most frustrating paradoxes of Humanity. As a species, they were resilient and fought against their extinction with honor, but their species seemed to be able to simultaneously produce both the bravest and most cowardly individuals in the universe. He could not understand why the honorable among them tolerated such weakness among their own kind. In any case, the team finally had a secure room to use, and Robinson was already loading up the briefing on the holographic projector. There was plenty of space for everyone, though of course, the ODSTs accompanying Tasuma would not be permitted to enter. Vael remained standing at the table just across from the Major, who took a moment to speak to him. "Vael, I am sending you a data file from your superiors. Don't worry, my people have not looked at it." She lied. Vael took out his data pad and waited a moment for it to decrypt the information. From his first impression, it seemed he had finally received all of the relevant information about the background and qualifications of the team the Swords of Sanghelios had selected for him, as well as information on their upcoming mission. As the others started to come in, the Major spoke without taking her eyes off of the computer in front of her. "Okay, this is a secure room, so you can speak freely about the team and the mission here." She said, again mostly for the benefit of the non-UNSC personnel. Once the door was closed, she continued. "Once Captain Leroux arrives, we will start the mission briefing. Obviously, this is not a standard composition for a UNSC fireteam, so we had intended to begin with War Games Simulations to allow you to build squad cohesion before your first mission. Unfortunately, certain recent events have accelerated our timetable. You're going to have to make time for training later; we'll be deploying on our first mission today."</s>	<\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu was more than happy to stand and watch the rest of the team gather. He was honestly surprised that the closest thing to an altercation was between the humans. Nevertheless, he reserved judgement for their battlefield behaviour. The only further comment Yalu gave was on the way to the meeting room, spoken in Sangheili. "Your rapport with your human friends bodes well for this venture, mgalekgolo. Perhaps the rest of us are able to win their trust as well." As they filed into the room, Yalu decided to try taking a seat at the conference table, hoping that mimicry of the humans would ease the tension. The seat was low but not impossible. He did feel more out of place than in the ship that brought him here, however. "How much time do we have?" Yalu asked Major Robinson. It was a rather sudden acceleration of matters; he wanted the pertinent information as soon as he could.</s>
<\|description\|>Yalu 'Suumko Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios) Species: Sangheili Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued. Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: - Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do - Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H] - A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades] - Wrist-mounted energy dagger - Whatever else is at hand Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword. Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory. Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey. Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame. Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with. After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker The remark draws a chuckle from the Spartan as the duo approaches the War Games simulation area, stopping to call an elevator for them. "Yeah, I imagine the thought of fighting with our crazy asses is much more appealing than fighting against us. Gotta level, fighting with a Swords spec ops team...let's say it's a welcome change of pace watching those active camo shrouded forms appear behind the enemy instead of behind a friend." Once the elevator had arrived, Lucas allowed Major Yalu'Suumko to board before he did and selected the floor it was on. "It was also very...enlightening. Seeing your people in a capacity other than as warriors and leaders. It was...pleasant."</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Major Robinson --- However the team decided to spend the few hours they had, it did not take long after their departure from Earth for Major Robinson to call the team to muster in one of the hangars. With the upgraded slipspace drives that new UNSC ships, like the Chorus of Thunder, had been receiving, journeys through slipspace were no longer the time consuming voyages they had once been. Their ships could now best even Covenant ships for speed. Even aside from that, Sarcophagus was not a long jump from Sol. For any who might have had access to external windows or cameras, their arrival in the system might have seemed somewhat bizarre. Sarcophagus was a complete shell, almost unfathomably large, fully enveloping the star, and the Chorus of Thunder entered the system just outside of it. The only light came from distant stars, which was far from enough to illuminate the megastructure. From the perspective of the ship, there was only blackness on one side of them, as if all of the stars in that direction had been extinguished. Inside the hangar, there was another surprise waiting for them in the form of a vehicle that was clearly being prepped for the mission. It was a Mammoth, though nonstandard in a few obvious ways. The most notable modification was that the mini-MAC had been removed, and overall, it seemed like a somewhat stripped down, lighter version of the vehicle. Although, that did not reduce the size of the aptly-named vehicle; it would still require something like a Heron dropship just to get it to the ground. Vael was fully-equipped and ready for the mission. He had opted for his usual selection of weapons, with a carbine, plasma rifle, energy sword, and a handful of plasma grenades. Combined with his active camouflage, he could be versatile with the situations he could deal with. After the usual formalities, the Major addressed the team as a whole. "Alright, you all have the relevant mission files and you know your objective, so I will keep this brief. We've dropped out of slipspace outside the Dyson shell to avoid detection. You'll be inserting via Pelican through one of the entryways, and we'll be sending this in with you as well." She explained, gesturing to the Mammoth. "You'll need to approach from the ground to avoid detection by the Brute ships, and you'll have a bit of a drive ahead of you. This Mammoth has been modified to serve better as a mobile base for your team. It is stocked with weapons, supplies, and a pair of warthogs. Some of its heavier components have been removed to help improve its speed as much as possible. We have also installed improved communications equipment to intercept enemy communications and help you track down your targets." Once she had given her explanation, Major Robinson took a data crystal drive and handed it to Fireteam Leader Aviza. "Shih has been assigned to Aegis Team, as well. You may take responsibility for her yourself, Fireteam Leader, or assign her to another member of your team as you see fit."</s> <\|message\|>Ben-E218 Ben-E218 Ben's time in the mess hall passed quickly. Grikgar went about his business with the food, and the mess the Unggoy had made was cleaned up. Quickly finishing his own meal, the Spartan-III reported to the war games deck, where he proceeded to practice his sniping skills and use of grenades. There was less time than he had anticipated, as by the time he had moved on to training in the use of the grenade launcher, Phong (who he had unmuted at this point) contacted him. "Ben, I had received a signal from Major Robinson. Please proceed to the designated hangar immediately." Not that there was much of a choice. Phong had taken the liberty of ending the simulation in any event. Quickly gathering his gear, Ben-E218 made his way to join with the rest of the team. He stopped to find Grikgar still milling around the simulator. "Come on, Grik. You can tell me all about your virtual kill count later; it's time for the meeting." He briefly paused to wonder what Covenant mission briefings were like. It was probable that the Grunts were given much less explanation than the Elites had been told. Cannon fodder only needed to know where to be pointed. Still, he supposed that a Grunt like Grik would have been considered a bit more than the usual bullet-catchers his brethren were. An elite grunt- used in the sense of superior soldier- might have been afforded at least an explanation about why he was about to die and what he had to accomplish before that happened. Sarcophagus was impressive, despite being very hard to fully see in the dark. It was almost like a gigantic bowling ball set in a badly-lit room. Ben had his sniper rifle stowed on his back, and had a designated marksman rifle and a pistol with enough ammo for an extended engagement for all firearms. Doubtlessly, this wouldn't suffice, so he brought a complement of frag grenades and a combat knife along with him. Obviously, a one-man mission was out of the question, although he was technically the only one assigned to his special mission in the event one of the team proved to be a liability. "As a reminder, the capture or corruption of a UNSC AI is unacceptable, especially for AI whose rating is above my level." It wouldn't have been the first time Ben had to destroy a smart AI. At least they knew it was nothing personal and accepted their fate, insofar as an AI could be considered a "he" or "she." Even so, he hoped it didn't come to that. So far, nothing about the mission was too exotic or difficult to comprehend, even if it took place on a rather exotic location. Get down the surface and take a mammoth to a destination, then attack.</s>	<\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Practice with one of his new Spartan teammates was just what Yalu needed. Ryker did not go easy on him, and even for a sangheili like himself it was a challenge staying ahead of where the shorter-armed human would strike next. He gathered Ryker had plenty of experience going for a quick kill rather than preserving himself for fighting in prolonged melees like Yalu was. While he was not sure how much Ryker had to learn from him, Yalu had plenty to learn from the humans. Teaming up for firefight simulations was far more even between the two of them. Yalu struggled with Ryker's battlefield slang -- as he had been with most human warriors he had encountered -- though the two of them fought with surprisingly little friction between them. After roughly an hour and a half, Yalu withdrew to study the files for their upcoming mission. The physical activity had sharpened his mind for the reading. Sequestered in his cabin, he got through plenty of dossiers before being summoned to the hanger. --- Everything was double-checked on Yalu's harness. His loadout gave him the tools he needed to fight on the move or dug in. Everything else was left to fate, as always. "Reporting for duty." Yalu addressed Major Robinson with human formalities. He fought with great willpower not to gawk at the colossal wheeled vehicle. Before the end of the war, Yalu had a low view of human technology. However, he grew to admire the size and sophistication of their ground vehicles knowing they were largely without plasma power and boosted gravity propulsion. Yalu gestured to their 'Mammoth'. "With permission to ask, how many crew are required to operate that?"</s>
<\|description\|>Yalu 'Suumko Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios) Species: Sangheili Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued. Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: - Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do - Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H] - A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades] - Wrist-mounted energy dagger - Whatever else is at hand Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword. Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory. Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey. Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame. Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with. After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.</s> <\|message\|>Tasumameyofaxre "Tasuma" Tasumameyofaxre<< Mgalekgolo Hunter >> << Autumn-class Heavy Cruiser - UNSC Chorus of Thunder >> The Mgalekgolo was pensive, entire wars had been fought over these Forerunner structures. The Covenant itself went to war with the ancient Lekgolo over the Forerunner structures over Te, and after the Covenant brought the Lekgolo into their fold. The Great War had many objectives tied to Forerunner artifacts and ruins, and after, the Covenant was destroyed. The Sangheili took their freedom back from the San'shyuum, and forming a friendship with the humans that they fought against not long ago. It seemed to Tasuma that whenever Forerunner anything was involved, great change would follow. When the team assembled to the hanger, Tasuma felt particularly alone. Before, it would always be with his bond brother. They were in constant communication, and while it was some consolation to know that Iteyi was alive and healing, the colony missed its brothers. The ODST Platoon was strange, Lt. Horn kept his troops on a tight leash. They were all so used to fighting alongside each other that they seemed more akin to a Lekgolo colony, than a unit of human warriors. They were often so rowdy, loud, and many of them liked to crowd around Tasuma. With them, it felt connected, feeling so many familiar entities around it. It reminded it of Te, a little. The Hunter looked at the Mammoth. Human war machines. They were beautiful in their own way. Practicality and usability seemed to be at the forefront of human design doctrine, and Tasuma could appreciate that. It sometimes sat down with some of the ODSTs, and listened to them discuss the many vehicles of the UNSC. It had heard of the Mammoth, supposedly a rolling firebase in of itself, armed with a 'mini-mac', a massive cannon that could fell spacebourne warships. This particular Mammoth was missing its weapon, to make it lighter and quicker. But its thick armored shell and massive wheels still provided protection and speed. Tasuma walked over to a small stack of crates near the Mammoth, marked with the symbol of the Swords of Sanghelios, and spray painted with the ODST's flaming skull droppod. It instantly knew what it was. It gently removed the tops of the three boxes, revealing its Assault Cannon, Pavise Shield, and a pouch with straps. It opened the pouch, and removed one of many rolled pieces of cloth. Tasuma unrolled it and draped the grasslands camouflage cloak over its head, shoulders and back. It wiggled its spikes, revealing that the camo cloak was cut in a way that allowed its spikes to move freely. Tasuma then strapped the pouch to its leg, and looked at the Assault Cannon and Shield. The Assault Cannon was a more modern variant, it had been using it for a number of months before joining Aegis, and along with the newer cannon, it had been given a newer version of the Pavise Shield. While Tasuma accepted the newer equipment, he only replaced his pauldron for the newer one. Opting to keep the older, longer and heavier version of the shield. It grabbed the pauldron and fastened it to its left shoulder, then placed both of its hands into the shield and cannon. Lekgolo worms flowed forward, filling the space. << Shield World 006 "Sarcophagus" >> Inside the Pelican, Tasuma's spikes were flowing freely. It was sensing its teammates around it. It was familiar with most of what was around it... Spartan-IV, Human, Sangheili, Unggoy. But some of the Spartans were different... very slightly different, but the differences didn't escape Tasuma. Were they from a different Spartan clan? And the one Tasuma had apologized to before, Aviza, it noticed the addition of something that wasn't there before. Perhaps it would ask later. "Contact!" Every Lekgolo in Tasuma's body tightened together, and in an instant the Hunter brought up its shield arm, slamming the tip of its shield into the ceiling of the Pelican, denting the metal plating. Tasuma took a step forward and braced itself, its spikes pressing flat against its back, and its gun arm pressing against its chest. Tasuma felt the drop ship rock back and forth, then there was a lurch. "We're hit strap in!" Not long after, the Pelican hit the ground. Another lurch, with violent shaking as the Pelican skidded. All the while Tasuma stood unmoving, having braced itself well. When the shaking stopped, Tasuma removed its shield from the ceiling, then approached the rear exit in a combat stance, assault cannon at the ready. Tasuma's spikes slowly rose to a threatening height, and it growled. While it didn't know how Aviza or Vael would command the team, it did know how a common Sangheili Commander in the Covenant Era would face the situation... likely with Unngoy and Kig-yar moving out first to attract fire, leaving the Sangheili, and Sharpshooter Kig-yar to destroy the Sentinels. It also knew how Lt. Horn would react, likely having some of his troops rip out armor paneling from the Pelican to use as shields, and then to destroy each Sentinel with focused massed fire. But with Tasuma... "Enemy, I attract. On your ready." Tasuma spoke.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Admittedly, Lucas hadn't anticipated any issues arising as the team boarded the Pelican and each found seats. As he settled into his own pre-mission flight routine, he pulled his sidearm free of its holster and started to disassemble it in his lap and reassemble it. He proceeded to do this several times over the course of the flight before finally reassembling it one last time and holstering it again before pulling one of his modified energy daggers free and activating it, letting the crimson colored energy hum quietly as he flipped the blade around in his hand. It was a joint Sangheili and human design that had only been issued to a handful of specialist SPARTAN-IVs with orders to give regular updates on things such as strange fluctuations within the blade, if it cuts out mid-combat, performance against other shielded enemies, such as Sangheili loyal to the Remnant, and other such odds and ends. Sending the regular reports back to the eggheads was somewhat obnoxious, but making the design more stable, and therefore more readily available to the rest of the Swords and Human military, was an important thing to do. Finishing the usual non-combat observations, he deactivates the blade and stores the hilt and starts filing away the usual report to be sent at mission completion after he'd had a chance to confirm the usual combat effectiveness when the pilots shout "Contacts!" Report filing forgotten, Lucas is already moving between members of the team to make sure their harnesses are secure before swiftly moving and securing himself. "Fireteam secure, Team Leader!" And not a moment too soon as he felt the Pelican shake from impact. The sound of the Mgalekgolo securing itself in place was startling, but not unexpected given it was too large to actually use the seats in the transport, but it was certainly unorthodox and an issue that they should address before the next mission. Bracing in his seat, the SPARTAN-IV rattled a bit with the rough landing, but other than that was fine and as soon as the ship quit sliding, was unhooked and had the twin SMGs in his hand. Vael'Virisusai made a good point about the issue with the precision weaponry against the Sentinel plating, but then, there was always another option, which admittedly required an answer to his question. "Are we looking at a group of Sentinels or a swarm? If it's a swarm, we may want to just get to the Mammoth and hope it's got enough turrets on it."</s>	<\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu's hands tightened on his seat. If there was any downside to human flight technology, it made Yalu feel the sudden lack of weight as they descended. He recited a mantra courage in his mind that kept his emotions level and cut off for every moment out of his control. They landed, roughly. They were jostled. The screaming metal ran out of momentum. One second passed before Yalu unbuckled himself in a precise flurry. He pulled his carbine out from his back when he joined the others scanning the exits, but had an idea when Vael gave his orders. "Noted, commander!" Yalu said, slinking over to the tripod-mounted machine gun secured to the loading ramp. While his comrades-in-arms before Aegis were content to tear such weapons from their swivels, Yalu took the extra second to squat and pull the quick release loose to slide it free. He hefted the three barrelled weapon around to stride heavily towards the door. "Ready." All Yalu needed was a moment to spin up while the hovering sentinels were distracted.</s>
<\|description\|>Yalu 'Suumko Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios) Species: Sangheili Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued. Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: - Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do - Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H] - A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades] - Wrist-mounted energy dagger - Whatever else is at hand Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword. Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory. Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey. Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame. Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with. After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.</s> <\|message\|>Tasumameyofaxre "Tasuma" Tasumameyofaxre<< Mgalekgolo Hunter >> << Shield World 006 "Sarcophagus >> The team worked well together, fanning out and splitting into teams quickly as the leader ordered. Surprisingly it wasn't just Grik to be beside him. Spartan Ryker was behind Tasuma not far behind, and the Spartan finished off the two sentinels that the Hunter had weakened. As the Hunter shielded itself from one beam attack, the Spartan peaked around Tasuma and emptied his SMG magazines into the attacking drone. "I got your six, Tasuma. Wouldn't do to not have each other's backs, right?" The Spartan said. Tasuma let out an agreeable grunt, the Spartan was correct. Another sentinel aimed at Tasuma, this time at its rear, but this seemed like a coordinated attack. Multiple sentinels attacked their group, one fired a beam towards Grik, and another, already damaged, dived towards them. A second Spartan leapt to Tasuma's defense, taking a beam to the shields, allowing Tasuma to act. It fired a burst of incendiary gel bolts at the the sentinel firing at Grik, the bolts tracking and smacking against its shield, depleting them. Tasuma had no time to finish it off, it would have to rely on its team for that. Tasuma turned its attention to the diving sentinel, waiting a second for the right moment, then it lifted its shield and swung it. The two ton shield smashed against the damaged sentinel with a loud clang, sending it careening away several meters and into the dirt.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker The left SMG came alive once more to gun down the Sentinel that was firing on Grikgar just before its beam reached the Unggoy and he shifted targets quickly, the remainder of the SMG's magazine went into the next Sentinel to come into the Spartan's sight along with most of the right SMG's. He fired the remaining rounds at an approaching Sentinel to make it veer off before he reloaded. "We should fall back some, use the Pelican's troop bay as a holding point til the mammoth gets here." Another Sentinel came at the group, but it made the mistake of passing too close to Lucas, who caught its underside and swung up on top of it before plunging the wrist mounted energy dagger into it. After gliding a few more feet, it fell to the ground and slid a few feet as Ryker leapt off. Once it stopped, he sliced it open with the self-same energy dagger and pulled out its weapon. "If more are moving into position around us, we might be in trouble. I've seen swarms incinerate large ships with a combined blast."</s>	<\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko The new sentinels sweeping up over the terrain were not close enough for Yalu's machine gun to focus on. Their shields radiated with stray hits but the spread bullets only knocked them a little off course. Then in an instant he processed a sentinel gunning for Grikgar. He hardly noticed himself whip out his carbine before his machine gun clattered, dropped at his feet. "Danger close, Ultra!" Four sharp shots went straight into the damaged sentinel's 'eye'. Gravity pulled it to the dirt, thankfully unexploded. "Enemy down!" Yalu shouted. He had his primary weapon out now. There was not a moment in the chaos to pick his machine gun back up. "These machines won't be intimidated, either!" Yalu added to Ryker's comment between downing one across under the pelican's tail, trying to cover for Commander Virisusai. Yalu put his head down and darted to the Spartan Ben to help yank up him to his feet. "Honour yourself; do not bleed!" He turned his weapon to the side and strode, scanning for more.</s>
<\|description\|>Yalu 'Suumko Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios) Species: Sangheili Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued. Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: - Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do - Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H] - A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades] - Wrist-mounted energy dagger - Whatever else is at hand Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword. Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory. Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey. Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame. Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with. After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.</s> <\|message\|>Grikgar (Grik) Seeker Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker // Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Planets Surface Grikgar was paying close attention to the flight patterns of the surrounding sentinels. The team around him seemed to be doing rather well at choosing targets and keeping out of harm's way. The Spartans and even the other elite were calling out targets and the actions they were taking. This was no simulation but at least it showed him that they could work together. Well most of them anyways. The hunter and the other Spartans seemed to be quick to cover the blue Spartan and take out the sentinel's aiming for himself and the Lekgolo. Yet when the hunter shifted Grik could see a few small groups of circling sentinels group up just for a moment before continuing to circle. The Unggoy was quick to holster his right pistol and remove one of the plasma charges from his belt. Quickly molding it in his hand to the shape of a plasma grenade and waited for a moment. "Take Cover!" the grunt shouted throwing the charge into the combined mass of two smaller groups of sentinel's on similar flight paths. Following the charge with his pistol the demolitions expert discharged a short 4 round burst from his pistol striking the charge in the air near the grouped up robots. Twisting himself around the other side of the Lekgolo to use them as cover from the blast. He didn't know if it was close enough but at the very least the EMP or shock wave from the charge might do something.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern The advanced HUD that was built into Aviza's ARGUS-class Mjolnir armor showed that the Mammoth was now nearing their position, they would hopefully be able to retreat to the vehicle shortly. "The Mammoth is almost in range, get ready to fall back into it and provide each other with covering fire." said Aviza her into helmets coms. As the massive vehicle approached, Aviza stayed in cover, still behind the G79H-TC/MA Pelicans right wing, only taking opportune shots at the sentinels with her MA5D when available. So far, they Sentinels were not posing much of a threat as the group was primarily working well together, of course the two ONI Spooks who had ran off in hopes of getting to the Mammoth first did not exactly fall under this. As Spartan Aviza's old instructor once said to her, the best way to learn is upon the field of battle, and the current situation reinforced that statement. When Grikgar had yelled out for everyone to take cover, Aviza had already been safely positioned behind the Pelicans right wing, loading yet another clip into her MA5D Assault Rifle, but also getting ready to move out towards the rapidly approaching Mammoth. Thankfully, the EMP had no effect upon her suit, due to it having protection against such an attack. The shock-wave was felt, but due to the other attacks from the rest of her squad, was mostly drowned out. The low rumble from the Mammoth only grew with every second that passed, and Aviza had decided that it was now time for them to move to the M510. "Mammoth has arrived, everyone fall back and provide cover to the rest of the squad." said Aviza through her helmets coms as she stood up and away from the cover of the crashed Pelican. Once the M510 Mammoth had reached them, the large door upon the rear of it opened, allowing them to enter while the automated rocket pods upon the vehicles exterior locked onto the remaining sentinels and fired volleys of their armament. Aviza was the first of her squad, separate from the ONI Spooks, to board the Mammoth and enter its vehicle and cargo bay. The Spartan turned around and made sure her squad had all entered, still alive and in one piece. "Is everyone alright? Any injuries that need to be tended to?" Asked Aviza.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- With the assistance of the rest of the team in thinning out the sentinels and drawing fire away from him, Vael's shields recovered quickly. Ultimately, they only had to hold a few minutes, a feat of which this team proved more than capable. The machines, despite the power of their weapons, behaved predictably, so the team could easily manage the angles from which they could be threatened while supporting one another. Grikgar's attack was well-timed. The charge cleared a cluster of sentinels, and weakened the shields of a few beyond them, shortly before the Mammoth could be heard on approach. Vael moved out from under the wing for long enough to replace his sentinel beam with a fresh one, then rushed out to give covering fire as soon as Aviza gave the order to move. Most of the team was equipped to take some damage, but the Pelican's pilots, who followed Aviza's signal to move, were more vulnerable. Just as before, Vael found it easy to target the sentinels with the beam, and especially for those with already-damaged shields, they fell quickly. Vael sprinted out ahead of the group until he was about halfway to the Mammoth, then turned back to cover those behind him. Fortunately, they had cleared enough of the machines before making their run that it was not too difficult of a task. He simply focused his fire on any sentinel that seemed to be pointed towards any of his more vulnerable allies. Rockets from the Mammoth provided support as well, though they naturally could not target too close to their position. As Vael finally reached the Mammoth, his shields flared from a sentinel beam striking across his back, but this time, they held until he could make it up the ramp. Once the last of them were inside, the ramp raised up and closed them inside the safety of their mobile base. Even stripped down and lightened as it was, the Mammoth's armor was still much thicker than that of the Pelican and could handle the sentinels' weapons. The sentinels would pursue for a time, but as long as the Mammoth moved away from whatever it was they were protecting, they would not follow forever. Vael could feel the sting of a burn on his chest. His armor's plating dispersed the heat effectively enough to avoid serious injury, though, so he did not find it worth mentioning. "We're fine." The Pelican pilot responded. The co-pilot looked to be catching his breath, though he nodded in agreement to the pilot. "Holy hell, you guys don't screw around…" He said, looking over at the rest of the team. Indeed, for the average soldier, the capabilities of a team such as theirs was nothing short of astounding. A normal squad of marines or Swords lance likely would have faced significant casualties in such a situation, if they even survived at all.</s> <\|message\|>Tasumameyofaxre "Tasuma" Tasumameyofaxre<< Mgalekgolo Hunter >> << Shield World 006 "Sarcophagus >> Tasuma continued to take shots at the sentinels, despite the information that there were more, it would not fall to despair. Spartan Rykers suggestion offered an alternative defensive formation. One that emphasized combined firepower, rather than small pockets of defenders. However with the combined firepower came the added risk that the robotic defenders only needed to fire at one place. While Tasuma was sure its shield could defend against one, or maybe two beams, any more and the shield would likely fail. Thankfully such measures didn't seem to be necessary. Over the horizon, with impressive speed, the M510 Mammoth rolled forward, kicking up dirt behind it. The Mammoth opened up with missiles that streaked through the sky, tracking the sentinels, smacking into them with explosive force. Tasuma would have smiled at the sight, it determined. It slowed to a halt, then opened its rear door. Tasuma turned its head to face its allies, "Go. I am rearguard." it vibrated. As soon as the team and the pilots darted for the Mammoth, Tasuma jogged forwards, keeping pace behind them. It then turned around, running backwards with eerie ease, with its cannon aimed up into the sky, and its shield at the ready. It only fired at targets weakened by the missiles, to finish them off, or at targets the missiles failed to hit. Several sentinels managed to get a moments burst of laser fire at the team, and some at Tasuma, which was deftly blocked by his shield. Tasuma even jogged up the ramp backwards, managing to avoid running into any teammates, crewmembers, or equipment. It remained at alert, with his weapons up and his spikes fully vertical. It was only when the ramp closed that it relaxed. Aviza asked if everyone was okay, and Tasuma rumbled in reply. "Tasuma okay." It knew that after a crazed situation, the squad leaders of his former companions, the ODSTs, preferred to hear names rather than 'I' or 'me'. Tasuma understood, it was easier to hear a name then a status rather than a collection of 'I'm okay's'. Tasuma then craned its head high and around, looking at each squad member and the pilots, giving each of them around a second of looking. While Tasuma could feel their presence and status through his neural net, the ODSTs found it more comforting to see it actually look at them. Hopefully this team would as well. It then turned to look at its shield, twisting it and touching where the sentinel beams struck with a claw on his assault cannon. While at first glance the shield seemed fine, it likely would have failed if it took any more punishment. Tasuma thought that was troubling, a little.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker When the call to fall back to the Mammoth came through, Lucas was already hopping to cover his teammates, letting them move before he did and firing bursts of his SMGs to try and somewhat deter the machines from following too closely. Eventually, he was up the ramp and with the rest of the team, with Tas close behind him. The call for a wellness check prompted Ryker to check his chest plate, where a Sentinel beam had glanced off his shields. Patting it down revealed a level of warmth, unsurprising since the shielding stopped the beam itself, not the heat transfer, but undamaged beyond that. Satisfied, he spoke up in response. "Spartan Ryker, alive and ready to roll." With his check-in done, he gave the eye to his unshielded teammates and made sure that the Sentinels hadn't managed to connect any shots. Satisfied they were fine, the Spartan went and found a seat and then set about taking his SMGs apart and cleaning them after removing the magazines and clearing the breaches. An uncared for weapon was a weapon that could malfunction after all.</s>	<\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Grikgar's grenade whined to a full charge a moment before Yalu dove for cover. The sound of metal blasting apart joined a flash on the walls of the pelican. He stood back up with his carbine levelled to shoot the surrounding sentinels down like flying animals. Relief didn't come too soon as far as Yalu was concerned. He moved as prompted, though was sure to escort one of the human pilots by his upper arm to ensure he was covered by Yalu's energy shield. The human barely kept pace. No sooner was he in the Mammoth than Yalu let the pilot go and spun around to cover Tasuma's retreat. Only when the large doors shut did he habitually replace the magazine of his carbine in three rapid movements. "Major 'Suumko still effective," Yalu responded to Aviza. He had little else to add.</s>
<\|description\|>Yalu 'Suumko Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios) Species: Sangheili Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued. Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: - Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do - Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H] - A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades] - Wrist-mounted energy dagger - Whatever else is at hand Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword. Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory. Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey. Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame. Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with. After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern The dumb A.I. that was built into Aviza's ARGUS-class Mjolnir was informing the Spartan III that the area the Mammoth was currently traveling though was arid, rocky desert that had a current high temperature. Aviza knew that the armor would make adjustments to help her stay nice and cool in such unfavorable weather, but wondered if the others had been lucky enough for such modifications to be installed into theirs. This thought ran through the Spartans mind as she walked through the interior of the Mammoth, also heading towards the armory, following a few of the others who had decided to do that same. Instead of putting her weapons into the armory locker, she had decided to re-arm and re-gear for whatever was next for them. New clips, a few new grenades, and a new melee weapon were carefully selected from the stock that was currently available. The melee weapon that Spartan Aviza had picked out was different from most others, while it was an energy sword, the blade was a bright red, unlike the vibrant blue that she had always seen, something about it had called to her, and she had answered. With the unique energy blade in hand, she approached Vael 'Virisusai and spoke. "Pardon me Vael, but I wanted to ask you a personal question." She would power up the energy blade and show it to the Sangheili before her. "I hear that these energy swords hold a special and deeply profound meaning among your people. I do not wish to offend you or any of your kind, and wish to ask for your permission to wield this weapon upon the field of battle. I have seen blue energy swords upon the field of battle, but have never seen one that had a red blade before. Something about it feels, ominous, perhaps I have heard of red bladed energy swords somewhere in my past." Aviza paused for a moment as the memory came back to her, "Spartan Killers, the Silent Shadow, that is where I have heard about red energy swords." The Woman held up the unique energy sword to get a better look at it, "Perhaps using a normal energy sword would be better, less distasteful, and less disrespectful."</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre Tar groped desperately around with her right hand for her Mauler, but it had skittered away into the gloom. So instead, Tar pulled her energy sword from his mount on her left thigh, activated it and thrust it into the Stalker's abdomen. He let out a furious roar and tried to dismount her. Tar wrapped her right arm around the Brute's neck and stabbed him four more times in the stomach with her left. The force of her last blow pushed his now limp body off to the side, where he lay still. Tar quickly rose to her feet and holstered her sword. The recruits had entered the room and were staring at her. Tar spotted her Mauler lying under a desk and picked it up. Satisfied all her gear was together, she quickly strode to where Ryssa stood and shoved him against a wall. "One of your teammates just died. When I show you tactics I expect you to use them. We always check corners and clear rooms. Fail me again and you'll do this simulation alone, Is that clear?" "Yes, Commander!" Ryssa replied, almost on reflex, though he still frantically looked around with some confusion after taking a more literal interpretation of her reprimand. He had seen the tail end of the short fight, but from what he could see, everyone around him was still alive. "Good." Tar grabbed the recruit and shoved him towards the doorway. "Take point." The Major, stood slightly outside the doorway, snarled and turned away. Ryssa followed his orders to the letter and took point, this time making sure to clear the rooms they passed on the way forward. It seemed, at the very least, that Tar's harsh reminder was enough to get him to pay more attention to what he was doing and follow his training. Not only did he continue checking his corners, but he did not need to be told where to go once they reached the junction in the hallway. Data centers, or the commanders themselves, were the most likely target of an attack like this, both of which took them down the left hallway. As the team headed up the stairs to the next floor, there was a spike of activity on their sensors. All at once, each of their motion trackers started showing multiple red dots, on their level as well as above and below, moving frantically all around them. Jurna immediately raised his carbine and pointed it ahead at the top of the stairs above, though quickly turned around to point it back the way they came. "They're surrounding us!" He shouted, unsure of where he should be focusing his attention.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael briefly turned his attention to the Mgalekgolo's shield. Generally, they were durable enough to be all but impervious to the majority of small arms, but sentinel beams could damage even starships. Still, even in a damaged state, it would likely be serviceable against Human and Jiralhanae weapons. By Vael's assessment, Tasuma was still equipped to fight. However, there was more for Vael to be curious about, especially the more he observed Tasuma's armor. "You seem ready for battle, but there is more I would know about you. I was given a document with your history, but I would prefer to ask you myself. You are unusual for one of your kind. Your armor, equipment, the way you act towards them…you have worked with the Humans long before the idea of this team was conceived. You also fight without a bond brother, yet the spikes on your back show that you do, or did, have one. I am curious what events brought you here." Vael questioned Tasuma, though the two of them did not remain alone for long before there was an interruption. The Spartan, Aviza, approached bearing an energy sword. Vael glanced down at the crimson blade. "I question what such a blade is doing in a Human armory, but…it does not matter. In the hands of a Sangheili, a sword is the weapon of nobility. Of honor, and the symbol of our skill. Swordsmanship is among our most respected practices. You are correct that the sword has meaning to us, but you are not of our kind. In your hands, there is no meaning. Some may disagree with me, but for you to wield a sword, there is no honor to be gained, nor lost. You are not Sangheili, and you are not under our command. It is not of our concern what trophies you take. Regardless, our rules and customs regarding the sword are primarily respected outside the military. On the field of battle, even a lowly Minor may pick up a sword if the situation demands it." Again, Vael put his attention to the blade. His answer might have seemed dismissive, but he said what he believed to be true. Her use of a sword was not something worthy of offense, though at the same time, her mere use of it would not gain respect. In any case, he had no qualms about informing her on a subject about which she clearly had little knowledge. "To wield that sword in particular is not a matter of honor nor respect, but skill. That blade burns hotter than the average sword, but that heat gives it a fine edge in more ways than one. It can cut through more armor, stronger armor, with speed and efficiency, but with that blade it is possible to cut too quickly. When rending flesh, it burns hot enough to cauterize immediately. There is less bleeding, and if the wielder cuts too quick, less damage to surrounding tissue. If the cut does not find a vital area, your opponent may survive. A wielder of that blade is one who is precise, restrained, and skilled enough to always find his mark."</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern Aviza listened intently to every word that Vael 'Virisusai said about the Crimson Energy sword, and the special significance that it held to his people. She took no offense to the fact that he felt there was no honor to gain or to be lost from her using the weapon, his beliefs were his own. In fact, the Spartan had her own opinion on the use of the blade after listening to Vael, but would not share those thoughts with the Sangheili. However, she did comment on how he obviously thought she was ignorant of what the weapon actually was and how it functioned. "Thankfully, I am not woefully ignorant of how to use an energy sword, or how one functions. The holo-decks and training facilities have ensured that." Glancing at the Crimson Energy Sword once more, Aviza powered it down and attached it to her armor for later use. "I merely wanted to know if it would offend you or anyone else if I used it, but I do appreciate the information you have given me about the weapon, and its cultural significance." Aviza would pause for a moment, carefully and gently removing her helmet, resulting in a soft, almost inaudible click. The helmet was now placed below her left arm for the time being, "We should move to the command deck and plan our next move from there, you lead and I shall follow."</s>	<\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko The calm had not quite settled in Yalu's mind by the time the others started to slow down. He escorted his commander Vael to the roof, as much to carry out his duties as to see what was going on. Thankfully he did not need to fire another shot. After stepping back into the mammoth, he took a deep breath and holstered his carbine. On any other mission, there would have been a few friendly bodies left behind by the crashed pelican. "I'll be listening for orders, commander," Yalu mentioned to Vael before wandering off. Now that everything was well, he had a burning curiosity about the vehicle they were housed in. Yalu stopped by every space on the mammoth, from the rear to the drivers seats up front, though the latter could be described as a bridge. He had piloted just about every covenant military vehicle there was, but human wheeled vehicles were a rare treat. In his wanderings, Yalu happened to be in a position to eavesdrop on Commander Aviza's castigation of the runaway special operations warriors. Yalu had not judged them too harshly -- humans had a different idea of honour after all. At the very least, he thought Aviza wise to not give Roy's explanation any attention. It was provocative. Aviza was clear enough. Do humans have just as much pride as sangheili? How did they not cut each other to pieces without sangheili honour? Yalu shook his head and headed to the bridge again to see where they were going. "Pilot," Yalu said to the human in the primary driving seat, possibly giving both the driver and co-driver a fright. "Once we are out of danger, I am interested in learning more about this vessel."</s>
<\|description\|>Yalu 'Suumko Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios) Species: Sangheili Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued. Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: - Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do - Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H] - A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades] - Wrist-mounted energy dagger - Whatever else is at hand Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword. Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory. Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey. Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame. Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with. After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.</s> <\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu 'Suumko "Yes," Yalu replied. "The weight and material is impressive. I expect no remnant or swords ground vehicles short of a scarab focus cannon could puncture it. And that could take more than one direct hit." He turned an eye to look at the pilot rather than ahead. "How is this Mammoth's movement powered? It must be something more potent than the hydrogen cells of your smaller vessels." Yalu did not have the tact to make the human pilot entirely comfortable, but he did learn a few technical details. The conversation was not especially long. It ended once Commander Vael called Yalu over to discuss plans with the team.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre --- "Take cover right!" Tar shouted, assuming control just as a barrage of plasma fire erupted from several points around the large room. They waded through the flames into a partitioned area with a semi-circle of holo consoles. Tar took several hits to her shield from the Stalkers guarding the stairway before leaping behind one of the consoles. The Brute weapons punched holes in the plastic room dividers as they lost line of sight on her. Tar peeked over the top of her cover. She counted at least four Stalkers slowly approaching their position, plus the two guarding the stairway. Their camouflage slipped every time they fired their weapons, revealing a cautious, calculated advance. Tar estimated they were each twenty feet apart, progressing down the open spaces between work areas. In this case, not a single recruit so much as hesitated in following Tar's order. The Major broke straight through the partition, with the others following just behind. Each moved into whatever cover they could find, as quickly as they could. The room dividers could break line of sight, though there was no weapon they would actually stop. Plasma fire and spikers ripped through them with ease, just without as much accuracy. Ryssa, with his shields already damaged from his brush with the flames and few stray plasma rounds, dove behind the holo-consoles. They were at least somewhat more sturdy than most of the other parts of the office. His response to being pinned was actually reasonably effective, considering his options, even if it was a strategy one might have learned from an Unggoy. He did not peer out from cover to return fire, but rather grabbed his needler and lifted it up just high enough to fire over the console, roughly in the direction that one of the Brutes was firing from. He did not need to be accurate; as long as the needler was pointing in mostly the right direction, its needles would find a target. When the attack had began, Jurna had fired four shots with surprisingly good accuracy. He tracked the shimmer he had seen and, out of his four shots, hit three to break the Brute's powered armor. However, once his own shields started taking damage, he did not follow through to make the kill. He ran with the others into the side room and, like Ryssa, took cover behind the consoles. Though, unlike the other recruit, he did not return fire from his position. He hid as best as he could, and intended to continue doing so until his shields were fully recharged. With the partitions at least stopping accurate fire, the Major took a moment to scan the room they had hastily entered. Given how quickly they had been forced to move, there was no reason to believe they had moved to safety. And indeed, at this range, his eyes were sharp enough to spot at least two shimmers moving carefully closer to Jurna and Tar. Drawing his energy sword, the Major sprinted for the nearest stalker. "Brutes behind us!" He shouted. Reacting instantly, Tar jumped up, grabbed her energy sword from its mount on her left thigh, activated it and blindly slashed it through the air behind her in one fluid motion. The dual tips of her sword grazed the armour of a Stalker; the room lit up with blue light as his shield protected his neck from being slit. Regaining her balance, Tar raised her right hand and fired a round from her Mauler into the same shield, breaking it completely. At the same time, she watched the Stalker fire their Mauler at her face. She was momentarily blinded as the slug exploded right in front of her eyes, and she felt her shield go offline with a jolt. Tar let out an angry roar and leapt forward, sword poised. She made impact with…something, and clattered to the floor with it before stabbing it with her weapon multiple times. The Major's blade quickly found its mark on the nearest stalker. The Brute's active camouflage may have rendered it only a shimmer in the air, but a wide arc with his blade in front of him could reach easily over two and a half meters in front of him, and the sword itself could cut through even a starship's armor with ease. The Brute was quite simply bisected. There had only been two of the cloaked Brutes in the room they had ran into, but the Major had no intent of staying put and holding out. Though his shields were damaged, he still preferred aggression. "Attack with me! These mongrels are nothing to us!" He shouted. Off on their right flank, on the other side of a thin wall, he could hear movement, which was all he needed to strike. With a frenzied roar as his battle cry, he broke straight through the wall in a charge. A diagonal swing of his sword and another stalker was cut in two. This time, however, the Brute was not without assistance. Just to his left, another Brute fired his mauler, both revealing himself, and stripping away the Major's shields. He was close enough that the Major could react quickly and impale him through the chest with his blade, but there were still more Brutes farther away, and the Major was now clearly in their line of sight. Ryssa had intended to follow the Major's instruction. Based on the sound of a supercombine explosion beyond the wall he had been firing through, his needles had found a target, but the Brutes were not unintelligent. Though they could not see him, they could roughly determine where he was firing from when they saw the needles, so Ryssa found himself pinned by a volley of plasma and spiker fire. His shields took a stray hit, so they were not yet recharging, and he could not move to assist the Major. Jurna had an angle from which he could help at range, but his shields were charging and he still had no intention of revealing himself until they were full. Daha was the farthest from the Major, and the closest to Tar, and it was she who he intended to help. He charged his plasma pistol, firing the overcharged bolt at a stalker who had a clear line of sight onto Tar. The shot broke the Brute's powered armor immediately, allowing his follow-up shots from his plasma rifle to deal potentially deadly damage. Ultimately, there was no help that would come for the Major in time to save him. A burst of spiker fire from a more distant stalker struck his unshielded chest and neck, and his armor was not enough to protect against the volley. The red plating of his armor was stained purple by his blood. Simulated as it might have been, his death was still convincing. The Major had successfully relieved most of the pressure from their right flank, but at the cost of his life.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- For the members of Aegis team, their journey across the desert did, fortunately, come with few actual dangers. Though, it was a long journey nonetheless, characterized by blistering heat, dry air, and cramped quarters. Sentinels did show some interest in the Mammoth whenever it passed too close to certain Forerunner structures, but its armor did allow them to take some fire as they passed without needing to engage in firefights with the machines. As long as they moved beyond the locations they were guarding, the sentinels would not follow. Vael found that the journey was far from the worst experience he had ever needed to endure. The heat was a constant irritant for some, but his combat harness provided more than adequate environmental controls to keep him comfortable. What was more of a nuisance for him was the inability to be alone. He had to admit that he had held his rank long enough to become accustomed to its benefits. The ability to have a space to himself to mediate and center his mind had been a privilege he had long enjoyed. As large as the Mammoth was, there still was no way the avoid the nine other members of his team, plus the Mammoth crew, for any meaningful time. Given the distance they had to travel, the team spent almost two days in the Mammoth, moving constantly across, at times, rough terrain. To fly to their destination would have been much quicker, but any attempt at an aerial approach to the Brute ships would have easily been detected. The Mammoth, ironically, provided a much stealthier approach. Of course, once they located the Brute ships, they would need to move on without the Mammoth to perform actual reconnaissance. --- It was the middle of the night when the Mammoth came to a sudden, and complete halt. The hum of the engines and the spinning of the massive tires over rock and sand had been such a constant that having both stop was enough to jolt Vael awake, even before the diver's voice sounded out over the vehicle's intercom. "Unidentified Covenant ships spotted on the horizon. I am bringing the Mammoth to a halt and awaiting further orders." Vael sat up from where he had been laying. Their sleeping arrangements within the vehicle were rather haphazard. The Mammoth was not large enough for dedicated sleeping quarters, so the team had to make due with whatever they could arrange themselves, with the supplies they had available. Being that they were in the field, Vael had not left his armor. It did not make for the most comfortable rest, but again, he had endured far worse throughout his career. For now, the team needed to get together and decide on their approach.</s>	<\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko Yalu was in no mood to avoid his teammates during the ride. He tried to at least speak to his fellow former-covenant contemporaries about their path leading up to this mission. He was quietly embarrassed to find he was consistently outranked and at times prying on business best kept a secret. Nevertheless, he kept himself well drilled for whatever lay ahead. When the call came to wake up, whatever casual air Yalu tried to offer was gone. He was up and arming himself partway through the driver's announcement. "Running the Mammoth silent may make them overlook us." Yalu snapped a fully green magazine into his carbine after checking it. "But if it is no patrol, we are no longer safe. We are not expecting a rendezvous."</s>
<\|description\|>Yalu 'Suumko Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios) Species: Sangheili Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued. Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: - Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do - Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H] - A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades] - Wrist-mounted energy dagger - Whatever else is at hand Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword. Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory. Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey. Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame. Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with. After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Following Aviza's orders, Aegis team grouped off into pairs and moved in a loose formation towards the cruisers, on foot. Vael experienced little issue from either the darkness or the cold, as his combat harness could handle both through low-light vision and thermal regulation. The trek through the desert itself took hours on foot. It came with the advantage of stealth, since there was no way the Brutes would be able to detect their approach unless a patrol simply happened upon them by chance, but they would still have to stay alert. They had already encountered hostile Forerunner machines once, and the wildlife of Sarcophagus was hardly any less of a threat. The size of their group did make it less likely for an animal to want to challenge them, but creatures had killed citizens of Paxopolis before. Fortunately, between the sensors built into Aviza's armor, and those back at the Mammoth, Shih was able to guide them on a path that kept them well-clear of any Forerunner structures on the way. Though, as they grew nearer to their destination, the AI was also able to form a more complete picture of the area underneath the cruisers. The ships appeared to be holding over a structure, likely Forerunner based on its dimensions. Before they could see it with their own eyes, they would not be able to determine why, but there was certainly a possibility that it could make their task more difficult. They needed to be able to follow the Brutes to the rebels' hideout undetected, and any Forerunner defenses could compromise their position. In any case, after enough hours of walking, the team did start coming close to their destination. From where they were, they could see not only the Brute cruisers hovering far above, but also the top of a spire-like Forerunner structure, and phantoms patrolling the area around it. There was obviously some interest from the Brutes in the structure, but based on Shih's scans, it was located in a crater-like pit with high rock walls on all sides, and few good entrances. If they moved closer, it was possible they could find a spot among the rocky crags where they could get a line of sight down into the crater, but there was a definite risk of encountering a patrol if they moved closer. Alternatively, there was a mesa near to their current position that was tall enough for them to be able to see over the rim from long range. So far, none of the phantoms they had seen had moved that far from the crater on their patrols, but if a phantom did come out that far, there would be few options to hide from it.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre --- As one might have expected, there was hesitation from all of the recruits. Ryssa was the one who hazarded an answer first, though his approach was more of a cold recounting of facts than an actual analysis of their performance. "The primary objective was completed and the security of the colony was ensured. We failed the secondary objective to rescue the Human hostages." The Major soon let out a loud huff, giving a dismissive glare towards seemingly anyone who looked at him. "It is a miracle any of you even survived." Tar chuckled. Now that the simulation was over, she could relax a little bit. "It certainly wasn't a masterclass, but I never expected that. I expected an embarrassment, and at certain points it was. But on the whole, you acted bravely and completed the mission. She looked at Ryssa. "You have the makings of a fine operator, but your leadership instincts need work. You were visibly nervous at the beginning, making a vital mistake that nearly lost me my life. You performed better as my second, freeing you up to focus on the fundamentals. My question for you is, do you want to be a follower forever, or do you want to lead?" "Yes, commander." Ryssa answered; though, even he realized the irony in the way he chose to respond. "I…will improve myself." She turned to the Major. "Your strength and valour make you a great asset. However, your style did not work in this scenario. We were fighting an invisible enemy, and needed to be as close to hidden as possible. Adapting how you fight is key to survival. As part of a garrison, we require these skills more than raw power and aggression." Jurna was next. "You're good with that carbine, but your hesitation got you killed. We are a team, and should move as one. In the hands of a skilled soldier, a carbine is just as deadly up close as it is from range. Especially when your teammate is cracking shields" She pointed to Daha. "That was a good stratagem Daha, quick thinking." Tar surveyed them all. "But i'm still disappointed that we lost soldiers fighting an inferior enemy. When we work together as a team, we're each worth one hundred Stalkers. I'll see you tomorrow for another scenario. Dismissed." Initially in response to Tar's criticism, the Major had just stared with a soft growl, but by the time they were dismissed, he had built up enough resentment to finally speak up. He stepped forward, standing out of line and clenching his hand into a fist. "And who are you to 'instruct' me? If I did not have a team of cowards behind me, my attack would have succeeded. You proved as worthless as they did." He snarled, pointing a finger at Tar. Tar snarled and stepped forward. "Who am i? I'm the one who's killed more Brute vermin than you've ever seen! Believe me, your tactics have a time and place, but not while you're on my team." She prodded the Major's chestplate. "If you're unhappy, I can have you guarding star ship armouries by tomorrow. You can go berserk at all hostiles - would you prefer that?" This time, Tar's threat just seemed to rile up the Major even more. He stepped closer to her, growling as he looked down on her. Physically, he was larger and stronger than most Sangheili: a fact that clearly influenced his confidence when facing down one who was his superior. "You don't have a place commanding a team at all. What do you know of combat? Of real war? Even from the start, you spoke of leading from the rear like a cowardly Unggoy. Was it the Humans that gave you your position in this place? You act like them." "I paid for my station in blood!" Tar hissed, rolling her shoulders in a subtle attempt to calm her battle reflex. The Major was obviously incensed, and a fight would quickly get out of hand. "My blood and the blood of those I've killed. Three years of burning mongrel Brute hides in search of my father. So don't lecture me about combat - you wouldn't last five minutes on the missions I've endured for our kind." The Major waved his hand to the side dismissively. "Empty words and lies. I watched you fight and I was not impressed. I could snap you in half; I am twice the warrior as you." "It was a test…" A voice sounded out nearby, much more softly than either of the two. The Major growled as he turned his head back towards the other recruits. "What?" While certainly hesitant to speak up against the Major, Jurna was still in agreement with Tar, and felt strongly enough to involve himself. "The…simulation was a test for us. If she's trying to evaluate us, then she's not going to make all the kills herself." "Not another word, fool!" The Major snapped back. "You are the greatest fool among us, Zadu." Another voice interjected, this one new. It was Daha, who, until now, had not spoken through the entire scenario. Unlike Jurna, he did not fear speaking out against the Major. In fact, he showed little in the way of emotion at all, either visually or in his tone. "You clearly did not take the time to learn anything of our commander's history. It was a Silent Shadow team who taught her." For the first time, the Major actually showed a hint of doubting himself, though he clearly tried to hide it. "Lies!" He snarled. "Truth." Tar nodded her head. "We hunted down and slaughtered Brutes, because we could. What have you done to deserve your rank?" Though unsettled by the implications if what Daha said was true, the Major still answered. "I have fought and killed those who would oppose the Arbiter's rule. But you…why would any Silent Shadow team allow you among them? I can say with certainty you are no veteran of war." "Because, after my father was captured.." Tar could see all the males bristle at the mere thought. "I swore to them I'd kill every Brute in my way until I found him. This meant we could help each other. I stand by that oath to this day." She moved closer, until their armour was practically touching. "Any more questions...Major?" The Major's hesitation said more about him than his actual words. For him to accept what she was saying was to make himself into a fool. The only way for him to retain his pride was if he did not believe her claim. Yet, it was Daha, not her, that had made it., and though the Major had not admitted it, Daha had been correct that he knew nothing of their instructor's past. The Major could have tried pressing farther; to take the chance of perhaps preserving his pride. But, at this point, that hope seemed distant. "I…have nothing more to say." Tar smiled. "Good, see you tomorrow. Dismissed." She headed for the exit as all the recruits started chatting about their performance. All except the Major, who skulked into one of the adjoining physical training rooms.</s>	<\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko And so they were to move out. The information that trickled in was welcome as far as Yalu was concerned. The enemy was not heading for them, neither were they heading anywhere they could not follow. Yalu approached the only human he was properly acquainted with to pair up. "Ryker. Now is the time to put our practice to the test." * * * Yalu strode along in the line his allies created to advance, carbine in his hands. He stopped very occasionally to zoom his harness optics to scan the distance but found no reason to speak up through the radio while they moved. After enough time, Yalu spoke up gently enough for Lucas to hear. "I have a question. Which of the humans is most likely to charge ahead for glory, in your opinion? Or the one who would...I believe the phrase is 'getting tunnel vision'." Yalu kept his eyes on the surrounding environment. "There is always one in sangheili fireteams. Good tactical information to have."</s>
<\|description\|>Yalu 'Suumko Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios) Species: Sangheili Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued. Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind. Preferred Weapons/Equipment: - Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do - Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H] - A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades] - Wrist-mounted energy dagger - Whatever else is at hand Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword. Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory. Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey. Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame. Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with. After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.</s> <\|message\|>Tar 'Mdalak Tar 'Mdalak The Kel 'Darsam - off Paxopolis Broadwalk --- Tar chuckled and patted her comrade affectionately on the back. "If the Humans gave you poison, would you eat that too?" She enjoyed the regular meetings and light hearted banter with Kryu more than she probably let on. It provided temporary solace for her, especially as her deployment to Sarcophagus stretched from weeks into months. Kryu shrugged. "I am not convinced that was not their intention. It was sweet at first, but the aftertaste was horrid. I still feel that I can taste it. The last time they gave me something of theirs to eat, it was most acceptable. Pleasant, even. Perhaps they were attempting to earn my trust?" He said with a short grunt. Their food came quickly - popular dishes were pre-prepared and kept hot for the breakfast rush which was due in 10 minutes or so. Tar devoured hers, foregoing utensils over holding the bowl up and grabbing food with her tongue and mandibles. "So, I had an...interesting simulation...with some fresh recruits just now." Tar ventured in between mouthfuls. "Such an array of characters - three sessions in and they're still as diverse as the seasons. It seems ONI doesn't like making things easy for me! How was your training exercise yesterday?" Kryu huffed, shaking his head slightly before pausing to take a drink. "All but one of my recruits have never so much as used a thruster pack before, but that is fine. The ones that have never flown do not know what they are doing, so they listen to me. It's the one with experience that gives me trouble. He has his own technique, and does not wish to stray from it. So, yesterday, he comes in too quickly for his landing, does a poor job of handling the impact, and breaks his leg. The last I saw him, he was arguing with the medics." "We're certainly a stubborn kind, aren't we?" Tar slurped her shake. "So many returning from war with rushed, incomplete training. They now hide behind hero status, claiming imaginary feats of valour. Tar heard herself speak and realised she had assumed an overly negative tone. She had feats of valour too, despite not serving in the war. Her Keep had been attacked by surprise, and she'd fought them off with her own soldiers. But she seldom felt comfortable talking about those feats. She had failed her father by allowing him to be captured. The shame still threatened to overwhelm her years later. She'd only managed to hint to Kryu what had transpired, so it was no wonder blurting it out in front of the recruits had shaken her. Even if she had wanted to gloat, she would've needed to embellish some of it. Much of that battle was clouded by a red haze in her mind, preventing her from recalling some details. The clearest memory she had was tentatively asking her trusted lieutenant about what he'd seen several days after. She would never forget the look on his face. Raw fear, of her. Tar decided to change the subject. "Have you heard any more whispers of an actual mission, outside Paxopolis?" Again, Kryu shook his head. "I haven't heard anything specific. I know our commanders have put the garrison on alert, but no one is saying what we are on alert against. I am wondering if we are simply being tested? I believe many of the recruits sent here are chosen based on how well they will get along with former enemies. Perhaps they want to see if we still have the skill and discipline necessary to defend this place?" He reasoned. "Shaking down the base would put everyone in their place, whether that is at the barricades or on the next shuttle back to Sanghelios." Tar agreed, thoughtfully tasting the last strips of meat in her bowl. After a short pause to have some of his breakfast, Kryu gave Tar a curious look. "You are still wanting to be reassigned from here, aren't you." He asked, though he still did not know the exact reason why she had been looking to leave.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai --- Vael hummed to himself, taking a moment to observe the defenses and other points of interest that Shih was highlighting in the compound. Walls and other fortifications, turrets, clusters of soldiers, there were plenty of obstacles for them to get through to reach the center. "There is some possibility that these two groups will turn on each other in the confusion, but we should not rely on it. And if they have an escape plan prepared, I do believe these cowardly rebels will try to go to ground no matter who they think is attacking them. As soon as they are alerted to an attack, we need to reach the central structure quickly if we are to catch them." Vael reasoned. He gave another look at the defenses, particularly what appeared to be an anti-aircraft turret on the near side of the compound. "The battle group can land reinforcements when they arrive, while we move to pursue their leader. But not all of us are equipped to sneak through such heavy defenses. I suggest we move forward with Spartan Ryker's plan to sneak in, for those of us who are able, and sabotage that anti-aircraft turret. That will clear a path for a dropship to insert the rest of the team directly onto the central structure."</s> <\|message\|>Aviza Morgenstern "I like the idea of causing chaos and confusion among the two factions present, though if we are going to call in reinforcements, the anti-aircraft cannons and other defenses will need to be dealt with first. Sending in a team with active camouflage, as Spartan Ryker suggested, is a sound plan, and I say we act upon it when the chance arrives." said Spartan Aviza, still prone upon the mesa. "The question is though, who here has active camouflage and will join us on this short but very important stealth mission? Remember, the longer we wait, the worse this whole situation could get. It is better that we handle the problem at hand so they do not develop into something more serious." If it was up to her, and it wasn't, she would have called quite a few MAC-Blasts down upon the complex, wiped them all out, and called it a day before any of the hostiles would know what happened. Aviza was very straight forward like that at times, but deep down she knew that was not going to work for the current mission.</s> <\|message\|>Lucas Ryker Spartan Lucas Ryker Ryker's form flickers from view very briefly before coming back into sight. "I would never ask my teammates to run a job I wouldn't. I suggested the plan, I'll help carry it out." The SPARTAN-IV had no qualms about helping to carry this out, if not doing the job himself. Black Ops cells rarely had the kind of support that Aegis was getting, and they could rarely afford to send out more than one man even for an important job like this. "If no one else wants to go, just give me the charges and some time. Wouldn't be the first time I've planted explosive charges solo."</s> <\|message\|>Ray Younan Roy and Elna made their way to the designated way point that the gracious and ever benovlennt Spartan Lead Aviza had set for them and for once they followed through and found themselves with the team. Taking cover, Elna held up a over watch position on their rear incase any smart brutes or jackals decided they wanted to come through and pick a fight with the elite team of questionable operatives. While everyone made their pitches on how to take down the URF and the covvie rememnants. To Elna it didn't really matter the thinking part of the job was not in her job description she just laid down bodies where they were required to fall, for her it was just another waking minutes in this unyielding hell hole. "Perhaps instead of just turning this camp into an afterthought with the MAC, we identify the HVT and then blast it. Or don't, I'm impartial maybe your AI have some witty statement to back this up." He says checking his PDA briefly before slithering up to Vael and Aviza where he expected some kind of daily validation or maybe a pat on the back which would make his ego jump through the roof.</s> <\|message\|>Vael 'Virisusai Vael 'Virisusai and Shih --- Vael did not take his eyes off of the compound below, though he did respond to Spartan Ryker. "I will join you. We will need to move quickly and avoid discovery, but we may also have to ensure there is no one to discover the charges before they detonate. We should make sure that our reinforcements are ready to join the battle the very moment the rebels are put on alert. The construct…Shih, can it send a message informing the battle group of this plan so they can be ready for our signal?" "She can, yes." Shih replied with some noticeable offense in her tone. "There is always some small risk, but if I send the message as a short, encrypted data burst, then the rebels shouldn't be able to intercept it. Or at least, they won't understand what they intercepted until it is too late. Vael nodded towards Aviza, as it was her suit the AI was inhabiting. "Then you should do so. Our reinforcements need to be ready to act." "Already working on it. As for Petty Officer Younan's concerns, he does have a point. We still don't know who we are supposed to be capturing here, but I think the rebels themselves can help us figure that out. Once all Hell breaks loose, they are going to be scrambling to get their leader out of there. Spartan Aviza's armor is equipped to easily intercept their communications, so if we decrypt them, we might be able to learn what we need." The AI suggested. While the others were speaking, Vael slowly crawled back from the edge of the Mesa, making sure he was far enough away that he did not silhouette against the sky when he stood back to his feet. "Someone who is equipped to observe from distance should remain here to assist in guiding us through the compound."</s>	<\|message\|>Yalu 'Suumko There were plenty in the team already equipped to go down into the enemy base. Yalu was rarely ever requisitioned with active camouflage like a spec ops elite, but at the very least he could be useful from a distance by taking Commander Vael's suggestion. "I can guide you," Yalu said. "One of my primary talents is warding death away from my team." Yalu peered down at his carbine. "And we will all be ready to head an assault on your order. These rebels and brutes will not have any time to think. I think the shock will be spiced if we fire on the brutes with human firearms and then the humans with covenant weaponry."</s>